Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Taste the Chocolate
• Part 2 of 3: Combine Chocolate with Drinks
• Part 3 of 3: Choose your chocolate carefully
• Tips
• Warnings

Do you want to take your love of chocolate to the next level? You may be looking for ways to increase your interest in him. Find out how to pair it and how to taste it, and enjoy your chocolate even more!

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Taste the Chocolate

1. 1 Take time to enjoy the sensations. You shouldn't eat a good chocolate bar so quickly that you don't have time to taste it. Take some time to understand the taste of chocolate.
   • Sit in a secluded place where you feel comfortable and where no one will disturb you. Sit back in an armchair, turn on nice music or sit at the kitchen table and admire the view from the window - do whatever makes you feel comfortable!
   • Some experts recommend eliminating all distractions, including music, so that you can devote yourself entirely to chocolate tasting.
2. 2 Clear your taste buds. For full flavor, the palate should be clear, free from residual aftertastes from previous meals. If there is still taste in your mouth, eat a slice of apple, bread, or soda.
   • When tasting several different types of chocolate, always keep a glass of soda on hand to clear your palate.
   • Try to wait a while between tasting different chocolates to avoid mixing up the flavors. While you wait, you can drink soda and take notes on the taste.
3. 3 Take a few deep breaths and clear your mind. When you fully focus on the chocolate, you can discern the variety of textures and flavors in each bite.
4. 4 Pay attention to what the chocolate looks like. After clearing your mind, pay attention to the appearance of the chocolate. Admire its shiny gloss or embellishments.
5. 5 Feel the chocolate. Gently run your fingers over the surface and notice the texture. It can be smooth or rough.
   • Wait until the chocolate has reached room temperature if it is cold to the touch. The colder the tile, the more difficult it is to taste it.
6. 6 Smell the chocolate. Bring the bite to your nose and take a deep breath while closing your eyes. Wave your other hand over the chocolate and get a real sense of what it really smells like.
   • If you love eating chocolate, now is the time to break a piece off the bar. This will release even more chocolate flavor.
7. 7 Take a bite of chocolate. If you eat a truffle, bite it in half. When stored in the correct temperature conditions, it should leave a bite mark on it.
   • You can use your tongue and teeth to break the chocolate into small pieces and spread over the surface of your tongue. Most often, this method is suitable for truffles and chocolate bars.
   • The chocolate bar can first be held on the tip of your tongue and allowed to melt before being moved in your mouth.
8. 8 Roll a piece of chocolate all over your mouth. Let the chocolate melt on the tip of your tongue, then press it against the palate and feel it melt. Most types of chocolate develop a variety of flavors at this point.
   • Pay attention to the taste as you move the chocolate in your mouth. It can be sweet, salty, bitter, sour, umami, or any combination of these.
   • For example, a mango and chili flavored truffle will melt and first produce a strong mango flavor, then tequila, and then chili that hits your throat as you swallow the chocolate.
9. 9 Use your sense of smell. Inhale deeply through your nose as the chocolate melts on your tongue. In the process, imagine that you are creating a space between the nose and the sky. When you do, you will be able to notice different scents, or at least they will get stronger.
   • By inhaling, you stimulate the sense of smell at the back of your throat.
10. 10 Think about it. Before taking another bite, give yourself time to experience the effect of chocolate on your entire body. Are you feeling an improvement in your mood? Has your heart rate increased slightly? You may be smiling because it tastes so good!
11. 11 Keep tasting. When tasting new chocolates on a regular basis, it's helpful to keep a record of the ones you've tasted. Jot down your thoughts in a notebook or create a word document. Do this while your chocolate experience is still fresh in your mind.
    • Buy a nice notebook to jot down your tasting notes. If you regularly try other new foods (like wine and coffee), buy a notebook with multiple sections. In some stores, you can even find special chocolate tasting pads.

