Sensory chocolate tasting

There are several types of chocolate on the market: dark, when the cocoa mass, which exceeds 43% of the weight, is milk-free (optimal between 70 and 80%); milk, contains less than 25% cocoa mass, and a minimum of 14% milk powder; gianduja, contains cocoa mass, sugar and hazelnuts present for 20/40%; White, contains cocoa butter, milk powder, sugar, lecithin and vanillin.

The sensory characteristics may vary according to the use of the different types of cocoa, the proportions of the ingredients, and the different processing methods. Untreated fava beans are astringent and bitter, but fermentation gives them fruity flavors, reminiscent of wine or sherry, and roasting introduces an almost endless range of notes of flowers, spices, earth, wood, and dried fruit. The flavor of high-quality chocolate is appreciated by squeezing a splinter against the palate and allowing it to melt. The higher it is in sugar, the sooner it will reveal its flavor. With high percentages of cocoa, even if it takes more time to highlight the taste, the bitter notes and persistence in the mouth are increased.

Visual analysis

Uniformity: a quality product, stored correctly, must not have white patinas associated with cocoa butter outcrops, or grayish coatings that indicate sugar outcrops (characteristic of Modica chocolate). Gloss: the colour must be brilliant, not opaque, otherwise the product has undergone too abrupt temperature changes or has not been worked correctly during tempering and shaping. Tactile analysis - Silkiness: perceived by touching the chocolate indicates a correct texture, structure and preservation. Chocolate is not a candy, you have to bite into it and then melt it. A quality chocolate should melt in a short time, the final effect should be that of a nice spoonful of chocolate. Roundness: perceived inside the oral cavity, it is the homogeneous melting of the chocolate, there must be no abnormal tips, dustiness or graininess and it must leave the mouth clean. Aromatic complexity: it is determined through the perceptions of flavor, length and aromatic roots (cocoa, floral, fruity, vegetable, toasted, spicy). Flavours: sweetness, bitterness and acidity to be evaluated. A good chocolate should be velvety and harmonious. Persistence: A high-quality chocolate should be felt in the mouth for a few minutes even after it has been consumed.

Olfactory analysis. When we talk about olfactory investigation, we refer to retrolfactory investigation. Directly, before tasting, it is possible to feel only gross defects such as the presence of mold or abnormal odors transmitted from the packaging to the product. For a more in-depth analysis, it is necessary to use the aftertaste with which it is possible to identify two groups of fundamental aromas: primary and secondary. The primary aromas can be more or less intense and are referred: to the origin of the cocoa and to the intensity of the milk (for milk chocolate). Secondary aromas are developed during fermentation, roasting and conching, and can be divided into: floral, herbaceous, spicy, etc. Important: in a quality chocolate there should be a good balance between primary and secondary aromas, and these aromas should be perceived for several minutes even after its consumption.

Chocolate is often associated with falling in love and sensuality, because it contains something elusive and enchanting in its goodness.

Among the substances contained in cocoa, we point out theobromine, which was already recognized as having a mild pharmacological activity in the 1700s. Its action would mainly affect the central nervous system where it would act as a stimulant, increasing energy, quick reflexes, concentration and sexual desire, qualities that can be linked to the "good mood" effect.

Recent scientific studies have also found the presence in small doses of "phenylethylamine", a molecule naturally produced by the body during falling in love. Its main effect would be the release of "dopamine", a neurotransmitter linked to feelings of pleasure that satisfy stimuli such as hunger, thirst and erotic drive. Among the various literary testimonies that exalt the "aphrodisiac" properties of chocolate, we want to report two.

The first is the work of the abbot Pietro Metastasio, playwright and poet, who with his cantata "La cioccolata. A Fille" (1735) proposes an erotic skirmish in which he tries to seduce the reticent nymph Fille, illustrating the merits of the drink so that he can drink a cup. The second is linked to a great consumer of chocolate, Brillat-Savarin, who dedicates pages full of enthusiasm to it, suggesting its use to the man who spends most of the night "working", instead of sleeping; to the person of spirit, who felt feeble, and to all those tormented by the "fixed idea."

Among the many famous people who would have used chocolate for aphrodian purposes I point out Pompadour, Casanova, Mozart and D'Annunzio.