<ul>
<li>Take a bite of your chocolate and have your tongue spread the melting chocolate all over your palate and notice the feeling of what we can compare to a symphony.</li>
<li>The front notes, middle notes, and the afternotes of the chocolate will liven your experience.</li>
<li>Some chocolates may lead with acidity and follow with fruitiness and earthier tones.</li>
<li>The only way to build your chocolate savoring skills is to buy more chocolate and keep on tasting.</li>
</ul>

Savoring Chocolate: Taste

Try to notice the texture of your chocolate. Is it smooth? Gritty? Is there texture? Rub your fingers on the chocolate and feel it.
Some chocolates that are silkier have more cocoa butter in them and those that have a rough feel might have been stone-ground.

Savoring Chocolate: Touch

When you snap the chocolate in two, we don't often think about it, but it gives us a peek as to how the chocolate was tempered.

Savoring Chocolate: Sound

Cocoa has more than 600 aroma compounds that range from bright, tart berries to sweet floral noted. 
You'll be stormed by scents as you open your chocolate bar and even more so when it melts on your tongue and wafts through your nose and the back of your throat.

Savoring Chocolate: Smell

<ul>
<li>Unwrap your chocolate bar and look at it. </li>
<li>Cocoa beans are diverse and can vary in color from reddish to dark brown. Sometimes your chocolate may have a whitish discoloration but this doesn't mean that your chocolate went bad. </li>
<li>Cocoa beans have a very high fat composition and sometimes the fat crops up to the surface.</li>
</ul>

Savoring Chocolate: Sight

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 </LI></UL>
 
 Simran Sethi
 
 <div class="caption">
 
 Photo Illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR
 
 </div>Chocolate is a substance that has soothed and ignited humans for thousands of years. But despite our lengthy love affair, many of us aren't clear on where chocolate comes from, or the depth of flavor it holds. The world's<a href="https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/confectionery-market" dir="ltr"> most beloved</a> confection starts as colorful, football-shaped pods that sprout haphazardly from tree trunks and branches — a sort of Dr. Seuss fantasy come to life. Inside each pod is a mass of sweet pulp that enrobes bitter seeds. Seeds that, once processed, become chocolate.<picture>
 <source srcset="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2021/02/10/gettyimages-96786249_slide-5d30fdab217513f993815e2a5071b9049475dfb5-s800-c15.webp" data-original="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2021/02/10/gettyimages-96786249_slide-5d30fdab217513f993815e2a5071b9049475dfb5-s800.webp" class="img lazyOnLoad" type="image/webp">
 <source srcset="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2021/02/10/gettyimages-96786249_slide-5d30fdab217513f993815e2a5071b9049475dfb5-s800-c15.jpg" data-original="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2021/02/10/gettyimages-96786249_slide-5d30fdab217513f993815e2a5071b9049475dfb5-s800.jpg" class="img lazyOnLoad" type="image/jpeg">
 <img src="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2021/02/10/gettyimages-96786249_slide-5d30fdab217513f993815e2a5071b9049475dfb5-s800.jpg" alt="A cacao pod cut-in-half at the Tropical Agriculture Research and Education Center (CATIE) in Turrialba about 40 km southeast of San Jose on February 16, 2010.">
 </picture><div class="caption">
 
