Chocolate Tasting

Chocolate tasting is like wine tasting:

Chocolate tasting is like wine tasting. Just as you may prefer a red wine to a white wine, you might prefer a dark chocolate to a white chocolate. True connoisseurship is about moving beyond your "favorites" to develop a full appreciation for each chocolate's strengths by applying all your senses.

LOOK

Look for smoothness and glossiness

LISTEN

Solid chocolate snaps cleanly in half

SMELL

Bring broken piece to your nose, close your eyes, sniff-sniff-sniff

TASTE

Concentrate on how long it takes for the chocolate to melt in your mouth. Rub your tongue on the roof of your mouth and feel the smooth texture of the fine chocolate. Chocolates with higher cocoa butter contents (like white or milk) melt faster. Strong concentrations of cocoa powder (as in dark chocolate) can coat your taste buds and make it more difficult to taste subtle notes (such as those found in white or milk chocolate)