Who knew?

At our recent PLC conference, Dr. Ed Seguine, one of the world's leading chocolate tasters, taught our Chocolatiers how to really taste chocolate - much like one tastes wine. Since I didn't get to go (but benefited from the knowledge of some of my Chocolatier buddies who did attend), I decided to do my own chocolate-tasting comparisons. It involves acquiring several different varieties of chocolates and tasting each one very carefully and mindfully, which is, of course, just plain fun. I highly recommend this to all chocolate lovers - not only did I truly enjoy it, I learned a few things and discovered what I like and do not like.

According to Dr. Seguine (and a couple of other sources I consulted), one makes note of these things about chocolate:

• Aroma
• Bite/snap - the texture when you bite it or break it
• Mouthfeel - how it feels when it's dissolving in your mouth
• Taste/flavor
• Finale - what lingers after the chocolate has left your mouth?

One recent afternoon, armed with water and pretzels to cleanse our palates, my husband and I set out to taste five different dark chocolates (mind you, he doesn't care for dark chocolates, so he could easily pay attention to the tasting without just getting caught up in the "I'm eating dark chocolate!" giddiness to which I fall prey occasionally), and our findings are below. We forgot to note appearance, but we did make notes of the other characteristics:

Dove Chef-Series Dark Chocolate:

• Aroma: noticeable, pleasant, sweet, chocolate
• Bite/snap: firm, crisp, solid; not brittle
• Mouthfeel: smooth, creamy, silky
• Taste: intense chocolate, balanced sweetness, not bitter
• Finale: sweet, clean, lingering flavor with no bitterness

Ritter Sport 50% Cocoa Dark

• Aroma: very faint, almost floral
• Bite/snap: hard, not chalky
• Mouthfeel: powdery, smooth, a little chalky
• Taste: fruity, floral, not intensely chocolate
• Finale: left a dry feeling behind

Ghirardelli  Evening Dream (60% cocoa)

• Aroma: cocoa-y (not really a word, but the best I could come up with)
• Bite/snap: crumbly
• Mouthfeel: smooth, but not creamy - more liquid
• Taste: sharp, bitter, almost burned
• Finale: dry, acrid, very unpleasant

Hershey's Special Dark

• Aroma: sweet, not very chocolate, faintly floral
• Bite/snap: soft, not crumbly, a little waxy
• Mouthfeel: chalky, powdery, gritty
• Taste: floral, mild, bland
• Finale: not much aftertaste; passive

Lindt 50% Cocoa Dark

• Aroma: no remarkable aroma (or maybe our noses were worn out by then!)
• Bite/snap: soft, but slightly brittle
• Mouthfeel: smooth, slightly waxy
• Taste: sweet, intense, but with a sort of strange, sharp, unidentifiable flavor
• Finale: slightly sweet; not bitter

I never had any idea that dark chocolates could taste so vastly different! I guess I hadn't much paid attention before, or had never tried them side by side. I can't tell you how many bars of Ghirardelli Evening Dream (and darker) I've consumed in my life, but I probably won't touch the stuff ever again. I was totally surprised that it was my least favorite, and I've rarely seen my husband make such a face as he did while it melted in his mouth.

Not surprisingly, the hands-down favorite: Dove Chef-Series. I might be biased, but I like to think I can employ a certain amount of objectivity. I actually hoped I'd discover another dark chocolate I like as much (for emergency purposes), but even the second favorite, Lindt, didn't come close enough for either of us to want to eat it. 

Next adventure: milk chocolate! I can't wait to see what we discover about that.

The Power of Chocolate (Duh...)

About a year and a half ago, before I started my business, I had an idea. I thought seriously about inviting all of my friends over with their favorite chocolate desserts and having an all-chocolate party. To me, it sounded like the ultimate healing and empowering experience, and I desperately needed some healing and empowering at the time! I thought about it more and more, and eventually began to wonder if I could parlay such an idea into a business so I could support my family doing something GOOD for people, which I enjoy immensely.

Enter Dove Chocolate Discoveries™.

Fortunately for me, someone else had the same idea - and did all the "hard stuff," so now I get to reap the benefits and still bring my vision to life. A Chocolate Tasting Party is indeed a healing and empowering experience - at least it is for me, and I try to make it so for all who attend. Laughter and chocolate combine with a spirit of community to create an atmosphere of shared love and worthiness. When I share chocolate with people, I am a goddess. It's my goal to give each person at a party the power to see in herself (or himself, even!) the beauty, strength, and grace within - enough to feel that she deserves the best of everything. OK, maybe that's setting the bar a little high for one evening's chocolate tasting, but each party is an opportunity to create a spark which can, in turn, grow to a flame of self-recognition.

We say regularly in our business "Relax - it's not rocket science, it's chocolate." Oh, but it's so much more. I think that what we do is more important than rocket science, because we change the world at a personal level. That doesn't mean it has to be complicated and difficult, or that one has to go through certification at an ashram to do what I do. On the contrary, anybody with a love of chocolate and a desire to share it with people holds the exact qualifications necessary for this position.

At our recent leadership conference, Dr. Dean Ornish remarked that the real epidemic in this country is not heart disease, diabetes, or childhood obesity - it's depression, fueled by loneliness and isolation. (I'm paraphrasing, but you can find this on a video on the DCD Facebook page.) This feeds into the other physical and emotional problems so prevalent in our society, and I believe a Chocolate Tasting Party has the power to make a difference. If you haven't yet had or attended a Chocolate Tasting Party with me, I want you to. I want to share this experience with you and give you the gift of a delicious moment (or two or twenty-three) among friends and kindred spirits in the midst of a crazy, stress-wracked life. You won't believe the difference it makes.

Some Things are Better Than Chocolate

I like chocolate...this much you know. Sometimes I dream about chocolate, or I lie awake thinking about chocolate (or knitting, or both - has anyone figured out how to knit with chocolate yet?) and what I might do with it or how I might work it into something new and different. There are other things that occupy my mind, though, because I recognize that life holds many, many more treasures: holding my sleeping baby daughter, watching my youngest son build a "tower" with blocks, helping my oldest son with his homework, explaining to my oldest daughter why I don't think she should read Twilight right now, and (probably most valuable of all) going to bed knowing my children are all home, healthy, and safe.

While I do cherish my children every day, I think sometimes I get so caught up in the trappings of life -  business, housework, laundry, taking people here and there, attending meetings, etc. - that I don't stop and just enjoy every moment. Even the "unpleasant" moments hold meaning and offer opportunities to learn, grow, and love.

Believe it or not, you may do the same thing. So...today, join me in appreciating the "Better than Chocolate" things that life has to offer. Take a few minutes, get a piece of really good chocolate (you know my favorite!), sit, and just ENJOY. Reflect and meditate as you let the chocolate melt in your mouth - and know that the wonderful sensation is just the beginning of the miracle.