 Yuri Cortez /AFP via Getty Images
 
 </div>If your go-to is a Hershey's or other industrial bar, you may think of chocolate as one flavor. But cocoa boasts a wide range of aromas and tastes, explains <a href="http://crc.edu.tt/sta.uwi.edu/cru/DarinSukha.html" dir="ltr">Darin Sukha</a>, the head of the Flavour and Quality division at the University of the West Indies'<a href="http://crc.edu.tt/sta.uwi.edu/cru/index-2.html" dir="ltr"> Cocoa Research Centre</a>, home to the largest and most important collection of cocoa in the world.<picture><source srcset="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2021/02/08/lschreiber-npr_blueheartfinal_sq-2eec58ce7cf376c6c8ecb081e68020c0d84da72a-s100-c15.webp" data-original="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2021/02/08/lschreiber-npr_blueheartfinal_sq-2eec58ce7cf376c6c8ecb081e68020c0d84da72a-s100.webp" class="img lazyOnLoad" type="image/webp"><source srcset="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2021/02/08/lschreiber-npr_blueheartfinal_sq-2eec58ce7cf376c6c8ecb081e68020c0d84da72a-s100-c15.jpg" data-original="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2021/02/08/lschreiber-npr_blueheartfinal_sq-2eec58ce7cf376c6c8ecb081e68020c0d84da72a-s100.jpg" class="img lazyOnLoad" type="image/jpeg"><img src="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2021/02/08/lschreiber-npr_blueheartfinal_sq-2eec58ce7cf376c6c8ecb081e68020c0d84da72a-s100.jpg" alt="How To Fall In Love, According To Hinge's Relationship Scientist "></picture><h3><a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/02/08/965397828/how-to-fall-in-love-according-to-hinges-relationship-scientist" data-metrics="{&quot;category&quot;:&quot;Story to Story&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:&quot;Click Internal Link&quot;,&quot;label&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2021\/02\/08\/965397828\/how-to-fall-in-love-according-to-hinges-relationship-scientist&quot;}">How To Fall In Love, According To Hinge's Relationship Scientist </a></h3>Sukha is one of the leading global researchers in exploring the range of factors that contribute to the flavors that can be found in chocolate. As such, tasting is a crucial part of his work. His exploration includes the lesser-known flavors found in<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/the-elusive-qualities-that-separate-craft-from-industrial-chocolate/2017/02/07/1e5452a8-ecb8-11e6-b4ff-ac2cf509efe5_story.html" dir="ltr"> craft chocolate</a>, in addition to the bars you'd find in a check-out line, which are mass-manufactured for consistency. Industrial chocolate is "chocolate that you eat," Sukha says, while craft is "chocolate that you experience."Although makers get most of the credit, these moments of deliciousness are largely due to the work of cocoa farmers, and the places where cocoa is grown and processed.So how exactly do we pick up on these extraordinary flavors? By using all our senses: sight, smell, sound, touch and taste. And don't worry if you're not an expert. As Sukha reminds us: "We've been tasting since the day we were born." The possibility of discovery belongs to all of us.<img src="https://www.npr.org/assets/img/2021/02/10/lk_Chocolate_gif2.gif" alt="Pieces of chocolate laid on on a red, pink and yellow striped background " width="600" height="400">Credit: Photo Illustration by Becky Harlan/NPRHere's how to savor chocolate like an expert. <h3>1. Sight</h3>"Unwrap your bar. Look at it," Sukha says. Cocoa beans are diverse and can range in color from reddish to dark brown. The sheen that you see is a reflection of how it was processed. If you see any whitish discoloration, this is normal; your chocolate hasn't gone bad. Cocoa beans have a very high fat content (roughly 50 percent cocoa solids and 50 percent cocoa fat, known as cocoa butter). Sometimes the fat rises to the surface. It will blend back together when it melts in your mouth.<picture><source srcset="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2021/01/26/npr-lk-norecipe-final_sq-daa80922fc5cab8b6cb45a293d1284e855574cae-s100-c15.webp" data-original="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2021/01/26/npr-lk-norecipe-final_sq-daa80922fc5cab8b6cb45a293d1284e855574cae-s100.webp" class="img lazyOnLoad" type="image/webp"><source srcset="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2021/01/26/npr-lk-norecipe-final_sq-daa80922fc5cab8b6cb45a293d1284e855574cae-s100-c15.jpg" data-original="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2021/01/26/npr-lk-norecipe-final_sq-daa80922fc5cab8b6cb45a293d1284e855574cae-s100.jpg" class="img lazyOnLoad" type="image/jpeg"><img src="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2021/01/26/npr-lk-norecipe-final_sq-daa80922fc5cab8b6cb45a293d1284e855574cae-s100.jpg" alt="How To Improvise In The Kitchen — With Tips From Samin Nosrat And Hrishikesh Hirway"></picture><h3><a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/01/27/960755625/how-to-improvise-in-the-kitchen-with-tips-from-samin-nosrat-and-hrishi-hirway" data-metrics="{&quot;category&quot;:&quot;Story to Story&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:&quot;Click Internal Link&quot;,&quot;label&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2021\/01\/27\/960755625\/how-to-improvise-in-the-kitchen-with-tips-from-samin-nosrat-and-hrishi-hirway&quot;}">How To Improvise In The Kitchen — With Tips From Samin Nosrat And Hrishikesh Hirway</a></h3><h3>2. Smell</h3>Cocoa has upwards of 600 aroma compounds that range from bright, tart berries to sweet floral notes. (See the aroma wheel below for more of what you might discover.) You'll get a rush of scents as you open your bar and even more as the chocolate melts on your tongue and wafts through your nose and the back of your throat.<picture>
 <source srcset="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2021/02/10/chocolate_white_space_sq-0b50272db2da8809e9134fe7041cba5d82885e85-s1100-c15.webp" data-original="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2021/02/10/chocolate_white_space_sq-0b50272db2da8809e9134fe7041cba5d82885e85-s1100.webp" class="img lazyOnLoad" type="image/webp">
 <source srcset="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2021/02/10/chocolate_white_space_sq-0b50272db2da8809e9134fe7041cba5d82885e85-s1100-c15.png" data-original="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2021/02/10/chocolate_white_space_sq-0b50272db2da8809e9134fe7041cba5d82885e85-s1100.png" class="img lazyOnLoad" type="image/png">
 <img src="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2021/02/10/chocolate_white_space_sq-0b50272db2da8809e9134fe7041cba5d82885e85-s1100.png" alt="">
 </picture>
 A few examples of the aromas you might encounter in chocolate.
 
