at Sat, 18 Dec 2004 18:34:06 GMT in <heimdall-6E1F63.13340618122004
@individual.net>, lid (Scott) wrote :

>This is a somewhat academic question, but...
>I was wondering if there was a proper order in tasting chocolate like
>there is wine.
>
>I just picked up two bars each of Scharffen Berger and Valrhona, one
>each dark (~80%) and one each milk.
>
>I thought that if you tasted the dark first then the milk, the latter
>would taste overly sweet in comparison. Similarly, if the order were
>reversed, the dark's bitterness would be exaggerated. Should I just let
>a good amount of time pass between each sort?

While it's best to let a good amount of time pass, preferably multiple
hours, when you're not in that position, the best order is milk chocolate
to increasingly dark chocolate.

It's definitely true that the flavour of the first will tend to influence
your impression of the second - thus indeed a milk after a bittersweet will
taste *very* sweet, a bittersweet after a milk will taste strongly bitter.
An 80% chocolate, incidentally, is invariably going to taste rather non-
sweet.

There's a second and more insidious level of accustomisation and bias that
can affect you. If you taste a bittersweet after having eaten mostly milk
chocolate for the past few weeks, its bitterness will seem exaggerated even
if you try it in isolation. The reverse is also true - a steady diet of
bittersweet will make all milk chocolates seem weak and sugary. So for the
very best effects, it's wise to mix it up from day to day, so that you're
not on a steady diet of one type.

>Also, what's the best way to clear the palate between tastings of the
>same sort/different brands of chocolate?

Make a very soupy mug of hominy grits (or polenta). It should have the
consistency of a slurry. And you should have it warm. I use a ratio of 8:1
water: grits. This is the old mexican way - this beverage is called Atole
and is/was traditional with chocolate. Take small sips between tastings. Be
sure to slosh it around in your mouth.

--
Alex Rast

(remove d., .7, not, and .NOSPAM to reply)