Bean to Bar
Give yourself time to savour it!
Don’t waste a single piece of chocolate by gulping it down – that way you can hardly taste it! Take your time, sit down and enjoy every bite. Some people curl up in an armchair with pleasant music playing in the background, while others insist you shouldn’t use anything at all, as it distracts from the chocolate. There is no hard-and-fast rule here – just try it and see!
Make it an experience!
To make eating chocolate a real experience, first cleanse your palate of any lingering flavours from earlier food.
An apple, a small piece of bread or a glass of sparkling mineral water will do the trick. If you are tasting several chocolates, cleanse your palate between bites too.
When tasting different kinds of chocolate, it is worth waiting a little in between so the flavours don’t mix in your mouth.
While you wait, you can even take a sip of something sparkling.
Be in the moment!
Take a deep breath and quiet your thoughts. If you focus only on the chocolate, you will notice things you never paid attention to before – from the special texture to the medley of flavours bursting from a single bite.
Observe how the chocolate looks!
Admire its glossy finish and decoration.
Feel it!
Hold the chocolate in your hand and gently feel it. Careful: the warmth of your hand can quickly melt its surface. If the chocolate feels cold, wait until it reaches room temperature – the colder the chocolate, the harder it is for its flavours to come through.
Smell the chocolate!
Raise it to your nose and, with your eyes closed, breathe in its aroma.
The moment!
And finally the moment has come: take a bite! With a bonbon, you can break it down with your teeth and tongue so its flavour spreads through your mouth. With a chocolate bar, it is best to press a piece against the roof of your mouth for a good few seconds so it melts.
Move the chocolate around your mouth!
First hold it on your tongue, then press it against the roof of your mouth. This way you discover how many flavour variations a single bite of chocolate can release. As it moves around your mouth, concentrate on the flavours: sweet, salty, bitter, tangy – but mostly a combination of these. It is also worth noticing the order in which the different notes emerge. For example, when tasting a salted-caramel bonbon, you first taste the caramel, then a hint of salt, and finally orange on the palate.
Use your nose!
As the chocolate melts on your tongue, breathe through your nose. This is called aeration – it stimulates taste and smell perception even at the back of the tongue.
Notice the effect!
Before the next piece, check what the treat you have just eaten has done for you. Has it lifted your mood? Has your heart started beating a little faster? An involuntary smile on your face?
And finally…
A piece of advice: enjoy chocolate in moderation! It is best to stop tasting while you still haven’t had your fill of the experience.
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