Chocolate is a beloved treat that transcends its role as a mere confectionery delight. From its ability to tantalise the taste buds to its enticing aroma, the sweet treat is also regarded as a form of art that engages senses and emotions.
Experts believe that to appreciate the variations of the beloved confectionery, embarking on a journey of chocolate tasting is essential.
And to assist you through the process, chocolate experts Denver Adonis and Danver Windvogel, from Huguenot Fine Chocolates, as well as award-winning chocolate maker, Antonino Allegra, of Afrikoa Chocolate, weigh in with their tips
Allegra’s tips on how to taste chocolate like a master chocolatier:
– Buy a few bars of chocolate with different cocoa percentages.
– Arrange them from the most mellow to the strongest (just like how you would taste white wine before red wine). Start with the lowest cocoa percentage and work your way to the highest.
“If you want to be really serious, you can remove the wrappers so you are not swayed by the labels,” he said.
Take sips of water that is at room temperature, in between each tasting in order to refresh the palate.
– Resist the urge to eat it straight away. Smell it first and then take one or two small bites, spreading the chocolate around on your tongue.
“Do not chew it immediately, but notice how it melts on your tongue and the flavours it reveals,” he said. Flavours could include fresh or dried fruit, nuts and caramel. There could also be floral or earthy, with a hint of spice or smoke.
“No matter what you taste, there is no wrong answer.”
– Once you have tasted all of the chocolate, taste them again, this time, in random order.
“This can help reveal flavours or sweetness you did not notice before.”
Allegra said chocolate could be a lot like wine, depending on the area in which the cocoa beans grew, the length of the bean’s fermentation process and how long it had been used.
As a chocolate-maker, his goal was “simply to make something that you enjoy eating”.
“But if you are as much of a chocolate nerd as I am, then going through a professional tasting process can be quite fun, especially if you do it with a group of friends as an after-dinner conversation-holder.”
Tasting chocolate before breakfast was, technically, the right way to go. “It is a good excuse, if you ask me,” he said.
Adonis and Windvogel offer some exciting ways to enjoy chocolate:
– Add chopped chocolate to hot milk to make real hot chocolate.
– Be brave and try a salted caramel flavour, chocolate of various origin, chocolate with rosemary or even South African fillings like rooibos and milk tart.
– Try spicy chocolates in flavours like masala, curry and chilli. “For more extreme versions there is balsamic, biltong, and matcha – a kind of healthy tea,” they said.
– Candied lemon rind in white chocolate and South Africa’s wonderful glacé fruit like orange rings, ginger and figs in milk and dark chocolate “are delicious”.
– Brush or use your finger to coat the inside of non-stick muffin pans to make chocolate cups. They are “sensational when they are filled with ice cream”. Alternatively, melt chocolate and pour it over cookies, biscuits and cakes.
“The number of variations and uses are as big as your imagination,” the chocolate experts said.
They added that the golden rule was to have one a day, and two on Saturdays.
“That is, if you have willpower.”