Indulge in a journey of decadent chocolate tasting without the calories! Join me as I explore the world of exquisite chocolates, savoring each bite and transforming sensory experiences into words. This technique not only delights the senses but also helps overcome writer's block.
Every month, a box of approximately 50 chocolates, featuring two of each main variety, arrives at my doorstep. I savor one and then write about its qualities while enjoying the second. Here are some of my favorite reviews:
A firm fit in the mouth with a rippled texture that melts with warmth. The truffle gently implodes, releasing shards of dark chocolate into a creamy center, with a wide taste of whisky warming the mouth and heart.
A dome-shaped delight that melts slowly, releasing a subtle flavor of gin and orange. The macadamia and orange flavors blend into a river of deliciousness, reminiscent of a sophisticated cocktail bar.
An energy builder with almond and hazelnuts. The first bite splits like slate, revealing a nutty texture that merges into toffee, creating a target taste with nutty shards and praline.
A heavenly Toblerone-like experience with nutty stars and nougat, creating a moment of pure lust.
A slow-melting bundle that releases distant orange flavors, rafting on dark chocolate down an orange-flavored stream of pleasure.
A perfect fit in the mouth, melting into a world of tiramisu ganache, whispering secret flavors about the original beans.
A hazelnut-domed white chocolate that melts in waves of creaminess, with nuts patiently waiting to shower the mouth with sweet kisses.
A pixelated, rasta-colored top with edible pigment in cocoa butter. The chocolate breaks easily, releasing coffee flavors that transport you to the plantation, with a nutty finish.
A whole truffle that melts, revealing a forest of Calvados ganache with a soft, toffee-like ending.
A fascinating speckled chocolate that oozes sweet lime, flowing with increasing sharpness across the tongue, fading to dark chocolate bliss.
A firm shape with an enrobed sultana, melting into a mix of Caribbean rum and soft, dark ganache.
A delicate rose flavor transferred to chocolate, transporting you to a bower of chocolate and scented roses.
A chilled chocolate with a bright green splatter that erupts with vibrant green flavors, creating a river of sweet-sharp sorbet and ganache.
A plain chocolate that crumbles delightfully to sweet-rich and dark-earthy flavors, changing the whole effect when chilled.
A chocolate that crackles and spreads out in melt, with crispy chrunchles and pancake crystals embedded in a pure river of milky wonder.
A pure criollo baton that transports you on a tour of Africa and South America, holding many mysteries.
A chocolate by master makers Hermes, with almond marzipan and hazelnut praline, morphing through flavors in a symphony.
A dark chocolate with stages, melting away to a ground zero of hazelnut heaven.
A dark chocolate with caramelized hazelnut, warming in the mouth and imploding to a center of almond praline.
A milky chocolate that collapses into a greasy whisky sandwich.
A chocolate with a streak of white, sweating layered tastes onto the tongue, with ginger filling you with warmth.
A silky sheen with deep flavors erupting, planting you in black soil with roots straddling the ocean.
Hazelnut, cocoa butter, and pistachio with smooth and creamy chocolate, sailing into a summer sea of aftertaste.
Deep coffee-chocolate flavors with a mystic core of smooth hazelnut praline, coating the tastebuds with Egyptian night.
Rich, deep, dark, and strong flavors of coffee night, burnt sugar, and butter mingling with creamy chocolate.
A chocolate with a double heart chamber, flooding caramel and dark ganache flavors, merging the psyche back to harmony.
A delicate chocolate with orange speckles, erupting with mango and complemented by a rich, dark core.
Creamy milk and a burst of coffee with chocolate sprinklings, merging into a single experience.
A heavy chocolate with deep almond and marzipan flavors, ending in a Christmas Cake finale.
A truffle that explodes with layers of chocolate flavors, from creamy white to plain dark, carried to Africa and back by a huge Giraffe covered in champagne dust.
These chocolates offer a sensory journey that transcends mere taste, transporting you to different places and times. Each bite is a story, a memory, and an experience worth savoring.
For more information on the art of chocolate tasting, visit Fine Chocolate Industry Association and The Chocolate Society.
Interesting Stats:
The Ancient Pathways of Cornwall
The Saint's Way in Cornwall is a story written into the land. This ancient route existed long before it was used by saints, taking advantage of the unique shape of Cornwall and its rivers. Evidence (especially Pictish Art forms) suggest that Phoenicians, Egyptians and Greeks journeyed to west coasts of Britain and Ireland even before the Iron Age, in search of Keltic wisdom and trade. They would hit Cornwall and Southern Ireland first.
The Lily
This land is my memories. For two thousand years this valley has been mine alone. I know every rock, every stream and every tree. I know the forces that shape this land and the people who inhabit it.
Cancer is an energy
Einstein, a genius scientist of the 20th century, and central to the new energy physics, stated that 'a problem cannot be solved by the same mind set that created it'. Cancer is a case in point. Cancer is a dis-ease that stems partly from the products of the mechanistic, anthropomorphic and exploitative philosophy at the heart of our culture, which we tend to ignore. Its effective treatment demands that we see ourselves in a different light and act accordingly.
