Look before you taste!

When you are tasting a new wine, something you may look at is the colour and consistency of the wine in your glass. With chocolate, although we are looking at different attributes, it is surprisingly not that different. The more beautiful the piece of chocolate, the more pleasure you will probably receive from eating it. Visual appearance can tell you a lot about the quality of the chocolate and what to expect when you taste it. The surface appearance provides indicators of proper tempering (pre-crystallization), handling and storage.
Three main indicators are listed below;

The white, powdery looking coating on chocolate is an indication of ‘cocoa butter bloom’ (meaning the chocolate has been improperly stored). Depending on how extensive the bloom is, and how long the bloom has been on the chocolate, the taste and texture can both be affected.

Secondly, an irregular white coating (that resembles remnants of sugar crystals) is an indication of ‘sugar bloom’. This means moisture has condensed on the surface of the chocolate, drawing sugar crystals from the chocolate toward it. When this occurs, the texture of the chocolate has been compromised, and you should have no expectations of a high quality tasting chocolate.

Finally, look for pinholes in the chocolate surface. When chocolate is poured into a mold, air bubbles will sometimes form. Molds should be shaken or placed onto a vibration table to remove all the air bubbles before the chocolate hardens. If this is not done properly, air bubbles will remain resulting in pinholes on the surface. Usually they are tiny and do not affect the quality of the chocolate, but it does indicate the molding process was rushed – something you would not expect from an experienced chocolatier.

The next time you purchase your favourite truffle or chocolate bar take a closer look…

Savour & Enjoy