 
 
 <div class="caption">
 
 Zach Levitt/NPR
 
 </div><h3>3. Sound</h3>We don't often think about the sound of our chocolate, but a tight snap gives clues as to how the chocolate was tempered — a process of heating and cooling to stabilize the fat and give it a nice sound and sheen.<h3>4. Touch</h3>Note the texture of your chocolate. "Rub your fingers together and feel whether or not there's a texture or grit, or if it's smooth," Sukha says. This is another clue about the intentions of the maker and how the chocolate is processed. A silky chocolate might have extra cocoa butter; a rough chocolate might be stone-ground. <picture><source srcset="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2020/11/13/ljohnson-lk-virtualcooking_sq-906584e7401af3480117c538aab96c9d0774109e-s100-c15.webp" data-original="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2020/11/13/ljohnson-lk-virtualcooking_sq-906584e7401af3480117c538aab96c9d0774109e-s100.webp" class="img lazyOnLoad" type="image/webp"><source srcset="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2020/11/13/ljohnson-lk-virtualcooking_sq-906584e7401af3480117c538aab96c9d0774109e-s100-c15.jpg" data-original="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2020/11/13/ljohnson-lk-virtualcooking_sq-906584e7401af3480117c538aab96c9d0774109e-s100.jpg" class="img lazyOnLoad" type="image/jpeg"><img src="https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2020/11/13/ljohnson-lk-virtualcooking_sq-906584e7401af3480117c538aab96c9d0774109e-s100.jpg" alt="Carrying On A Family Recipe, In Your Own Way"></picture><h3><a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/11/11/933796991/carrying-on-a-family-recipe-in-your-own-way" data-metrics="{&quot;category&quot;:&quot;Story to Story&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:&quot;Click Internal Link&quot;,&quot;label&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2020\/11\/11\/933796991\/carrying-on-a-family-recipe-in-your-own-way&quot;}">Carrying On A Family Recipe, In Your Own Way</a></h3><h3>5. Taste</h3>And now, take a bite. Use your tongue to spread the melted chocolate all over your palate. What you will notice is something akin to a symphony: "You have front notes, middle notes, and afternotes," Sukha explains. "Your chocolate might lead with acidity and follow with fruitiness and earthier tones." And the way to build your skills? "Buy more chocolate and keep tasting it." <a href="https://simransethi.com/" dir="ltr">Simran Sethi </a>is a journalist and author of the book Bread, Wine, Chocolate: The Slow Loss of Foods We Love. For a more detailed exploration of tasting, and the stories behind chocolate, check out<a href="https://theslowmelt.com/" dir="ltr"> The Slow Melt</a> chocolate podcast.The podcast portion of this episode was produced by <a href="https://www.npr.org/people/728256798/sylvie-douglis" dir="ltr">Sylvie Douglis. </a>We'd love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823, or email us at LifeKit@npr.org.For more Life Kit, <a href="https://www.npr.org/newsletter/life-kit" dir="ltr">subscribe to our newsletter</a>.

Making (and tasting) chocolate is an art. In this episode, a cocoa expert guides us through the world of chocolate and how you can appreciate it to its fullest.

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Chocolate is a substance that has soothed and ignited humans for thousands of years. But despite our lengthy love affair, many of us aren't clear on where chocolate comes from, or the depth of flavor it holds.

