Cultivating Fine Taste with Valrhona

I had the good fortune to be invited to the ‘Cultivation of Taste Seminar’ hosted by VALRHONA CHOCOLATE. San Francisco and New York were the two U.S. cities they chose to launch their single origin chocolate range. Pierre Costet, Chief Cacao Sourcer and Vanessa Lemoine, Sensorial Analysis Expert, conducted a three hour presentation to show how the work in the field and the work in the lab partner to "produce chocolate with distinctive and specific aromas".

I was in heaven. How exciting to learn from professionals who are at the top of their game. It doesn’t get any better than this in the chocolate world. Valrhona has always done a fine job of developing relationships with professionals. When I was in cooking school 15 years ago, Valrhona Pastry Chef Frederic Bau gave a demonstration of Easter Themed desserts. They were the only chocolate company that sent their pastry chef to talk to us about how to use their product. From that day forward Valrhona became my benchmark for fine chocolate.

Could there be a highlight on such a great afternoon? Absolutely! I tasted a raw cacao bean and cacao pulp for the first time. The pulp had a slightly sweet flavor and mucous texture that reminded me of a cross between a lichee nut and a loquat. The raw bean itself is very bitter. Thanks to Amy, here is a shot of me holding my first cacao bean which was sectioned off from the inside of this cacao pod.

While the entire program was fascinating, my heart was in the actual tasting and in getting more information about the physiology of taste. We tasted a series of liquids and had to guess what they were. We are all familiar with the basic flavors of acidic, bitter, sweet, salty and the most recently discovered fifth taste, Umami. The exciting tasting news here was when Vanessa suggested that there may be a sixth flavor: licorice. Research continues.

My tasting notes:

First look at the COLOR of the chocolate.

Breath in the ODOR through your nose (which she differentiated from AROMA which is produced in your mouth).

Test snap between your fingers.

Put the square in your mouth and assess the texture.

Allow the chocolate to melt and the flavors will be revealed.

Acidity makes you salivate.

Bitterness comes through and the sensation of bitterness persists at the back of the tongue.

Rub the chocolate between the tongue and palate causing a friction which helps to release the flavors.

Head AROMAS are light, floral, fruity and fleeting.

Body AROMAS are in the middle - warm, roasted, soft bread, and have a long or short finish.

Heavy AROMAS can be detected by breathing out as though you are crushing your chest. Here you can detect notes of roasted nut and camphor.

FLAVORS

Acid contributes to the crescendo of flavor you are tasting.

Flavor develops at the back of the tongue.

Flavor and aroma is affected by conching.

Conching is to chocolate what aging is to wine. Valrhona conches up 72 hours.

65% to 70% cacao content is the best range for intensity of flavor. Valrhona does not blend with a percent goal in mind but rather with the purpose of great flavor which just happens to fall within this range.

And how do you become a Sensory Analyst?

Vanessa received her sensory evaluation and formulation training at ENSBANA in Dijon, France.