WHAT YOU SHOULD LOOK FOR IN YOUR CHOCOLATE Premium chocolate has particular characteristics that one can identify with some practice. Once you learn to tell the difference, we think you will prefer the taste of premium chocolates like Jamieson's. We have provided a checklist that you can use the next time you explore the taste of a chocolate you like or one you are trying for the first time. Better yet, why not buy two or three different chocolates and compare them using our checklist? Invite your friends over for a chocolate tasting party. You will all enjoy it! (Adapted from "Taste Checklist", Chocolate Marketing, 111925 Wilshire Blvd., 3rd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90025) APPEARANCE Chocolate should have an unblemished sheen. Sometimes it isn't stored correctly and it develops a greasy, gray film called a "bloom". This doesn't affect the taste, but it doesn't look very good. TEXTURE When you break your chocolate, you should hear a crisp snap. The edges should be clean and not crumbly. The lower the chocolate liquor content and the higher the butter fat or other fat content, the less likely you are to get a good snap. Look for an even color and smooth texture on the interior of the chocolate. AROMA Sniff your chocolate before you bite into it. Does it have a pleasant, full aroma? Some chocolate has little or no aroma, or "off" aromas. It will taste better if it has a pleasant, full aroma. MOUTHFEEL Cocoa butter is a delicate fat that melts at body temperature, giving it a unique melting sensation. It should have a smooth, even melt. Some chocolates are gritty because they haven't been milled finely enough. Length of conching or mixing is also important. Conching is the process of blending all the ingredients together, and is a time consuming and expensive process. The best chocolate is conched for long periods of time, 24 hours or more like our chocolate. TASTE This is highly subjective. Chocolate is made to appeal to a variety of local taste preferences -some may appeal to you, others may not. Many Americans don't like the bitterness that Europeans prefer in a dark chocolate. Experiment with different chocolates to see which ones you like best!