Have you got a love for chocolate?

Then you will love this section! Indulge your passion and discover how to get more enjoyment from chocolate. Tantalise your taste buds and find out about chocolate tasting the Cadbury way or take your love of chocolate to new heights and discover more about the subtle differences between different types of chocolate as well as ideas, suggestions and resources to help you get more enjoyment from chocolate.

If you simply cannot get enough of all things chocolate, dip into our World of Chocolate and discover even more about this wonderful substance. Marvel at chocolate art and sculpture and even wearable chocolate apparel and jewellery – you’ll be amazed by what you can do with chocolate and how chocolate has inspired festivals, films, literature and much more.

Chocolate Tasting

Cadbury has been producing chocolate since 1824 so we’d like to think we know a thing or two when it comes to chocolate. Of course, the cocoa beans themselves and how varying amounts of cocoa solids are combined with other ingredients (such as sugar and milk for example) have a big role to play when it comes to how the chocolate we know and love tastes. 

We’re all unique too, so your own tasting experience will be yours alone. You might love a particular flavour, combination of flavours or particular texture that another person dislikes. The fun lies in discovering these differences.  Chocolate can differ in all sorts of ways; for example, appearance, texture, intensity of colour, aroma, although chocolate doesn’t have the same level of flavour complexity as wine. But, chocolate tasting, like wine tasting, tends to be considered a little hi-brow, something best confined to specialist, artisan chocolates.  

So we’ve put together some tips and ideas to help you get more enjoyment from chocolate and to demonstrate that chocolate tasting can be fun for all. Click here to find out Cadbury tips on tasting chocolate.

Tips on Tasting

Most chocolate tasting guidance and techniques will urge you to buy and taste only the best and finest quality chocolate. We’re all different and we all have different tastes so what’s most important is that you buy the sort of chocolate that you enjoy most. If you’re milk chocolate devotee, for example, buy a selection of several brands and see how they compare. 

The main ingredient in chocolate is derived from cocoa beans. If you study the ingredients information on the packaging you will find the percentage of cocoa solids used in the chocolate. The higher the percentage the more bitter the chocolate will be. As a general rule, darker chocolate contains a higher percentage of cocoa solids.  Chocolate that has a minimum of 60% cocoa solids is described as semi-sweet. The percentage you choose is a matter of taste. Chocolates that are above 80% tend to be quite bitter and may not appeal to casual chocolate lovers.
Basic tips

Below are some basic techniques to help you get the most out of whichever chocolate you choose to taste:

Start with a clean palate: if you eat something very sweet before eating chocolate, your taste buds won’t be able to pick up the sugary flavours of the chocolate and the result is that the chocolate will taste bitter. Similarly, if you have something very bitter, like coffee, before eating chocolate the chocolate may taste overly sweet or weak in flavour. Drink some water, in particular, hot water, before eating chocolate to clean the palate.

Limit the number of chocolates you’re tasting to 6-8 different varieties: if you’re hosting a chocolate tasting party allow 2 small cubes of each chocolate for each person. If you’re tasting a range of chocolates with different cocoa percentage content start with the lowest percentage and work your way up to the more intense flavours – white chocolate, milk chocolate and then the darker varieties.

Slowly does it: take your time and allow the chocolate to melt in your mouth – that way you’ll maximise the flavour and allow the texture of the chocolate to come out.

Take off the chill: chocolate is best enjoyed at room temperature or slightly above - it’s only when the chocolate warms up and begins to melt in the mouth that you can appreciate its flavours. Drinking hot water before tasting each different chocolate variety not only helps to clean the palate but also warms the mouth, delivering more instant results and tantalising pleasure to your taste buds!