Only one hamper box is permitted per order.
If you wish to order more than one please process this order first.
| The expert guide to
tasting chocolate |
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- Chocolate tasting
Like wine tasting, there’s a bit of an art to properly
savouring the varied tastes and textures of our chocolates. So
before you polish of that tray of Thorntons in record time, follow
these tips and get ready to impress your friends.
Ok, before we begin...
• Keep your chocolates at room temperature (18-20ºc) and not
in the fridge, as this will spoil the taste. Don’t let our
master chocolatier catch you doing this or there’ll be
trouble!
• It’s best to start with white chocolate, move on to
the milks and finally the strongly flavoured darks.
• Sip a little water or lime juice between pieces as this
will cleanse your palate.
Choose your chocolate
• Take a moment to appreciate how your chocolate looks. If
it’s solid (without a filling), the surface should be smooth
and glossy. Solid chocolate should also feel firm and make a
satisfying snap when you break off a chunk.
• Savour the aroma. Depending on the type of cocoa bean used,
you should be able to pick up sweet, spicy, fruity, flowery,
grassy, nutty or even woody aromas. If you’ve gone for a
chocolate with a filling, you may get a scent of what lovely
flavour awaits...
• Pop a piece in your mouth and let it rest on your tongue
for just a few seconds. This will give you a hit of instant
flavour. Then let it start to melt on your tongue – if
it’s solid chocolate it should feel ‘clean’, with
no waxy or grainy texture.
• Now chew... s-l-o-w-l-y, releasing the full depth of
flavour and aroma... heavenly.
A little tipple with your chocolate?
Because of the strong flavours chocolate has, you need to be
careful when choosing a wine to go with it. Try picking one that
has a single, strong-note aroma, like a port or a dessert
wine.
If you like a nice drop of red, go for a fruity one to complement a
dark chocolate. Or, for a milkier treat, pick a cabernet –
they often have a hint of cocoa. Be careful not to choose a red
that’s too oaky – they can get in the way of your
chocolate’s flavour. We wouldn’t want that!
Dark chocolates, and ones with centres that aren’t too sweet,
are also good with cognacs or armagnacs. If you’ve got a
smooth praline or ganache centre (made with chocolate and cream) go
for a good Jamaican rum.
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