Part 2 of 3: Combine Chocolate with Drinks

1. 1 Look for similar flavors. A quick way to decide on the right drink with chocolate is to study the flavor of each one. This applies to tea or alcohol, which are usually combined with chocolate. Examples:
   • If you are drinking a cup of tea with floral notes (like jasmine, green tea, or flower oolong), try to pair it with dark chocolate, which has a floral hue.
   • If you have Longjing (Dragon Well) tea or any other with a nutty flavor, try pairing it with hazelnut chocolate. For example, almond or dark chocolate with a nutty flavor is a great choice.
   • Earl Gray tea has pronounced citrus notes and goes well with dark chocolate, which also contains citrus.
2. 2 Experiment with different flavor combinations. To get started, you can try to find the best combination of drinks and chocolate with similar shades to improve the flavor, but you can also compare and complement the flavors.
   • Ground teas (such as pu-erh tea) pair well with dark floral chocolate, while spiced teas such as black tea masala go well with milk or white chocolate.
   • Combine teas with "roasted" notes (such as hojichi green tea or ui oolong tea) with sweet milk or caramel chocolate.
3. 3 Pair chocolate with tea. Light teas are paired with fruity, spicy or creamy chocolates. Dark teas work well with plain dark chocolate. The variety of combinations is endless, but here are a few more options:
   • Pair white chocolate with matcha, sencha, and longjing teas.
   • Pair milk chocolate with Longjing, Sencha, Darjeeling, Oolong and Masala teas.
   • Try dark chocolate with Assam, Keemun, Gyokuro, Oolong, Matcha and Earl Gray teas.
4. 4 Combine chocolate and coffee. When choosing the coffee and chocolate that you want to pair, pay attention to the taste of each one separately. You can combine chocolate with black coffee or any other, adding milk to your liking.
   • Espresso pairs well with dark chocolate, caramelized chocolate, and chocolate with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon.
   • French roast works well with dark chocolate, roasted almonds or hazelnuts, and any chocolates that contain caramelized sugar.
   • Dark roast and dark chocolate go well together.
5. 5 Make hot chocolate. You can make wonderful hot chocolate yourself by melting a few dark chocolate chunks in a bowl of skim milk.For best results, make sure the milk is whole and well heated (but not boiling) before adding the chocolate.
   • If your dark chocolate drink is too concentrated, dilute it with a few chunks of milk chocolate.
   • Remember that a mixture of chocolate and milk is less beneficial for your health, as milk reduces the antioxidant capacity of cocoa solids.
6. 6 Combine chocolate and sweet wine. The strong taste of chocolate makes dry, light red or white table wines tasteless. Experts recommend pairing chocolate with sweet wine, with the same intense aroma that chocolate won't overpower.
   • Dessert wines like vintage port, sweet sparkling and reds are great options, while port is the classic.
   • The popular Banyuls wine goes well with milk and dark chocolate. Barolo Chinato, Fernet and Syrah wines are also excellent choices for this combination.
7. 7 Combine strong, aged spirits and filled candies. Strong spirits such as whiskey or bourbon are aged in oak barrels, which give the drinks hints of caramel, nuts and fruit. Pair these drinks with similar candies for full flavor.
   • When combining scotch tape and chocolates, you should first pay attention to the taste of the scotch tape before choosing chocolate for it. Plain dark chocolate with a little sugar or filler is ideal with soft, smoky scotch tape.
8. 8 Explore classic alcoholic cocktails when mixing chocolate with alcohol. One of the varieties of the Old Fashion cocktail consists of bourbon, drunk cherry and orange. Pair bourbon with chocolates that have a cherry or citrus filling to recreate this flavor combination.
   • Rum pairs wonderfully with sweets that mimic the taste of Tiki drinks, such as tropical fruits, lime, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and almond syrup. Aged rum and marzipan candies are a great example of flavor matching.
   • Patty's Peppermint Winter Drink contains mint schnapps and hot chocolate. Drink mint schnapps with regular dark chocolate to recreate the flavor. If you don't drink alcohol, schnapps can be substituted for strong mint tea.

