The chocolate experience.
The experience of enjoying fine chocolate should involve all 5 of your senses. We suggest tasting chocolate when it is at a cool room temperature in order to bring out the characteristics.
- LOOK
- The finish – Compare how the chocolate looks, does it have a shiny or satin finish?
The color – chocolate can range in color from a deep dark brown to a reddish brown depending upon the origins of the cocoa bean. - SMELL
- Smell the chocolate – it should smell like a deep rich chocolate with a hint of floral or fruity aromas not metallic or medicinal.
- LISTEN
- If you are tasting a bar of chocolate, break off a piece, you should hear a distinctive snap. This is the sound of stable crystallization breaking cleanly, which means the chocolate was processed and tempered correctly. If the chocolate is stored at ideal conditions, between 63-65 degrees Fahrenheit, when you take a bite you should hear a crisp, ringing snap.
- FEEL/TASTE
- Quality chocolate should always be dry to the touch. Place a small piece on your tongue and let it melt slowly. Use your tongue to push the melted chocolate around your mouth to get the full “mouth feel” of the texture – it should be full and velvety. As the cocoa butter dissipates it should leave only the flavor behind. If that flavor lingers for a while in your mouth, the chocolate is said to have a long finish. Close your eyes and cut off all sensory information except the chocolate. Pay attention to the taste and details of the entire piece, moving around in your mouth and savoring the flavor. Allow the chocolate to overwhelm your senses and don’t let anything else bother you. If it is an exceptional piece of chocolate and you reach the correct state of mind, it can truly be a very exciting experience. There should not be a waxy, greasy or gritty film left in your mouth after you swallow. Whether you chew, allow to melt in the mouth or drink your chocolate, enjoy it slowly. Take out time to discern the notes in chocolate for yourself and to try and develop a tasting repertoire that suits you. Chocolate differs in taste and quality in the same way as wine, whiskey, cognac, seafood and game meats do. Learn to appreciate the subtleties over time.