Qualities That Make The Best High End Chocolates Different From The Rest

You can find countless varieties of chocolate candy and chocolate bars just about everywhere: in supermarkets, neighborhood convenience stores, drugstores and even gasoline stations. However, there’s a world of difference between regular or mass produced chocolate candy and chocolate made by artists. The latter, often referred to as fine chocolate, goes through a long and painstaking process that is made worthwhile by the piercingly rich flavor you get with your first bite of the best high end chocolates.

Begin with the Best Beans

To get the best quality chocolate, you need to start with the best quality cacao. This means that the beans should, as much as possible, come from areas known for their superior crops. Some makers of fine chocolate prefer the Criollo cacao because it is the most aromatic variety. Today, though, countries producing cacao usually grow the hardier Forastero bean instead. This means chocolatiers usually have to settle for combining the Criollo cacao with Forastero. At present, the Ivory Coast is the highest producer of cacao.

Each cacao bean carries with it an amalgamation of characteristics that come from the soil, the microorganisms, the climate, humidity and sun exposure exclusive to the region where it was grown. All together, these bring about the unique undertones in the chocolate that is produced.

The cacao bean provides the most excellent flavor when pods are picked at just the right age – fully ripe. Once harvested, the pods are opened and the rinds are discarded. The beans then undergo fermentation which allows them to develop the distinctive flavor we know as chocolate. After they have been fermented, the beans may be sun dried and shipped to different parts of the world. Or, if the cacao farm is one of those that completely processes their product, the beans are roasted and their fine husks are then removed. The part left over is called cacao nibs. The nibs are ground into a paste which, when further processed turns into cacao butter and cacao or cocoa powder. The more meticulous the producers are about the ripeness of the bean, the adequacy of their fermentation and drying, the better the bean and the products that result from it.

Carry on with the Butter

The best high end chocolates are made with cocoa butter. Many chocolate makers have resorted to using soy lecithin or vegetable oil when they make their confections. This is being done mostly for the sake of bringing down production costs. However, the quality of the end product is brought down as well. Chocolate made with cocoa butter is rich tasting and has a finer texture. Vegetable oil or soy lecithin will definitely not produce the same effect.

Using Your Senses to Tell the Difference

Eating chocolate is a total experience. So, in order to tell the difference between run-of-the-mill candy and the best high end chocolates, you have to use your senses – all of them.

Good quality chocolate will appear smooth and glossy because it has been properly tempered. Tempering is the process by which chocolate is gradually and carefully heated. Well tempered chocolate will be free of any whitish streaks which mean the heat during the process was not well controlled. These streaks do not change the taste of the chocolate but they can be indicative of the care that was taken while the candy was being made.
Fine chocolate should have a silky, smooth texture. If enough cacao butter was used during the process, it would melt in your fingers in just a few seconds. When you break off a piece from your chocolate bar, it should break cleanly with a snap. If it shatters or splinters that means there was not enough cocoa butter. In addition, it should possess a delicate aroma with undertones of other flavors.

When you get your first bite of fine chocolate, try to rest it on the front of your tongue and let it melt there so your taste buds can savor it fully. If it melts within a few seconds and lets loose a delicious flavor, you have a winner. If it feels waxy or powdery then it is the inferior kind.

Becoming an expert in fine chocolate takes time, effort and practice. Your consolation though is that you will have a truly wonderful time getting there and even after you have become an expert, no doubt you will want to keep practicing.