Most of the time you probably enjoy a single piece of chocolate in isolation from any other chocolate. This limits your understanding of differences that exist between various chocolates. Of course you can imagine that a dark chocolate covered caramel is not like a simple milk chocolate candy bar. But what could you learn about chocolate if you compared two similar chocolates at the same time?
Today I’d like to help you explore a method Polka dot psilocybin chocolate bars for tasting chocolate. Go ahead, get TWO chocolate bars ready! Make sure they are both milk chocolate or both dark chocolate. Neither should have any added ingredients like nuts or caramel or cookies. You should look for plain chocolate bars. Pick different brands, or pick the same brand with different percentages of chocolate content. This will ensure you’ll taste sufficient differences.
Now that you have the chocolate bars, pick an appropriate time and place for the tasting. (You might agree that there’s not a bad time or place to eat chocolate, but for best results, some times and places are better than others.) The right time is when you are relaxed, not hungry, and you don’t have some lingering flavor in your mouth. The right place is somewhere away from strong odors, including lotions or perfumes that could interfere with your senses.
Now that you’ve found the right time and place, let’s get started.
Start out by cleaning your palate. Use room temperature water so that you don’t create unusual mouth conditions.
When you’re ready, smell the first chocolate. Focus on the aroma and the many different scents. If the smells are not obvious, try melting a little of the surface chocolate with the heat of your finger. The melting will release extra aroma.
Next, resist the urge to eat all the chocolate! Instead, put a small piece of chocolate in your mouth. Chew a little. Pay attention to how smooth or gritty you find it. Then allow the remainder to slowly melt in your mouth. Again notice the texture.
While the chocolate is melting in your mouth different flavors are released. See if you can distinguish different characteristics. At first you’ll probably notice the sweetness and the intensity of the chocolate flavor. Then you might notice some fruity or nutty flavors. Finally you should experience some lingering chocolaty or dairy notes. Delicious!
It’s time to clean your palate and repeat the process with your second chocolate. This time try to recall the first experience and see if you notice any different aromas, different textures, or different flavors released.
If you have never taken the time to truly taste chocolates, and compare to others in that moment, you might have been surprised by the differences. Make some notes about your tasting experience and repeat with more chocolates in the future.
Soon you’ll have an accumulated record of your own chocolate preferences. You’ll be able to taste new chocolates and easily understand the uniqueness of each. You’ll recall previous tastings and fit the new chocolate into your chocolate flavor continuum.