Chocolate Week

Chocolate Week runs from 7-14 October

How to spot good chocolate? Some tips: 

Ideally chocolate should contain a minimum cocoa content of 60%+ for dark and 30%+ for milk.

 It should be evenly coloured with no cracks or air pockets, streaks or sugar bloom.

The chocolate should smell good as you unwrap it with a complex fragrance. It should be sweetly fragrant but not overpowering.

It should feel silky and not sticky and should just begin to yield to the warmth of your finger.

The texture should be smooth and buttery, gently dissolving into a creamy liquid filling the mouth with its complexity of flavours.

Essentially chocolate is going to be bittersweet, fruity and spicy with a good balance of acidity and should be subtle rather than overpowering.

A should have a clean aftertaste and no residue; and certainly not be overpoweringly sweet.

Guidelines from food writer Sara Jayne Stanes author of 'Chocolate – the Definitive Guide' and  Chairman of the Academy of Chocolate.

http://www.chocolateweek.co.uk/