Don't Eat Mediocre Chocolate!

Don't Eat Mediocre Chocolate!

Even if you aren't going to eat my chocolate, life is too short to eat mediocre chocolate.

I am a chocolate snob.  I admit it freely.  I really can't eat mediocre chocolate any more.  Gone are the days of my youth, when any chocolate in a storm was my motto.  Chocolate has become the new wine, with aficionados being able to tell you the brand, blend, region of origin, and year of harvest by the smallest taste.  So how do you know good chocolate?  The label is a good place to start.  Did you know that in the US, to be labeled chocolate, the product must contain at least 10% cocoa.  The chocolate of a well-known kiss manufacturer contains 11%.  (Don't be embarrassed if you consumed pounds of the stuff during college.  We all drank white zin a few times, right?)

Callebaut, my chocolate of choice, contains 55% to 65% cocoa, depending on the blend.  Valrohna, which I use for special Christmas and Valentine runs, contains up to 85% cocoa.  The label will also tell you if other things are added.  Things like wax. And hydrated oils.  Have you ever noticed that when you put a kiss in your mouth it doesn't immediately melt?  Chocolate should melt at about 98.8 degrees.  Right around body temperature.  Chocolate with added wax or hydrated oils has a higher melting temperature. (It's not just the candy coating that keeps it from melting in your hands!)  You may find that you have to 'work it' a bit in your mouth to get it to melt.  And then it has a bit of grainy texture.  Chocolate should melt into a smooth liquid on your tongue.

Chocolate should also have a deep, rich flavor, but not be overly sweet.  American chocolate tends to have a very high sugar content, as opposed to European, or even Mexican chocolate.  Callebaut is a Belgian chocolate and strikes a nice balance between being overwhelmingly bitter (a common American complaint about European chocolate) and having crystallization issues.  It is just sweet enough to be smooth and pleasant.

So when you eat your next bite of chocolate, stop and consider how it feels on your tongue.  Experience the texture and the flavor. And consider; Did you just eat mediocre chocolate? Because life really is too short!