French Chocolate

French chocolate is proudly produced all over the country, and taste and texture are all-imoportant in French chocolate.

French Chocolate

Most of the most famous and sought after chocolates are those that are produced in Europe. There are many other countries and regions of the world that are fast catching up, but there is still no comparison to fine European chocolate. A handful of countries come to mind when the word chocolate comes up. You've heard of many kinds like Swiss chocolate and Belgian chocolate, and undoubtedly, French chocolate is one that comes to mind. French chocolates make your mouth water. As we have discussed on other pages, one of the reasons why French chocolate is still so unique is because of the exacting standards of quality that the French adhere to. Not only do the French have particular methods by which they make their chocolate, they also have a set of rules or guidelines for tasting French chocolates!

Tasting French chocolate

First of all, any good chocolate taster will tell you that the best time for French chocolate tasting is in the morning when your ability to taste is most pronounced. That being said, the temperature is also important here and should be about 66-68 degrees, which they claim is perfect for releasing all of the subtle aromas of the French chocolate. If it is cooler, many of those aromas will not be as easily detected, and if it is warmer the flavors will be unbalanced.

When tasting French chocolate, you should not put too much in your mouth. It is best to enjoy the chocolate in small quantities, this way you can also repeat the process again and again without overloading your taste-buds. When tasting, there should be a strong scent from the cocoa. The French maintain that your sense of smell is imperative in the enjoyment of fine chocolate.

Now the time you have been waiting for--putting it in your mouth. A sign of quality is when the flavor lingers on the palate. When the flavor is quickly lost or turns acidy after the initial sweetness, this is a good indication that the cocoa is of poor quality or that an acidic cocoa was used. The texture of the chocolate should be silky smooth. It should melt in your mouth without effort, which is evidence of a high content of cocoa butter.

Now that you know how to taste French chocolate, go out and get some!

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