Part 3 of 3: Choose your chocolate carefully

1. 1 Understand the difference between cocoa and cocoa powder. Cocoa is the plant from which cocoa beans are grown. Cocoa powder is made from roasted, peeled and ground cocoa beans, with most of the fat removed.
   • Roasted and processed cocoa beans are commonly used to make hard chocolate and candy. There is also raw chocolate, which is the most beneficial.
2. 2 Choose chocolates that contain natural cocoa powder rather than alkalized cocoa powder. The alkali process breaks down most of the nutrients in the cocoa.
   • Alkalized cocoa powder is also called "Dutch", "Dutch processing" or "European". This powder is washed with a solution that neutralizes its acidity. Alkalized powder is usually darker than natural powder.
   • The taste of alkalized cocoa powder is deeper and more earthy compared to the mild fruity and sour taste of natural cocoa.
3. 3 Try to consume mostly dark chocolate. It is most beneficial for health as it contains high amounts of cocoa solids with flavonols, which are antioxidant compounds that have anti-inflammatory properties.
   • Research confirming the benefits of 70% dark chocolate has shown that it lowers blood sugar, bad cholesterol, and increases good cholesterol. According to some studies, it lowers blood pressure.
   • Other studies have shown that chocolate reduces the risk of blood clots, improves vision, mood (not surprisingly), and cognitive function in older adults.
4. 4 Look for chocolate with at least 60% cocoa solids. The darker the chocolate, the higher the flavonoid content. High levels of flavonoids mean high levels of antioxidants, which are more beneficial to health.
5. 5 Choose chocolate that is made from cocoa butter. Try not to consume chocolate made with trans fats like palm oil or coconut oil. Cocoa butter also contains saturated fats, but they do not affect cholesterol levels as saturated fats are found in coconut and palm oils.
6. 6 Choose chocolate with quality ingredients. Look for organic candies that are made by bona fide and certified manufacturers. This will not only ensure that they have high quality ingredients in their composition, but also ensure that cocoa bean growers receive fair wages for their work.
   • Grown in the rainforest and naturally ripened, chocolate is a great tasting choice.
   • Respectable chocolate makers usually put their company name on the wrapper. If you are not sure, check the information on the Rosselkhoznadzor website, where you can find the entire list of chocolate manufacturers.
7. 7 Buy glossy chocolate. High quality chocolate will have a brown or dark brown color and a glossy finish. You should not buy tiles if the color is grayish and there are white spots or small shells on the surface.
8. 8 Pay attention to the chocolate maker. In addition to information on licensed manufacturers, pay attention to the country of origin. Brands from Europe and South America are often excellent choices.
   • Swiss, Belgian, British and German sweets are famous all over the world. Ecuadorian dark chocolate is also popular.
9. 9 Support local producers. Most grocery stores have high quality brands, but small shops that sell handmade chocolates have more choices. Search the internet for your nearest chocolate maker!

Tips

• You can find the best types of chocolate from world renowned manufacturers. Note that authority doesn't always mean having a big company. If you are unsure of a company's reputation, search the Internet for information about it. The manufacturers listed on the site usually make the most delicious chocolate.
• The fewer treatments the chocolate goes through, the healthier it is. Look for unprocessed chocolate for maximum health benefits.
• Dark chocolate is the standard of taste for many people. If you're used to dairy, try starting with 55% or 60% dark chocolate and then increasing the percentage.
• There are lactose-free options if your body is sensitive to dairy products. Some of them are made from rice or coconut milk, or chocolate is as dark as possible. You can find milk-free chocolate bars in health food stores.

Warnings

• Do not mix chocolate with alcoholic beverages unless you are 18 years old. There are many non-alcoholic beverage options out there that will delight you just as much! If you are an adult and drink chocolate and alcohol, do not drive after that.
• Chocolate is toxic to many animals, especially birds, dogs, and hamsters. Keep chocolate out of their reach, as they can be seriously poisoned and die.
• Not all chocolate manufacturers are listed on the Rosselkhoznadzor website. Avoid suppliers who sell chocolate at a discount.
• Dark chocolate can provide health benefits, but due to its high fat content, it is advisable to consume it in moderation.
• Possible side effects of dark chocolate's effects on the human body include kidney stones and migraines. If your body is prone to developing stones or frequent headaches, be careful with the amount of chocolate you eat.
• Dark chocolate contains caffeine. Consume chocolate in moderation if you are sensitive to caffeine.
• Most medical sources recommend avoiding milk chocolate, including hard bars and hot drinking chocolate. Milk binds the antioxidants in the chocolate and makes them useless, thereby reducing the health benefits.