Belgian Chocolate is currently one of the most sought after types of chocolate around, including the sugar free and gourmet varieties. One of the main reasons for this is that there are so many highly-skilled chocolatiers grouped into Belgium, which is really, a very small country.
The expert Belgian artisans make almost all their chocolate by hand, and take particular pride in its decoration, as this has become a bit like their own, individual signature on the chocolate.
The best Belgian chocolate manufacturers take great care in selecting the very best ingredients, and only the finest cocoa will do. The filling is equally important and Belgian chocolates tend to have praline fillings that are just as delicious as the chocolate covering itself.
If you are paying for top-quality Belgian chocolate, it is important that you understand what makes it so good. A good chocolate is like a fine wine, there's no point paying for it unless you appreciate what it is you are sampling.
Generally, the following tasting tips should help you differentiate between a quality Belgian chocolate and a poor imitation.
Sight
Different beans produce differently coloured chocolate, from deep reds to the darkest browns. Remember, the darkest colour does not necessarily give you the best chocolate.
Texture
Even the best quality beans will taste unpleasant if they are not processed properly. The most obvious giveaway of a badly-made chocolate is grittiness in the texture of the chocolate, which is caused when the beans are not broken down properly. Make sure you look for silky smooth chocolate as this denotes excellent skill on the manufacturer's behalf.
Taste
In order to enjoy the full flavour of a chocolate, make sure your palette is completely clean, and then place the chocolate on your tongue for a moment, before slowly moving it around your mouth. A quality chocolate's taste will gradually hit you and then linger for a while. If the taste disappears very quickly, it is a sign of a poor quality chocolate.
The basic flavours to look out for in chocolate are bitterness and sweetness. It is important to get the balance of these flavours right - if either is too weak or too overpowering, the chocolate will not be pleasant to eat. The level of acidity is also important: some sharpness is good as it will bring out the fruit flavours in the chocolate, but too much will be unpleasant.
Smell
Poor-quality chocolate may smell rubbery, which indicates problems with fermentation of the cocoa beans. It might also have an unpleasant smoky smell to it, this usually happens when the beans have been dried too quickly, and wood fires have been used instead of allowing them to dry naturally in the sun.
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