The Art of Tasting Chocolate Mindfully

Leo: I attended a Chocolate 101 class with Eva at Dandelion Chocolate’s beautiful little chocolate factory/shop on Valencia Street in San Francisco about a month ago, and absolutely loved it. I asked Todd, co-founder of Dandelion, to share some tips on tasting chocolate … mindfully.

Without further ado, here’s Todd Masonis of Dandelion Chocolate, on the Art of Tasting Chocolate Mindfully:

We’re often asked if there’s a right way or a wrong way to taste chocolate. I don’t like to overthink it — if tastes good to you, then it’s right. However, there are a few tips on how to taste chocolate mindfully.

The first step is to slow down. Before you rip apart the packaging and dig in, take a moment to read about the bar. Chocolate makers think through countless decisions and this is our opportunity to share our perspective. Even the physicality of our packaging should draw you into the chocolate experience. In our case, the handmade cotton paper should feel soft. Like our bars, the slightly imperfect screenprinting should reinforce the touch-of-the-hand craftsmanship that goes into each of our bars. And our typeface is intentionally small so that you are encouraged to grasp the bar and experience it close-up. Many labels will tell you about the beans, the farmers, or terroir. Take a moment to note what you can about the bar, so you start learning the differences in the various origins and chocolate makers.

After that, gently unwrap the bar and take a look at it. Flip it over, look at the sides. Does it have a nice shine? What about its color? Is the back smooth or rumpled? Do you see any wavy patterns which might indicate that the bar didn’t release properly from the mold?

Next, break off a small piece and note the snap. Does it crumble or pop? Is the break clean or ragged? The snap indicates the temper — the alignment of the crystal structure in the cocoa butter –and a poor snap can often mean a mistake or improper storage, or even a different style choice.

Now place the small piece in your mouth. Take a tiny bite to break it into a few pieces. Let it start to gently melt on your tongue. Now move the chocolate around your mouth and coat your tongue, but avoid chewing. If you eat it quickly, you’ll miss the tasting experience that makes each bar origin unique.

Within a second or two, the chocolate will melt more and you will begin to taste flavor notes beyond just the bitter, cocoa rush you tasted at the first moment it hit your tongue. Look for various notes and see if you can identify them. Do they come in all at once, or do they evolve as the chocolate melts? Where do you taste the chocolate — near the front or back of your mouth? Are the notes like a single, clean instrument or more like a symphony? Or worse, like a cacophony of flavors that don’t mesh?

Once you’ve listened for these flavors, swallow and wait a few seconds. Notice what tastes linger — how does it finish? Is it pleasant or harsh? Does it leave you wanting more or wishing you had some water to wash away the aftertaste?

And that’s it — it’s best not to overthink it, just taste slowly and mindfully. Chocolate makes people happy and if it’s too cerebral, you may be missing the experience. And once you’ve tried some chocolate you like, try other origins, chocolate makers, and percentages. Many makers, especially the new, small American ones, have their own distinct styles, techniques and point of view. And if you don’t find interesting flavor notes, the first time, don’t fret and try a different maker. Most industrial chocolate has been made to have one plain, monotone cocoa note, so make sure you try a bunch of different companies and different types.

Visit the Dandelion Chocolate shop in San Francisco, or find their bars at some of the best stores nationwide. You can also read more from Todd on the Dandelion Chocolate blog.

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The 4-Hour Chef – Cheat Day Sample: Tequila Hot Chocolate

For those of you waiting on the iOS version of the free 4-Hour Chef teaser app, and for anyone who’d like a cheat day experiment this weekend, I offer the following: Tobacco-infused Tequila Hot Chocolate.

It’s absurd, decadent, and more delicious than you can imagine. Here’s the kicker: I usually hate tequila, so this was a revelation.

PLEASE NOTE: This is intended as a really fun DIY project and a rocking cheat drink, not as a time-saving cocktail. There are times for efficiency, and there are times to explore and enjoy life unhurried.

This is the latter, and it’s for FUN. Notice the last part of the subtitle for The 4-Hour Chef, which is “The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life.”

“There is more to life than increasing its speed,” as Mahatma Gandhi once said.

If you choose to tackle this challenge, share your experience in the comments!

This spectacular drink was taught to me by Craig Schoettler, the executive chef at The Aviary in Chicago, without a doubt the most awe-inspiring “bar-less cocktail kitchen” in the world.

To set the scene: There are 30+ types of ice, and the customers are prevented from harassing the bartenders by a cage barricade. Perhaps you’d like an Old Fashioned served in an ice dinosaur egg? It’s prepared with a syringe, and you drink it after shattering the bourbon-filled casing with a miniature slingshot attached to the glass. Or how about a botanical-infused whiskey that changes colors like a chameleon over the course of 30 minutes? They have that, too.

