Some people compare a fine chocolate to a fine wine. I do too. How about you? If so, isn’t it about time you know what to “look for” and how to “taste” fine chocolate?
The Aroma
Smell the chocolate. Concentrate on the intensity of the aroma and the many different scents you can identify. Some of the most common scents in chocolate are vanilla, honey, milk, fruit, spice, and roasted nut.
If you have trouble smelling something, gently put your finger on the surface and melt a small bit of chocolate to release the aroma and try again.
The Appearance
Look at the chocolate color and shine. The common colors of chocolate include a range of hues in browns and reds. If you see a grayish or whitish layer on the surface, you have detected something called “bloom.”
Bloom is either sugar or cocoa butter that sits on the surface of the chocolate. This off-color is undesirable, but not dangerous. Bloomed chocolate is not chocolate at its best.
A properly prepared chocolate bar should have a glossy surface or nice sheen. A dull or flat finish indicates that a poor technique was used in solidifying, or tempering, the chocolate. A dull looking chocolate is not chocolate at its best.
The Sound
Listen to the chocolate. Break the chocolate and hear the loud, crisp, “snap!” The sound of the snap indicates the quality of the temper.
The Feel
Chew a piece of chocolate. Pay attention to how it feels in your mouth. It should feel smooth not gritty. Also pay attention to how it melts in your mouth. As a piece of chocolate melts in your mouth, different flavors will “come off” at different times. There is the initial flavor, the middle flavor, and the finish.
The Flavors
Eat the chocolate. The first sensations will probably involve sweetness and the intensity of chocolate flavor. Most of the fruity, nutty, and/or spicy notes come off somewhere in the middle. The final flavors could be chocolate or dairy notes and there should be no unpleasant aftertastes.
