Eating high-quality chocolate is a flavorful tasting experience. Luxury chocolates are meant to be savored, and knowing how to taste chocolate properly can help you identify all of the care and flavor that has been infused into the chocolate at every step from bean to bar. Here are our tips for how to taste chocolate like an expert.
Temperature Matters
There are so many factors that affect how chocolate tastes before you even put it in your mouth. First of all, never store chocolate in the refrigerator, or in any place that it could melt like next to a stove or in a sunny window. Keep it cool (but not cold) and dry, ideally stored between 63 and 68 degrees. Before tasting, let your chocolate come to room temperature, about 72 degrees.
Take a Look
Look closely at the color of your chocolate bar, which changes depending on the variety and origin of the cacao beans. Chocolate that is darker in color might also indicate that it includes a greater percentage of cacao. The color shows that the kind and quality of the cacao beans and other ingredients make a difference in every step of the process of making the final product.
Have you ever noticed a chocolate bar that has white patches or looks dusty? This is a sign that your chocolate has broken its emulsification from tempering, and the fat or sugars have risen to the surface. Luckily, you can still eat the chocolate: it’s not moldy. However, it may have a greasy or gritty texture and might be better used for baking. Chocolate that has been tempered well will have a shiny appearance and will snap when broken.
Use Your Nose
Before biting into your chocolate, break off a small piece and take a whiff. The strongest smell will come from the edge that has just been broken or cut. Do you notice a smell that is bright or fruity? Smoky or spicy? These smells can be linked to the flavor notes of the chocolate, and identifying them now could help you taste the chocolate better. However, some chocolates smell different than they taste.
The Moment You’ve Been Waiting For
Now it’s finally time to taste your chocolate. We recommend letting the chocolate melt in your mouth for a moment, then chewing. Like you did when smelling, think about what flavors you are experiencing. Is there a specific kind of fruit flavor that you notice, like raspberries or coconut? Do you notice spicy tastes like cinnamon or pepper? Is it super sweet, or more savory?
Don’t forget to notice how the chocolate finishes, what kind of flavor it leaves in your mouth. Good chocolate will leave you reaching for more, but bad chocolate will literally leave a bad taste in your mouth that you’ll remember for a long time.
Tasting chocolate is completely subjective, and the flavors you notice might not be the same flavors someone else notes. However, cataloging the flavors you like the best can help you understand what kinds of chocolates you prefer. Don’t forget to use palette cleansers in between chocolate bars if you are tasting several different flavors in one sitting.
Taste Sanaa Chocolates
Sanaa Chocolates offers premium confections made with 100% fair trade cocoa and organic ingredients. Our shop is dedicated to quality creations and passionate about bringing the finest flavors to every one of our valued customers. These decadent treats are also visually stunning works of art that taste even better than they look. Our ingredients are organic and seasonal, with unique flavors inspired by the various regions of the world. We guarantee that every bite will take you on a decadent journey into the artful world of Sanaa Chocolates.
