sweetTOOTH By Clay Gordon
Hot Chocolate
Sure, we love buying and eating chocolate, but what do we really know about buying the top shelf quality?
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ho doesn’t love chocolate? But if you’re going to indulge, you should indugle wisely. Some
tips: ● Fresher is better. There is a direct relationship between freshness and qualitythe fresher or better, so start your search at a store that specializes in selling chocolate. When you’re looking for a good wine you go to a specialist wine store. The same logic applies for chocolate; you won’t find great chocolate at your local chain pharmacy ... chances are it was made six months or more before it got stocked on the shelf. ● Make the most of your flavor selections. The whole idea of gift givingespecially with chocolate- is to show you’ve been paying attention to the recipient and what they like, so the flavor selection should not just be an afterthought. For example, if you know the person you’re giving the chocolate to is not an adventurous eater, then steer away from exotic flavors like habañero or combinations like wasabi/ ginger. It’s best to stay with comfort flavors like caramels. If, on the other hand, you know they are an adventurous eater or a foodie then the sky’s the limit. How about – and I swear I am not making this up – rhubarb stilton with port wine reduction? ● Don’t give anything you wouldn’t eat yourself, or haven’t tried. Buy a piece for yourself and try it. It’s sort of like regifting but in advance, or giving yourself a little reward. And it makes you confident about the gift you’re giving, knowing you tried a piece and you really liked it. ● You don’t eat the box. Whether colored gold or blue, expensive packaging
does nothing to improve the flavor of the chocolate inside. Yes, it’s safe and convenient to walk into a store and pick up a big box that everyone will recognize from 20 feet away ... but what does it say about you? Were you really thinking about the gift or were you taking the easy way out, letting the brand make your point for you? Of course, if you know the recipient well and know that this is her favorite chocolate then go ahead. But, when you’re in the store, take a few extra moments and get a custom selection from the case, not the shrink-wrapped box from the shelf. ● Ask the person behind the counter for suggestions. Ask them what the most popular pieces are. They’re likely to be good and they’re likely to be fresh because of the high turnover. Also, ask them what their favorite pieces are- and why, and share with them what your favorite flavors are; between the two of you you’ll come up with a good selection. Finally, always ask to be shown the freshest items in the case. Something that just came in this morning that was made a couple of days ago is probably at the peak of gift-giving perfection. ■
Clay Gordon
TheChocolateLife.com Clay Gordon is an internationally-known independent authority on chocolate. He is the author of Discover Chocolate (2007) and is the creator and moderator of TheChocolateLife.com, an on-line community of chocolate lovers. projectyou
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