Tasting chocolate is much like tasting fine wine -- there are subtleties of flavor and tones that you can train yourself to appreciate. Also like wine, professional chocolate tasters have developed a procedure for judging the qualities of a piece of chocolate. So find the best dark chocolate you can, reap the health benefits of good chocolate and enjoy.
Room Temperature
For best tasting, chocolate should be at room temperature. This allows the chocolate to begin to melt the moment it hits your mouth. Cold chocolate doesn't release its flavors and aromas as quickly, altering the tasting experience.
Be Still
You can't appreciate good chocolate if the phone is ringing or you are checking your e-mail. Chocolate comes from all over the world to end up in your house, so turn off the TV and give the chocolate some respect. It will reward you for it.
Clear Your Palate
You don't want other tastes interfering with your experience of the chocolate. Make sure no flavors are lingering in your mouth before you begin tasting your chocolate. A piece of apple, a bit of bread or (believe or not) a bite of a pickle are all said to erase flavors in your mouth.
Look at the Chocolate
Chocolate experts use the appearance of the chocolate as one of many criteria to judge its quality. Good chocolate should have a shiny, even gloss on its surface. If chocolate is too old, it will develop a hazy finish called 'bloom.' The color of the chocolate depends on the origin of the beans and the roasting process. The color should be uniform for the entire bar. Also examine the detail and care that has been put into creating the chocolate bar. Are the edges clean? Is the molding clear? Has extra effort been put into making an even, uniform bar?
Break Off a Piece
Break your piece of chocolate in half and listen to the sound. High quality chocolate produces a sharp, crisp sound and a clean edge. This is called the chocolate's "snap." The higher the cocoa quantity and the better the tempering, the louder the "snap" of the chocolate. Professional chocolate tasters can tell a great deal about the quality of chocolate just by this sound.
Rub It
Take your finger and rub just a bit of the chocolate. The chocolate should feel smooth and even. The warmth of your body will cause the chocolate to melt and release odors. These odors will enhance the intensity of your tasting.
Smell the Chocolate
Much like wine experts, chocolate experts can find an incredible array of scents and aromas. Some chocolate flavors include:
burnt bread
nutty
spicy
fruity
The list could continue forever. When you begin tasting chocolate, these aromas probably won't be clear to you. That's okay. Spend more time just smelling the chocolate. Warm it up more with your finger, close your eyes, and let your smell-imagination run wild. Eventually different chocolates will recall different odors. You will start to know which regions of the world produce chocolate with which aromas.
Feel the Chocolate in Your Mouth
Good chocolate should literally "melt in your mouth." Chocolate melts at about 97 degrees. While melting the chocolate should feel rich and luscious in your mouth. You should not need to chew good chocolate at all, just let the flavors release on their own. Examine the texture of the chocolate -- it can vary from smooth to grainy. Good chocolate has a rich, velvety texture. Poor quality chocolate feels waxy or greasy.
Taste It
Finally, you should taste the chocolate. You can chew if you want, but just a couple of times. Like with smelling the chocolate, pay attention to the flavors that just pop into your head. These could be the same as what you smelled, or completely different. Spend time being aware of how the flavors change over time as the chocolate continues to melt and coat more of your mouth.
The Finish
As the last of the chocolate leaves your mouth, the lingering flavor is known as the 'finish' of the chocolate. Good chocolate should have a complex, interesting finish that is not bitter or unpleasant. The finish is an important part of the tasting, as many of the early flavors may be masked by other ingredients in the chocolate.
Tips:
- When tasting many kinds of chocolate at one sitting, always taste from lowest percentage of cocoa to highest.
- Store your chocolate in a dry, dark and cool place to avoid 'blooming' and other signs of aging.
- Remember to balance the calories in chocolate by eating less of something else.
- If you are having trouble sleeping at night, do not eat chocolate close to bedtime.
*glekh*
Let's go find some chocolate!
Source: longevity.about.com
