Happy World Chocolate Day! This day is a day for all chocolate lovers to celebrate their favourite dessert. Now, you might have grown up eating milk chocolate which is sweet and velvety in texture. However, we have a way to enhance your understanding of the world of chocolate – by trying dark chocolate. Unlike white or milk chocolate, dark chocolates are bitter, contain little or no milk solids, and have a very high percentage of cocoa. Buying good quality dark chocolate is a skill and savouring it is an art. Do you want to master it? Don’t worry, we are here to help you every step of the way with this ultimate guide to buying and savouring dark chocolate. So then, read on and enjoy!
5 Pro Tips for Buying the Best Dark Chocolate:
1. Watch out for sugar
Some dark chocolate brands add a lot of sugar to make their product more delicious. However, if you want to eat sweet dark chocolate, you should go back to milk chocolate. Check the ingredients list and choose products where sugar is mentioned at the end, not the beginning (possibly a sign of too much sugar).
2. Less is more
Of course, as a beginner, you might be attracted to the chocolate with the best packaging. However, we really want you to pay attention to the ingredients and taste. Make sure the dark chocolate you choose has little or no artificial ingredients. The shorter the ingredients list, the better the quality of your dark chocolate.
3. Pay attention to the taste
You can choose plain dark chocolate or even choose flavored chocolate of your choice, such as vanilla, orange extract, fruit, roasted nuts, etc. The idea is to enjoy eating dark chocolate, so choose one that you really like to eat.
4. The ‘right’ words to look for in labels
If a dark chocolate has words like “organic”, “fair trade” and “single-origin” on its label, it is likely to be good quality chocolate. Organic dark chocolate is made from cocoa beans that are grown without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Fair trade chocolate ensures that cocoa farmers receive a fair wage for their labor. Single-origin means that the cocoa beans used to make this dark chocolate are sourced from a specific region, resulting in chocolate with a unique flavor profile.
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5. Choose the intensity
As a beginner, don’t buy dark chocolate with 90 percent cocoa. You won’t like it. Instead, start with something that has a cocoa percentage in the range of 50-60%. Once you become a pro, you can gradually buy other dark chocolates with higher cocoa percentages.
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5 Pro Tips to Savor Dark Chocolate
Once you master the art of tasting dark chocolate, you might never go back to those sweet milk chocolates. Dark chocolate has a rich flavour and a very intense taste. Now that you know how to buy the right kind of dark chocolate, let’s move ahead and learn how to eat it in the best way so that you can enjoy it to the fullest.
1. Take a good look at your chocolate
Eating dark chocolate well is an experience. So, we don’t want you to be distracted by your phone or TV. Sit back, remove the packaging and take a good look at the color and texture of your bitter-sweet treat.
2. Smell the scent of chocolate
Just like tasting wine, we encourage you to smell the chocolate before you taste it. Hold the chocolate bar close to your nose and breathe in deeply. Pay attention to the aromas and different flavors you can detect.
3. Taste the chocolate
Dark chocolate should be enjoyed in small pieces. Don’t bite off too much. Break off a small piece and place it on your tongue. Let it melt and release all the intense and rich flavors of the chocolate. Chew the rest slowly, paying attention to all the different notes and textures you experience.
4. Eat it with other foods
You can also enjoy dark chocolate with fruits like strawberries or oranges or with a glass of your favorite wine. You will also get a new taste of dark chocolate with food or drinks, which will be a wonderful experience.
5. Take care of the finish
Finish means the taste of the dark chocolate after you eat it. Did you like it? What kind of flavors still linger on your tongue? Was the finish smooth and pleasant? Observe carefully and this will help you evaluate your experience and whether or not you want to take another bite. Enjoy the tasting!
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With this incredible guide, we hope you enjoy the world of dark chocolate and fall in love with chocolate once again. Happy World Chocolate Day!
