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Each individual chocolate offers its own distinctive flavors, textures and aromas, allowing an appreciation of the wealth of variety that can be created from the fruits of the Cacao tree. As with wine tasting, there are a few simple steps to truly savoring fine quality chocolate.
Chocolate should always be stored in a cool, dry, odor-free environment, but not in the fridge. Allow it to reach room temperature before tasting. Begin with white chocolate, followed by the milk varieties and move onto the stronger flavors of dark chocolate.
Tasting Solid Chocolate
Look at the surface of the chocolate. It should be smooth and glossy.
Now savor its aroma – this will vary greatly depending on the type of chocolate. Chocolate made from good quality cocoa beans can have floral, fruity, nutty, grassy, spicy, sweet, and woody aromas. Chocolate made from poor quality cocoa bean can produce a rubbery aroma (caused by under fermentation of the beans), ripe fruit (caused by over fermentation) or saltiness (caused by mold on the beans)
Snap off the chocolate. It should make a clean, crisp snap.
Place a piece of the chocolate in your mouth and wait a few seconds. The will allow you to taste the immediate flavors and aromas. Notice the feel of it on your tongue - it should feel firm and melt cleanly, without a waxy, sticky, or grainy texture.
Chew the chocolate to expand the surface area and release the second level of flavors and aroma. By rolling the chocolate around the tongue you will experience the full range of flavors by triggering the four taste zones – sweet and salty (tip of the tongue) sour (sides) and bitter (back).
Tasting Filled Chocolate
Place the chocolate in your mouth and allow it to melt for a few seconds. This will release the first flavors and aromas.
Chew the chocolate to blend the filling and the coating. Now let it melt slowly in your mouth and enjoy the lingering tastes.
Alcohol & Chocolate
Wine
Wine is easily overpowered by chocolate so it is important the wine has a strong-note aroma to withstand the strength of the chocolate flavor. A wine that is slightly sweeter than the chocolate profile will be more successful and try to avoid doubling up on polyphenols, (such as a tannic Cabernet or malbec), or your tongue will shrivel up like a raisin!
Pinot noir, merlot and Maderia pair well with Milk Chocolates, while Zinfandel, Port, and Sherry pair best with Dark Chocolates. Port and dessert wines work well with most, and Ice wines and Moscato pair best with White Chocolates.
Beer
Beer can be an amazing pairing with chocolate, follow the chart below for the best combinations. (Courtesy of The Chocolate Fetish)
| Chocolate | Beer |
Dark Chocolate with Spice or Salt | IPA with cripsy hoppy bitterness |
Medium body dark chocolate | |
Dark Chocolate with Almonds | |
Milk Chocolate with Coffee | |
| | |
Dark Chocolate with Citrus | |
Whiskey
“Single-origin chocolate will be your best bet when it comes to experiencing it with whisky. This means that the cacao beans are produced in one region, giving the chocolate a distinctive, pure taste. Milk chocolate can highlight the spicy kick in rye whiskeys, the bitterness of 70 per cent cacao can be softened by the sweetness of an aged whisky and a smoky dram works nicely with white chocolate.“ (Toast Magazine)
Rum
Rum pairs well with single origin, high percentage chocolates as well as pralines and caramel milk chocolates.
Tequila
"Tequila carries toasty notes from blue agave, which works well with the creamy texture of chocolate. Try fruit-flavored chocolate or mint chocolate to bring out the bright grassiness of the tequila. Chocolate with cinnamon or chili will get rid of the heat but enhance that spicy kick at the back of the throat. “ (Toast Magazine)
Chocolate & Other Foods
Nuts, fruits, cheeses and more, chocolate pairs well with many foods. We've compiled the best combinations by chocolate type.
| Chocolate Type | Pairings |
| | Pretzels, potato chips, peanuts and almonds Goat, Parmesan, Chèvre, and Blue cheese Raspberries, grapes, strawberries and bananas. (Dried too!) Fennel, peppers, and pumpkin |
| | Walnuts, hazelnuts, and pecans Gruyère and Asiago cheese Coconut, orange, apples and cherries Peanut butter, honey and caramel |
| | Blackberries, blueberries, lemon, and lime Macadamia nuts and cashews Caviar Matcha, cardamom and saffron |
FAQs
Moonstruck Chocolate sold to New York-based Chocolate Works, will shut down retail stores. The new owners intend to maintain the Moonstruck brand, which will still be manufactured in Portland, although it will switch to an online and big box sales model.