The world's<a dir="ltr" href="https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/confectionery-market">most beloved </a>confection starts as colorful, football-shaped pods that sprout haphazardly from tree trunks and branches — a sort of Dr. Seuss fantasy come to life. Inside each pod is a mass of sweet pulp that enrobes bitter seeds. Seeds that, once processed, become chocolate.

If your go-to is a Hershey's or other industrial bar, you may think of chocolate as one flavor. But cocoa boasts a wide range of aromas and tastes, explains <a dir="ltr" href="http://crc.edu.tt/sta.uwi.edu/cru/DarinSukha.html">Darin Sukha </a>, the head of the Flavour and Quality division at the University of the West Indies'<a dir="ltr" href="http://crc.edu.tt/sta.uwi.edu/cru/index-2.html">Cocoa Research Centre </a>, home to the largest and most important collection of cocoa in the world.

How To Fall In Love, According To Hinge's Relationship Scientist

Sukha is one of the leading global researchers in exploring the range of factors that contribute to the flavors that can be found in chocolate. As such, tasting is a crucial part of his work. His exploration includes the lesser-known flavors found in<a dir="ltr" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/the-elusive-qualities-that-separate-craft-from-industrial-chocolate/2017/02/07/1e5452a8-ecb8-11e6-b4ff-ac2cf509efe5_story.html">craft chocolate </a>, in addition to the bars you'd find in a check-out line, which are mass-manufactured for consistency. Industrial chocolate is "chocolate that you eat," Sukha says, while craft is "chocolate that you experience ."

Although makers get most of the credit, these moments of deliciousness are largely due to the work of cocoa farmers, and the places where cocoa is grown and processed.

So how exactly do we pick up on these extraordinary flavors? By using all our senses: sight, smell, sound, touch and taste. And don't worry if you're not an expert. As Sukha reminds us: "We've been tasting since the day we were born." The possibility of discovery belongs to all of us.

Credit: Photo Illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR

Here's how to savor chocolate like an expert.

"Unwrap your bar. Look at it," Sukha says. Cocoa beans are diverse and can range in color from reddish to dark brown. The sheen that you see is a reflection of how it was processed. If you see any whitish discoloration, this is normal; your chocolate hasn't gone bad. Cocoa beans have a very high fat content (roughly 50 percent cocoa solids and 50 percent cocoa fat, known as cocoa butter). Sometimes the fat rises to the surface. It will blend back together when it melts in your mouth.

How To Improvise In The Kitchen — With Tips From Samin Nosrat And Hrishikesh Hirway

Cocoa has upwards of 600 aroma compounds that range from bright, tart berries to sweet floral notes. (See the aroma wheel below for more of what you might discover.) You'll get a rush of scents as you open your bar and even more as the chocolate melts on your tongue and wafts through your nose and the back of your throat.

A few examples of the aromas you might encounter in chocolate.

We don't often think about the sound of our chocolate, but a tight snap gives clues as to how the chocolate was tempered — a process of heating and cooling to stabilize the fat and give it a nice sound and sheen.

Note the texture of your chocolate. "Rub your fingers together and feel whether or not there's a texture or grit, or if it's smooth," Sukha says. This is another clue about the intentions of the maker and how the chocolate is processed. A silky chocolate might have extra cocoa butter; a rough chocolate might be stone-ground.

Carrying On A Family Recipe, In Your Own Way

And now, take a bite. Use your tongue to spread the melted chocolate all over your palate. What you will notice is something akin to a symphony: "You have front notes, middle notes, and afternotes," Sukha explains. "Your chocolate might lead with acidity and follow with fruitiness and earthier tones." And the way to build your skills? "Buy more chocolate and keep tasting it."

<a dir="ltr" href="https://simransethi.com/">Simran Sethi </a>is a journalist and author of the book Bread, Wine, Chocolate: The Slow Loss of Foods We Love. For a more detailed exploration of tasting, and the stories behind chocolate, check out <a dir="ltr" href="https://theslowmelt.com/">The Slow Melt </a>chocolate podcast.

The podcast portion of this episode was produced by <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.npr.org/people/728256798/sylvie-douglis">Sylvie Douglis. </a>

We'd love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823, or email us at LifeKit@npr.org.

For more Life Kit, <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.npr.org/newsletter/life-kit">subscribe to our newsletter </a>.

How To Savor Chocolate Like A Cocoa Expert : Life Kit

Savoring Chocolate: Taste

Savoring Chocolate: Touch

Savoring Chocolate: Sound

Savoring Chocolate: Smell

Savoring Chocolate: Sight

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