Of course, you’d expect nothing less from the owners, who also run Alinea, the highest-ranked restaurant in the United States. Bartending through the lens of world-class chefs is otherworldly…

This recipe has been modified to fit a few standard measurements. This takes it from super insanely awesome (The Aviary) to merely very insanely awesome.

Want to see what all this looks like before you get started?

Here’s a video of my very first attempt, uncensored and unprofessional. It ain’t pretty, and that’s the point–even you, as a novice, can make something incredible if you’re willing to fumble a little. Below the video, you’ll find all the instructions you need:

As with all recipes, read through the entire thing before you get started or even go shopping! This will prevent hiccups and guarantee a better (and tastier) buzz.

FOR THE CIGAR MILK:
945 ml / 4 cups Whole milk
40 g / ¼ cup Sugar
1 big pinch / ¼ tsp. Salt
1 Cigar (something cheap is fine)

FOR THE HOT CHOCOLATE BASE:
475 ml / 2 cups Whole milk
40 g / ¼ cup Sugar
1 pinch Salt
100 g / 3½ oz. Bittersweet chocolate, such as Alpaco 66% cacao, chopped

FOR THE BOOZE:
90 ml/g / 3 fl. oz. Tequila, preferably Fortaleza Blanco
10 ml/g / 2 tsp. Fernet-Branca

MAKES: 2 drinks, plus enough cigar milk for more
HANDS-ON TIME: Approx. 20 mins.
TOTAL TIME: Approx. 1 hr. 30 mins., max (30-60 min. of letting the cigar smoke)

FOR STANDARD HOME METHOD:
• A large baking pan or a roasting pan
• A smaller baking pan for the milk, sugar, and salt

FOR TIM’S GHETTO METHOD (seen in the above video):
• A largish cereal or soup bowl
• A large stock pot
• A candle lighter or butane/lighter torch

FOR BOTH:
• A cigar
• Aluminum foil
• A saucepan or skillet (or both, if you want to melt the chocolate separately)
• An immersion blender, ideally with a cream-whipping attachment or milk frother
• Ice trays (for freezing extra cigar milk for later)

STEP 1:

Make the cigar milk foam. You have two choices: the standard home method or the Tim ghetto method.

Standard home method:
• In a baking pan, mix the milk, sugar, and salt.
• Set the pan inside a larger metal baking or roasting pan (choose a disposable one or something you don’t mind smelling like cigars).
• Split the cigar in half lengthwise and place it on a piece of aluminum foil in the larger pan.
• Light the cigar with a candle lighter or a butane lighter/torch, then quickly cover both pans with a piece of aluminum foil. Let smoke for one hour.

Tim ghetto method:
• Mix the milk, sugar, and salt in a largish cereal or soup bowl.
• Put this bowl inside a stockpot. I prefer a large and cheap stockpot (don’t forget to buy a lid!) that I use mostly for cooking sous-vide and lobsters.
• Split the cigar in half lengthwise and place it on a piece of aluminum foil at the bottom of the stockpot.
• Light the cigar with a candle lighter or a butane lighter/torch (remember canisters), cover the pot, and let smoke for 30–45 minutes. Thirty minutes is plenty, in my experience.
• Later, to de-stench your stockpot, just clean it out and leave a bowl of white wine vinegar mixed with peppermint oil inside, covered, for 1–2 hours.

Step 2
While the milk is smoking, make the hot chocolate base. In a saucepan or skillet, combine the milk, sugar, and salt and bring to a simmer.

Step 3
Remove from heat and slowly add the chocolate. I like to put the chips in a separate skillet and slide them in. Do NOT add them by hand, as scalding milk can splash upward and Phantom of the Opera your hands. Stir until chocolate is melted, then cover and set aside.

Step 4
Foam the cigar milk: Pour the milk into a saucepan and heat it to just below a simmer or a light simmer. Use an immersion blender—ideally one fitted with the cream-whipping attachment or a milk frother—to blend until foamy. No attachment? Just blend for 45 seconds, then wait 2–3 minutes for the bubbles to surface.

Step 5
Combine the tequila and Fernet-Branca into one of your serving cups, then pour half of it into the other. You can use a scale, but I just eyeball it. Into each cup, pour about 7 fluid ounces (210 milliliters) of the hot chocolate base and top with some of the cigar milk foam.

Serve warm and love life.

If you don’t finish the cigar milk, freeze it in ice trays to surprise future guests with unusual iced coffee.

Enjoy!

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The 4-Hour Chef is available for a limited time at 50-80% off list price. Read all the details of the book and learn more here (as well as download the free app for Kindle Fire).

Posted on December 1st, 2011

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