Tasting is very different than eating when it comes to chocolate. Fully tasting chocolate requires mindfulness and these key steps:
1. You must have enough chocolate. You should never take one tiny chocolate chip to taste or you will be cheating yourself of a highly enjoyable experience. To maximize your chocolate tasting, take a small handful.
2. Chew or let the chocolate melt in your mouth and wait at least 5 seconds before passing any judgment on the chocolate. As the cocoa butter melts, pay attention to both the flavor and texture.
- Milk chocolate has two components – cocoa mass and milk – making it very different to taste than dark chocolate. Pay extra attention to the milk flavor.
- You will find layers of flavor in dark chocolate that will change within 10 to 30 seconds of tasting the chocolate. With dark chocolate there are 3 flavors: the starting, middle and end flavors.
- Low quality chocolate does not change flavor much and the texture will be grainy or even greasy in chocolates using palm oil instead of cocoa butter.
- High quality chocolate will have entertaining complexity and a silky smooth texture.
3. Make sure you take a second taste of the chocolate. The first taste is just an introductory taste to let your mind adjust to the complexity of the flavors, and the second taste lets you sit back and truly enjoy the experience.