What is chocolate pairing? ›
As a rule, pick complementary flavors that enhance rather than overpower one another. Pair dark chocolate with bolder, darker roast coffees and milk chocolate and caramel with medium or light roasts. Enhance the fruity flavor notes in coffee with fruit and chocolate combinations like Dark & Raspberry.
Does it make sense to associate chocolate with love? ›
And to Montezuma's credit, scientists say that chocolate does, in fact, contain two chemicals, Phenylethylamine and Serotonin, that are associated with heightening romantic urges, happiness and overall energy. They also increase blood pressure and sugar levels which is a similar reaction to those in love.
What is the connection between chocolate and the nervous system can we really get a chocolate high? ›
Eating a bar of chocolate will not make you feel giddy or "high." This may be because anandamide and the two compounds that enhance its effect are short-lived and localized in the brain.
Who is the owner of Moonstruck chocolate? ›
"Leading Moonstruck has been the highlight of my professional career," said Russell Sneddon, CEO and owner of the company.
Who bought Moonstruck? ›
Chocolate Works has announced its acquisition of "substantially all of the assets" of US chocolate brand Moonstruck Chocolate.
What do you call a person who loves to eat chocolate? ›
The word "chocoholic" was first used in 1961, according to Merriam-Webster.
What is cheese and chocolate called? ›
Other Names
Chocolate Caliente, Chocolate Completo. In Colombia, one of the birthplaces of cacao, sweet hot chocolate is accompanied by savory cheese. Sometimes known as chocolate completo, chocolate santafereño comes in the form of breakable blocks, called pastillas, that contain cloves and cinnamon.
Why do couples give chocolate? ›
Why is chocolate given on Valentine's Day? The Mayans were a civilization estimated to have been around during 500 BCE and used cocoa-brewed beverages during wedding rituals to demonstrate the couple's bitter-sweet future together. And this is what has kick-started the tradition of celebrating love with chocolate.
What emotion does chocolate trigger? ›
It makes us feel good because it triggers the release of chemicals in our brains that bring us joy. Chocolate contains something called endorphins, which are natural substances that make us feel happy.
According to Langham, those who favour dark chocolate tend to be pragmatic problem solvers who are excited about the future. Whereas those who prefer milk chocolate are romantic at heart and like to dwell on the past.
Do guys like receiving chocolate? ›
Some guys like receiving surprise roses and chocolates and some gals don't. It depends entirely on the individual as to whether they like receiving surprise roses and chocolates, irrespective of gender.
What organ does chocolate effect? ›
Theobromine primarily affects the central nervous system, cardiovascular system, and respiratory system, as well as having a diuretic effect.
Is chocolate bad for dementia? ›
Dark chocolate contains flavonoids and antioxidants that may improve cognitive function and promote better blood flow to the brain.
What hormone is released when you eat chocolate? ›
Four chemicals are known to be released by the brain when eating chocolate: endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. Serotonin is commonly associated with happiness. People with depression or anxiety often have low levels of serotonin.
Does the bakery in Moonstruck exist? ›
For Cammareri Bros. Bakery, whose brick oven was the setting for the 1987 film Moonstruck, the answer is finally yes. The company has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to Crains, and no cinematic association can save it from the debts it owes to “fewer than 50 creditors.”
What happened to Secret Chocolate Bar? ›
When the man returns to retrieve it, it's gone, because she had eaten it. At the end of the advert the words accompanied by a voice-over says, "You can't trust anyone to keep a Secret". The product was discontinued a couple of years later, due to high production costs and low volume of sales.
What happened to Astros chocolate? ›
They have since been discontinued in the UK, but are still sold in South Africa, and are available in 40g and 150g boxes. In Australia, they were marketed as Lunas.
What happened to Small's chocolate? ›
Eventually became part of Nestlé Confectionery. The only Small's chocolate today may exist in some of the industrial chocolates made by Nestlé. Plaistowe, which was also taken over by Life Savers exists only in Plaistowe brand cooking chocolate block (in 2022).
