Chocolate!!!

     The first activity we did on this day was a quiz on the history and background of chocolate. My group scored 9 out of 10, which I was fairly satisfied with considering it proved a rather difficult quiz for us! I realized there was a lot more to chocolate than I originally thought! It is quite a complex food. The second activity was called the Chocolate Chain. This was a lesson in the economics of the chocolate business and gave some insight into how the royalties from selling chocolate is distributed. This activity was rather confusing for me at first. Each member of our group was assigned a job in the chain of chocolate distribution. I was assigned the position as a manager of the Godiva Luxury chocolate company. I was supposed to be responsible for the distribution, transport, and packaging of the chocolate. We were each to argue why we believed we should receive the majority of the profits from a $2.00 candy bar.

     This was a very eye-opening activity. Our group felt very torn because we felt that the farmer of the beans should have received more of the profits because of the time and labor he or she would have to put into the growing. However, we decided that the Godiva distributor should receive the majority of the profits because of the high overhead fees he or she would have. This really got me thinking about where my food comes from and how business dealings are all about money and not always fair. Next time I buy some chocolate at the store I will definitely think more seriously about where my food was made and the time, labor, and money that went into it.

      The third activity of the day was called the art of tasting chocolate. This was a very interesting activity. We watched a video that outlined an alternative way of tasting chocolate. This tasting is more than just sticking chocolate in ones mouth and gulping it down. It involves savoring and truly enjoying all the flavor of the chocolate. We were instructed to pay attention to the look, fragrance, touch, taste, and feel of the chocolate. The chocolate I brought was Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate. I stuck the chocolate on my tongue and felt the cool of it as it melted. Because I took the time to really let it cool on my tongue it allowed me to taste all the rich and fruity flavors of the chocolate which I could have previously missed. The chocolate I brought with me was truly delicious and rich, with the slightest hint of a bitter taste.

      The final activity was to find the best tasting chocolate. I went around tasting all the different chocolate pieces that people had brought into class. I evaluated the various chocolates based on their look, fragrance, touch, taste, and feel. We then got into groups and ranked our top five choices. The top ranked chocolate was Hershey’s Symphony Milk Chocolate. I have recorded my comments on my top three favorites below.
My first favorite was also the class favorite, Hershey’s Symphony Milk Chocolate. It looked a medium brown color and was smooth and in perfectly even squares. It smelled like any other milk chocolate, there was not a lot of significance to the smell. The touch was smooth beneath my fingers and the edges had been cut perfectly straight. The taste was extremely creamy. It was very milky, more than usual milk chocolate. I loved it because it had the extra creamy feature to it. The feel of it was extremely smooth like silk. It was unlike any other milk chocolate that I had ever tasted.

     The second chocolate that I really liked was the Dairy brand very Nutty Milk Almond chocolate. The look of it was not extremely attractive. The edges were jagged and there were chunks of almond sticking out of the chocolate. The fragrance smelled like milk chocolate with a slightly nutty flavor to it. The touch was rougher than the previous chocolate because of the nutty component. However, the taste was delectable. There was the taste of extremely milky chocolate with a hint of almond. The taste was richer than the previous milk chocolate, almost more like dark chocolate. I really enjoyed the almost taste the most. The feel was very creamy again, but with a slight crisp crunch. The combination of textures made this chocolate extremely enjoyable.

     The third chocolate that I really enjoyed was the large Toblerone. The look of it, first, was very appealing. It came in perfectly formed pyramid shapes. It was a dark brown color with pieces of nougat appearing on the surface. The fragrance smelled of milk chocolate, with a hint of nut. There was also the slight smell of honey. The touch was smooth with sharp, straight edges. The taste was a plethora of flavors. The taste was a rich, milk chocolate, with a hint of warm, honey flavor. The nougat gave it a slight crunch and nutty flavor. The combination of honey and nut was the best part of this chocolate. The fell was extremely smooth with the perfect amount of moistness and crunch.

       Overall, this day was thoroughly enjoyable. What better day could one have in class, tasting chocolate all day! Although, I felt that I did more than just eat some delicious flavors, I was able to learn slightly about the process of making chocolate. It is a fascinating and historical industry that should be thought about when one buys some from the store. There is truly more to chocolate than meets the taste buds!