Chocolate Tasting Like A True Connoisseur!
Eating chocolates is a pleasure all its own especially if you are munching on your favorite bar or a collection of different praline chocolates. Looking and smelling the assorted pieces of chocolate inside the box of chocolates will give you ideas on what is possibly inside each morsel. Most of the time you just enjoy the element of surprise each bite will give you. Hmmm nuts caramel nougat the list can go on but have you ever stop to really TASTE chocolates? Real tasting means identifying the different elements that make up the piece of chocolate you are eating. However, experts say that the best way to learn how to taste chocolate is eating plain bars. Chocolates without the nuts, nougats, wafers, fruits and other flourishes will give you the chance to appreciate REAL chocolate.
Chocolate tasting like a true connoisseur is quite similar to wine tasting. It requires the skills of knowing the differences of chocolates, cacao content and the ability of your palate to recognize different tastes. All of these are similar to knowing the different wines, the alcohol content, tannin, wine origin, wine age and the different tastes that are mixed with the wine. These include fruitiness, earthiness, sweetness, and other tastes that can be identified while swirling wine inside your mouth. However, this time instead of wine, you have to slowly savor chocolate into your mouth by letting it melt on your tongue.
Before taking on the task of tasting chocolates:
- You have to learn how to identify the different types and groupings of plain chocolates. These are chocolates with high cacao content ranging from 60% to 100% which include semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolates.
- Prepare the chocolate samples you will taste. A few tiny pieces are in order because most tasters often taste and re-taste to identify different elements. The first time you put a piece in your mouth and taste the chocolate can be different to the second one.
- Be sure to have a pen and paper at hand for taking notes.
- Clear your palate by eating a piece of apple, bread or pickle. Any of these can help erase any lingering taste in your mouth.
- Prepare slightly warm water and unsalted or unflavored crackers which you can use to cleanse your palate in between tastes.
- For best tasting results, make sure that chocolates are at room temperature.
There are five basic things to check when tasting chocolate:
- Appearance Check whether the chocolate you are going to taste has an even and shiny gloss. It should not have any traces of discoloration, pitting or bloom because these characteristics indicate good tempering as well as whether the chocolate has been on the shelf too long or has undergone temperature changes.
- Snap A clear and crisp sound from breaking a piece of chocolate from the bar indicate good tempering and high cacao content.
- Aroma Chocolates like wine have different aromas depending on the beans used to manufacture them.
- Mouth feel Take note of the chocolate’s texture and other sensations that you will feel inside your mouth as you let it melt and chew. Is it smooth, grainy or gritty?
- Taste Take note of the different tastes you can identify while chocolate melts in your mouth. The taste can be very different from the aroma.
New chocolate connoisseurs can follow the tips and techniques above to become true experts and lovers of this divinely sweet treat.
Tags: chocolate connoisseur | chocolate connoisseur | gourmet chocolates | gourmet chocolates | Chocolate tasting | Chocolate tasting