My first (ecstatic) taste of artisan chocolate :) :) :)

I am a chocolate amateur. Chocolate is a life-long love, but one of those passionate affairs in which a beauty and sensuality allures and excites without revealing its history, complex personality, or depth. In the past few weeks, I have been reading book after book about this beautiful food, its history, its journey from lowly cacoa bean to decadent truffle or shining dark chocolate bar, the methods of taste and appreciation, and the production  of chocolate products. You, readers, will accompany me on this journey of discovery, from gleaming foil to ribbon wrapped truffle collections, and share in my impressions and ideas. 

At 20 years old, until today, I had yet to taste an artisan chocolate bar, or anything higher quality than Lindt or Ghiradelli (which are both good for American standards, but certainly not in a high percentile range for world class chocolate). I had a small box of Vosges Exotic truffles a few years ago, which was quite the sensual affair, but I have all but forgotten the taste, and didn't have the knowledge or experience at the time to pick out quality or nuanced flavor notes.

But today I decided: today is the day. 

After weeks of chocolate study, I am ready.

All the (Pre-Tasting) Dirty Details: 

I went to my university's bookstore, which sells Amano Chocolate. Amano claims to be "America's most highly acclaimed chocolate."

"We pride ourselves on creating some of the world's finest artisanal chocolate. All of our chocolate is made in small batches, in traditional machinery with careful attention to flavor development. We use only the world's finest cocoa beans and gently develop and coax their flavors until they reach their full potential. Each of our bars are absolutely incredible in flavor and are sure to delight even the most demanding connoisseur. "


Amano Chocolate has won many awards, including "Top Artisan Chocolatier," "Best Dark Chocolate," "Most Luxurious Chocolate Experience," and many, many more (all of which can be viewed here : https://www.amanochocolate.com/awards)

Amano uses old machinery and equipment, and produces each bar with cacao beans from single plantations.
One thing that very much impressed me is that each chocolate bar consists of only 4 ingredients: cocoa beans, pure cane sugar, cocoa butter, whole vanilla beans. 

I bought the "Ocumare" 70% Cacoa, made with Criollo beans from Venezuela. (see page here for cover design and product description: https://www.amanochocolate.com/retail/bars/ocumare)

The Glorious Gasp! (Tasting)

My first taste of artisan chocolate, and I am terrified. What if I taste nothing but a one-dimensional sweet and smooth flavor, the equivalent of a Hershey's bar? What if the chocolate doesn't speak to me? Or what if it does, but I don't understand? There goes my dreams of becoming an exotic chocolatier...I took the my newly purchased "Ocumare" from the bookstore with nearly trembling hands.

Next step: Where to eat it? Somewhere quiet and reflective... I strode to the university library, on a basement floor among some old fraying bound medical books. Here I carefully unwrapped the packaging, peeling back a gold foil only to be accosted with a strong bouquet of scents, before I could even bring it to my nose. My fears dissolved with the blast of earth, bitterness, berry- and flowers?- yes, I thought, this chocolate speaks already- loud and clear. 

I continued to sniff it, releasing aromas by rubbing it with my thumb. The chocolate snapped loudly, a sign of fine chocolate, I am told.

After smelling and capturing scents, typing up impressions on word processor, I finally mustered the courage to place a small square on my tongue, and bite.

At first, bitterness.

Then a beautiful rush of deep plum, as the packaging suggested, and wild floral notes unfolding rapidly. Strong, rough scents, the green of a broken stalk.

Mostly, the impression of earth, a deep, full-bodied, robust flavor. Coffee notes? Plum yes, but a plum unburied in rich, black earth, dirt still clinging to its purple skin. 

The sensation of blue. And a dark night all alight with stars.

After carefully wrapping the remaining chocolate, I walked outside, where summer breeze carried wafts of flower notes and the light distillation of grass, a complex bouquet, the smell of a summer day- like fine chocolate at its roughest, purest state- a complexity and beauty that only nature can create. 


Love,


Sondra

Follow up:

A month later of almost daily chocolate tasting, and I have yet to find a chocolate to rival Amano. This chocolate is officially the stuff of my dreams. If I had a million dollars, do you know what I'd buy? You guessed it. Enough Amano chocolate for me, my family, and all the starving victims of Somalia's famine.