The guide to tasting chocolate like a pro
Much like wine, chocolate is a complex food, that needs to be savoured properly. A number of facts change the way it tastes, like the conditions that the cacao beans grew in and the nutrients in the soil, as well as the fermenting and roasting process.
According to the Independent, the chocolate needs to be stored in a cool place that is not the fridge. “Unlike wine, you don’t need to be a professional to enjoy good chocolate,” says Philippe Daue, the chef chocolatier of Godiva. “Anyone can appreciate amazing quality chocolate if they practice tasting it properly – and that means, eating more of it.”
Look before you taste
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Chocolate should be glossy on the surface, free of any cracks or pale streaks, according to Brandt Maybury, Taste Specialist at Green & Black’s. Search for tiny bubbles in the corners and edges of the chocolate, as they are a good indicator that not enough air was tapped out of the chocolate.
Prepare your taste buds
Try to avoid strong flavours like coffee or tobacco, because they will destroy your ability to detect subtle flavour notes, as Hotel Chocolat’s in-house chocolatier Kiri Kalenko advises.
Stop and smell the chocolate
Daue says that you should rub the chocolate with your fingers three to four times “to release the aromas first” and then smell the chocolate from an inch away. This way, your sense of smell will enhance the experience to come.
Don’t eat it all at once
“Take a small piece and let it melt in the mouth for five or six seconds – wait for it to spread around the mouth, and then chew,” says Daue. Your mouth should be closed and you should breathe in through your nose to empower all your senses.
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Cleanse your palate
Between tastings, try to eat something neutral, like bread, water or hazelnuts. This way, your taste buds are “reseted”.
Work your way down
“If you are tasting different chocolate bars, start with the highest percentage and work your way down,” says Jennifer Earle, who runs Chocolate Ecstasy Tours and regularly judges chocolate contests. She adds: “If there are flavoured bars, save the strongest flavours, for instance chilli, mint or coffee, until last. Taste slowly with minimal chewing for maximum flavour. The flavour of one piece of any good chocolate can change as it melts in your mouth.”
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