Tasting Chocolate

Most likely, when you have some chocolate, you are simply eating it. You are eating it on its own, in isolation from any other chocolate. You enjoy it, but because it's a stand-alone experience your understanding of the differences that exist between various chocolates is limited. You can imagine the difference between two extremely different chocolates, say a dark chocolate covered nut cluster and a milk chocolate candy bar. There's no comparison between those two. But what could you learn about chocolate if you compared two nearly identical chocolates in the same sitting?

I'd like to help you explore a method for tasting chocolate. For this experiment you're going to have to get TWO chocolate bars ready! Make sure they are the same type of chocolate, either both milk or both dark. Neither bar should have any added ingredients like fruits or nuts. All you need are just plain chocolate bars. You can pick different brands, or you can choose the same brand with different percentages of chocolate content, for example a 60% and a 80% cocoa content for dark chocolate. Even though the bars are similar we still want to make sure you will be able to taste the difference.

Now that you have the chocolate bars, pick an appropriate time and place for your tasting. (You might think that there's not a bad time or place to eat chocolate, and I'd have to agree with you. But for best results, some times and places are better than others.) The right time is when you are relaxed, not hungry, and you don't have some lingering flavor in your mouth. The right place is somewhere away from strong odors, including lotions or perfumes that could interfere with your senses. Be sure your hands are clean too so you don't add any unwanted flavors to the chocolate.

Now that you've found the right time and place, let's start the tasting.

Take a sip of room temperature water to clean your palate. (The room temperature water helps avoid unusual mouth conditions.)

When you're ready, smell the aroma of the first chocolate. If the smells are not obvious, try melting a little of the chocolate with the heat of your finger. The melting will help release additional aroma.

Now, this is important, you must resist the urge to eat all the chocolate! Instead, just put a small piece of chocolate in your mouth. Chew it a little. Pay attention to how smooth or gritty you find it. Then allow the remainder of the chocolate to slowly melt in your mouth. Again notice the texture, smooth or gritty, or somewhere in between.

While the chocolate is melting in your mouth different flavors are released. See if you can distinguish different flavor components. At first you'll probably notice the sweetness and the strength of the chocolate flavor. The next flavor you notice might be something you'd call fruity or nutty. Finally, if a dark chocolate, you should experience some lingering chocolaty notes. If a milk chocolate, you may notice some lingering dairy notes. Delicious!

Now it's time to clean your palate and repeat the process with your second chocolate. Keeping your first chocolate in mind, see if you notice any different aromas, different textures, or different flavors released.

How did the second chocolate compare to the first? Could you tell the difference? Was it very similar or very different?

If you have never taken the time to truly taste chocolates side by side, comparing to others in that moment, you might have been surprised by the differences. Jot down some notes about your tasting, and repeat with more chocolates at another time.

Keep your notes and you'll accumulate a record of your own chocolate taste profile. You'll be able to taste new chocolates and easily understand the unique flavors of each. You'll recall previous tastings and fit the new chocolate into your chocolate flavor continuum.