I’m a big fan of dark chocolate; not so much for milk or white. London is a great place for gourmet chocolates. As well as the UK-based Artisan du Chocolat, we also have plenty of Hotel Chocolat shops, the Parisian La Maison du Chocolat and a whole host of Belgian outlets for the likes of Godiva, Leonidas and so on.
Artisan du Chocolat is by far my favourite and, best of all, they run a stall at Borough Market every weekend which sells the misshapen chocolates that don’t make it to the stall. They’re cheap and still taste gorgeous! :)
Today I ran across a fabulous guide to tasting dark chocolate from Chow. Chocolate is incredibly complex, but the tasting process itself should be focused around into 4 distinct areas: Visual, Aroma, Texture and Flavour.
Texture: Break a chunk off. A clean snap indicates that the chocolate’s been well tempered. Put it in your mouth. Close your eyes and think about what you’re experiencing. Chew a few times to break it up, and let it melt in your mouth.
See the full article; How to Taste Dark Chocolate over at CHOW.
