Tasting Chocolate

Most of you would know by now how crazy I am about chocolate.... if not, then check out
Chocoholic, Cheesecake ~ God's Way of Blessing Us, You Can Kiss My Fingers - Strawberry Chocolate Swiss Roll & Lemon Chocolate Swiss Roll, Daksyani Making Chocolate Fudge Brownies,
You Can Kiss My Fingers,Partha's Birthday Party

Was browsing thru some blogs and found a very interesting post called 'Tasting Chocolate' at Artisan Sweets.



Some excerpts from the article:

Many people suggest that the first year of marriage is the hardest (I’ve also heard the seventh is a tough one - we’ll see about that) but I look on that year with great fondness.

My husband and I made it our mission to try nearly every restaurant in Seattle. We kept a notebook about where we went, what we ate, what we loved and what disgusted us - luckily that didn’t happen very often as we did loads of research before picking our final destination. Every Friday night we would ready ourselves to hit the town, notebook in hand and an eager palette.

Those were the beginning days of my love affair with food. As with any new found love, everything was thrilling and new. Gabe and I were bursting with excitement and wanted to share our new love. We decided to host a tasting party.

Each chocolate sample was tasted separately while examining all five of the following categories.

Appearance - What does is look like? Sheen, bloom, even texture, color. Color should be even with a nice gloss, no discoloration, spots or cloudiness.

Snap - What does it sound like when you break it or bite into it? Should sound clear, crisp - this is a sign of a proper temper. The chocolate should not bend or crumble.

Aroma - Similar to tasting wine. This is a matter of subjectivity. Fruity, spicy, floral, etc. Anything goes. Do you smell leather, tobacco, dirty socks? Say it.

Mouthfeel - Smooth, not grainy or gritty. It can feel velvety or creamy, or it can be waxy or greasy.

Taste - Descriptors similar to aroma. Allow the chocolate to slowly melt on the tongue. Different tastes will emerge at different stages of consumption.

That's me..... Freeeeeeeeeaking out on dark chocolate n chocolate donuts..... Hmmmmm.... Yummmyyyy......