Just in time for Valentine’s Day, we offer a few suggestions for hosting your own chocolate tasting.
Gleaned from Making Chocolate, the new book from the team behind Dandelion Chocolate, here are some basic tips for gathering your friends and working your way through a few bars together, without the intimidation factor sometimes associated with wine tasting. (Pro Tip: If you like it, it’s good!)
Set up your tasting for success
Schedule your tasting for a time when your senses are sharp, whether that is first thing in the morning or in between meals. If tasting with others, discuss whether you’d like to keep your observations to yourself and write notes to discuss afterwards, or talk through each bar together as you taste them.
Source a few different bars
Select a few different bars to allow for comparing and contrasting. If you’re familiar with each chocolate, arrange them from mildest to strongest, or most acidic. You can also taste each bar blindly, with the labels hidden or taped to the underside of each plate. Whatever the case, allow the chocolate to come to room temperature before beginning and have some room-temperature water on hand to cleanse the palate between bites.
Smell, break, and wait
Before you bite in, notice the aroma, being mindful of any scented lotions or soaps you might have on your hands. Next, take one or two small bites and spread the candy around your mouth with your tongue. Note the flavor, texture, and any grittiness, which is an indicator of how much the chocolate was refined. Chocolate that has cocoa butter or soy lecithin added might have a slippery or fatty sensation. Wait another 10 to 20 seconds and observe how the flavors progress.
Take some tasting notes
While there are some overarching categories to consider while tasting chocolate; remember, this is just a partial list. Consider how the flavors work together: Are some stronger than others? How do they complement or challenge one another?
Fresh Fruit (Banana, red fruit, cherry)
Dried Fruit (Apricot, fig, prune)
Nutty (Almond, cashew, hazelnut)
Chocolate-y (Brownie, cookie, fudge)
Earthy (Grass, hay, mushroom)
Caramel (Brown sugar, butterscotch, dulce de leche)
Dairy (Butter, buttermilk, cream)
Floral (Black tea, jasmine, rose water)
Spicy (Allspice, anise, chicory)
Other (Astringent, smoky, tart)
Review
After you’ve tasted through all the samples, return to the first bar to repeat. Share observations with your group – and enjoy!