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The Nut Factory

PO Box 815
Greenacres, WA 99016
Toll free: (888) 239-5288
Phone: (509) 926-6666
Fax: (509) 926-3300
E-Mail Address: nuts@TheNutFactory.com

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Edible Nuts of the World | Nutritional Facts

How to Taste Chocolate

To become an expert chocolate taster, you need to use all five senses.

Touch The point is to observe the speed of melting. The quicker - the better. The quick melt indicates a high cocoa butter content. Chocolate should start to melt if held in the hands for a few seconds. Cocoa butter melts because it is solid up to 91.4 degrees temperature and melts at 93.2 degrees.

Sound The crystaline structiure of the cocoa butter is what gives chocolate its distinct crisp snap. You can definitely hear the snap of a fine chocolate.

Sight Gloss and condition of chocolate can quickly be assessed just by looking. When a bloom is observed it is generally caused either by heat or moisture.

Heat bloom indicates the chocolate was not tempered correctly or that it has been allowed to get too warm, then cold. The cocoa butter crystals rise to the surface and recrystalize. This does not affect the flavor of the chocolate but should be seen as a warning that the chocolate was not stored correctly. It can be rectified by tempering the chocolate again, thereby realigning the crystal structure.

Moisture bloom known as sugar bloom is caused by the moisture settling on the surface of the chocolate which happens if the chocolate is stored in a damp atmosphere. It draws the sugar crystals to the surface, the sugar dissolves in the water, and later recrystalizes on the surface - destroying the texture of the chocolate. The whole appearance of the texture will be grey and gritty. Thischocolate must be thrown out.

The reder and the lighter in color the cocoa, the finer the flavor.

Smell It is the nose which is the most highly tuned instrument to detect the greatness of food. Too much sugar interfered with the smelling process, just like in wine tasting. Too much salt can overwhelm the palate. Smoking dulls smelling and strong flavors, such as peppermint and chili, affect smell.

Taste Although we do not spit out chocolate as do wine buffs, neither do we eat it. A small piece of chocolate should be placed on the tongue and allowed to melt of its own accord. Try three or four different chocolates with a water sip between each taste session.

Read more about Chocolate:

Chocolate Dipping

Chocolate Enrobing

Chocolate Depositing

Chocolate Paning

Chocolate Glossary

Chocolate Tempering

Recipes | Interesting Facts | Trivia | Nutritional Facts

Tip of the day

The Mexicans created the turkey in chocolate sauce, called a mole sauce. The sauce is really a rich, spicy, and savory mole sauce not unlike an Indian korma sauce made with almonds and spices.

Our favorite recipes

Chocolate Truffles

a classic candy recipe

2/3rd cups cream
10 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
8 oz bittersweet chocolate, tempered
1/4 cup rum or fruit liquor
2 tbspoons butter
1 cup dusting powder made by sifting equal parts cocoa powder and confectioner sugar

Bring the cream to a boil. Put the 10 chopped chocolate in a bowl, pour over the cream and beat steadily. If any of the chocolate does not melt, put the bowl in a bain marie (bowl of quite warm water) to warm the mixture gently.

Beat in the butter, add the rum or fruit liquor slowly. Chill for 10 minutes in the refridgerator until thick but not hard. Put in a new bowl and melt for a few seconds in a bain marie to dissolve the skin which will have formed, stirring slowly. The mixture should look like a soft buttercream frosting.

Put the ganache mixture in a pastry piping bag and pipe into kisses on a tray lined with wax paper. Each trufffle should be just a bit smaller than the size of a walnut half..

Refridgerate until cool, then dip intothe tempered chocolate using two forks and finally place the finished piece on the dusting powder. Coat. Shake off any surplus dusting powder using a sieve. Makes about 50.

Little known facts

How to Taste Chocolate

Chocolate tasting is a bit different from wine tasting. All five sense come into play.
Touch. The point is to observe the speed of melting

more about candy

Half a century of fun

The Nut Factory started in 1952 as a roaster of peanuts. We are located in Spokane, Washington. Over the years The Nut Factory has grown into a large snack food manufacturer. We ship over 400 product every day to businesses everywhere throughout the United States.

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