How to taste chocolate?: Tips and tricks

You are a true chocolate lover. In fact, there’s hardly a moment in the day when you’re not thinking about treating yourself to a chocolate break. When you finally give in to your cravings, you often prefer savoring a chocolate bar. A bar allows you to enjoy your favorite treat at your own pace, piece by piece. Easy to carry, it also lets you indulge in chocolate anytime, anywhere. You can treat yourself whenever you like! But have you ever thought about the best way to enjoy your chocolate bar? How should you taste chocolate? What are the best moments to do so? Which bar should you choose for your tasting? In this article, we answer all these questions to help you make your chocolate experience even more enjoyable.

You enjoy one or more chocolate squares every day. But do you truly know how to savor chocolate? Tasting goes beyond simply eating—it’s about more than just flavor. In fact, taste is only one part of the experience. Tasting chocolate is a true art that involves awakening all your senses. Here are the steps you should follow to begin your journey into the art of chocolate tasting.

This first step engages your sense of sight. When you unwrap your chocolate bar for the first time, take a moment to observe its appearance. What color is the chocolate? Brown, golden, reddish, black—its color offers an initial clue, revealing insights into the chocolate's nature, variety, and roasting level. During this step, also evaluate the chocolate's surface: is it smooth and shiny? This visual assessment is essential, as it indicates whether the chocolate has been properly tempered.

The second step engages your sense of hearing. When you break your chocolate bar into pieces, it should snap with a clean, crisp sound. This sound is a hallmark of quality. Properly tempered chocolate produces an audible "snap" when broken, signaling its well-formed structure.

The third step focuses on taste. Place a piece of chocolate on your tongue, but don’t bite into it as you might normally. Instead, let it melt. This allows you to better identify its distinct tastes and flavors—salty, sweet, sour, bitter, or umami. These are detected exclusively on the tongue. Can you recognize any identifiable aromatic notes? While savoring, also pay attention to the texture and how the chocolate melts in your mouth. These sensations are integral to the tasting experience.

The final step involves your sense of smell. Retro-olfaction, or exhaling through the nose while tasting, enhances the chocolate’s aromas. Fruity, rich, indulgent, bitter—did you know chocolate contains over 500 aromatic nuances? Now it’s your turn to try identifying them. Some aromas linger in your mouth for several minutes after tasting, offering a prolonged and delightful experience.

The best time to enjoy your chocolate bar is likely in the morning on an empty stomach. Your taste buds are more receptive to the chocolate’s flavors at that time. However, this is not a strict rule—you can enjoy chocolate at any time of the day: as a snack, during an meal, or even after dinner.

Ideally, you should avoid eating anything for two hours before the tasting. If this isn’t possible, rinse your mouth with a small sip of lukewarm water beforehand. Additionally, avoid smoking, drinking coffee, or brushing your teeth just before the tasting, as these actions can significantly alter your perceptions. Your palate should be as neutral as possible.

Now that you know when and how to taste chocolate, you might wonder about the best place to do it. For an optimal experience, chocolate tasting can take place in a sensory analysis booth, a setting designed by professionals.

You can also create this sensory experience at home. If so, aim to conduct the tasting in natural daylight in a room with white or neutral surroundings. Choose a location that isn’t too humid, with a temperature between 63°F and 66°F (17°C to 19°C). We also recommend avoiding the kitchen for your tasting, as lingering odors in this space could interfere with the chocolate’s aromas and flavors.

To truly enjoy your tasting experience, it’s important to select high-quality chocolate bars. At Valrhona, you’ll find a wide variety of chocolate bars specifically crafted for tasting. For example: 

• In the dark chocolate range: Manjari 64%, Tulakalum 75%, and Oriado 60%. 
• On the milk chocolate side: Jivara 40% and Bahibé 46%. The options are plentiful, leaving you spoilt for choice!

The general rule is to start with the least intense chocolate and gradually move to the most intense. Begin with milk chocolate, then proceed to dark chocolates. However, we recommend setting aside blond chocolates, such as Dulcey 35% . If you decide to include it in your tasting, enjoy it at the very end.

As explained above, during a tasting, the intensity of the chocolates should progress gradually. If you wish to include Araguani 100% , make sure to save it for the very last.

All Valrhona products for individuals are available online at Valrhona Collection. They can also be found in specialty stores or at certain bakeries, pastry shops, and chocolatiers.

You want to share your new knowledge of chocolate tasting with your loved ones. Why not organize a tasting workshop with your family or friends? Whether for a morning or an evening, invite them to discover how to taste chocolate the right way.

To enhance the taste experience for your loved ones and organize this tasting, it's simple. Valrhona has designed various tasting gift sets. To explore a wide range of flavors, choose the 6 Chocolate Bars Set. It includes Tulakalum 75%, Guanaja 70%, Jivara 40%, Dulcey 35%... This box contains exceptional chocolates.

You now have all the tools to understand how to taste chocolate. With these few tips, you’ll discover chocolate in a whole new way. You’ll realize that dark chocolate isn’t necessarily bitter. It can feature multiple flavors and aromas—intensity and acidity, smoothness and vanilla notes, freshness and tangy notes... However, you might not notice all these subtleties in your first tastings. Tasting chocolate requires practice. Don’t hesitate to consult professionals. They can help you identify the flavors, aromas, and textures of chocolate.