How to Eat Chocolate and Really Enjoy It

For you chocolate lovers, find out how to get the most pleasure from chocolate by the way you eat it.

I know the title “How to Eat Chocolate” sounds like a no-brainer.  You’d probably say: “Pop it in, chew it up and swallow.”  No way! That chocolate was gone in an instant and what pleasure did you derive from it?  Don’t ever forget that “a moment on the lips is forever on the hips”.  If you’re going to eat chocolate, really savor the flavor.

Now, read this for the right way to eat chocolate.

The Art of Tasting: Try this exercise and see how to really taste chocolate. Think about what wine tasters do.

1. 1.  Look at the chocolate. What kind of surface does it have — velvety, shiny, matte?
2. Break the chocolate. Did it give off a “snapping” sound or was it slightly muted?
3. Smell the aroma. Is it a strong chocolate smell or a somewhat waxy smell?
4. Experience the mouthfeel. With your tongue, place the chocolate against the roof of your mouth. Do nothing but let it melt there. Does it have a velvety smooth finish or is it grainy? Is it really melting or just stuck there like a wad? The sign of a really good chocolate is its ability to melt at body temperature.
5. Experience the flavor. Now allow the melted chocolate to roll around your mouth, letting it touch as many surfaces (the tongue, the cheeks, the lips) as possible. What flavors are you sensing? Is it a nutty, roasted flavor mingled with sweetness?

Now, do you think you have wrung out as much flavor and pleasure as you can possibly get out of that bite?  Okay. You can now swallow.  Hmmmm, now wasn’t that tasty?

By the way, dark chocolate is far healthier than milk chocolate. In fact, look for chocolate that says 70% cocoa or even higher on its label. You’ll get the higher levels of antioxidants found in chocolate that has a higher percentage of cocoa.