TASTING
Chocolate tasting is not unlike wine tasting!
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Turn off your TV because you’re about to taste real chocolate!
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Your palate should be clean. Avoid smoking or eating 30 mins before tasting. Sparkling water works as a great palate cleanser.
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If you are going to taste a few different pieces of chocolate, start with the one with the highest percent of cacao and work your way towards sweeter chocolate at the end. Dark chocolate should be tasted first and compared to other dark chocolate, milk chocolate tasted with other milk chocolate. Don’t be afraid to compare your "go to" supermarket chocolate against better, fine chocolate.
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Chocolate should be served at room temperature. Cold chocolate really affects the evolution of the flavour profile, so if it’s cold, leave it at room temperature for a while.
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Look at the chocolate. The surface should be shiny with no whitish swirls (called bloom). Bloom doesn’t affect the taste or quality of chocolate, it’s a sign that the cacao butter has separated slightly during tempering. Next, note the colour, chocolate comes in a wide range of browns. As some cacao beans are creamy white in colour, having a lighter chocolate colour doesn’t mean it’s not dark chocolate.
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Break off a good size piece (about 10 grams). It should resonate with a resounding “SNAP!” and exhibit a fine gradient along the broken edge.
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Smell the chocolate. The aroma is an important component of flavour. Some suggest rubbing the piece of chocolate with your thumb to release the aroma. Inhaling the fragrance and noting its profile will prime the tongue for the incoming chocolate.
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Place the chocolate on the tongue and allow it to arrive at body temperature. Let it melt slowly. Be patient! This step is crucial, for it allows the cocoa butter to distribute evenly in the mouth. Breath in through your mouth and out through your nose to further release flavours.
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Study the taste and texture. As the chocolate melts, concentrate on the flavours that unfold on the tongue. How does the chocolate taste? Is it nutty? Fruity maybe? What notes can you detect? It is important to notice how the flavour evolves from beginning, middle, to the finish.
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Chewing is optional, but do not chew more than three times. Since the cocoa butter has had time to coat the mouth, chewing just may release even more flavour components. Remember, we’re tasting – not eating!
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Now the chocolate is nearing its finish. How has the flavour evolved? Is the chocolate bitter? Heavy? Light? Was the texture smooth, creamy, dry, or grainy? Take note of how the chocolate leaves the palate and slips into its finish. Does a strong reminder lingering in your mouth, or does it quickly vanish?
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Remember to clean your palate again before trying a different chocolate!
Enjoy - Gabrielle & Peter