Chocolate Tasting & Pairing Is An Easy & Yummy Date Idea
written by Mon Sun Chan, the Chocolate Date Diva
©-Eugene-Bochkarev | Dreamstime.com
Chocolate tastings and pairings are fun activities that are very easy to set up with your Chocolate date. Chocolatiers know that chocolate should be savored slowly so that you can appreciate the flavor notes, rather than just popping them into your mouth.
Tastings are ways to refine your taste buds. As you uncover the different flavors in a single piece of chocolate, you will learn to recognize and enjoy its complexities. You also get to discover what makes each chocolate unique as no two are alike and there are many varieties to choose from. Taste the quality and characteristics of each chocolate and the region they come from, as the environment the cacao bean is grown in and how it is processed creates different overtones and flavors.
Pairing is simply a way of matching two different kinds of food or drink together to see how the flavors complement or clash with each other. Doing it formally gives you the opportunity to try something radically new or perhaps pair a new taste with an old favorite. Everyone’s palate will be different and we all have our preferences, so in the end all that matters is what you and your Chocolate Date like.
If you are uncertain as to which kind of chocolate to buy or don’t know where to start, check out your local Chocolatier or go online for “Tasting Boxes”. These boxes normally contain a variety of sample bars with guides and forms. This is an excellent way to try out Chocolatiers from different countries or regions.
If you would like forms to jot down your impressions about the chocolate such as appearance, color, notes, flavors and a rating system to distinguish which chocolates you liked and why, you can find basic templates available online.
