The Five Tests of Great Chocolate

Chocolate can come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, and flavors. Looking for something sweet and you might just pick up that cheap milk chocolate bar from the grocery store. Looking for something with a little bit of fruit and you might try that specialty chocolate shop in the mall. Chocolate is so diverse that it may be hard to discern between the mediocre, the good, and the great. We wanted to provide some helpful tests to find your way to a great, luxurious, and delicious piece of chocolate.

What’s it made of?

Every good chocolate will have no more than six ingredients listed on the back of the label. We prefer to use only four: cacao, cacao butter, maple syrup, and a dash of sea salt. You always want to look for chocolate that cacao as its first ingredient. If you don’t see it, just put the chocolate down and move on. Although we love sugar, it doesn’t make good chocolate and only delivers an addictive experience that leaves you empty.

Keeping it simple with three ingredients: cacao, cacao butter, and maple syrup

 Does it shine?

Although that may seem like a strange question, quality chocolate has a shiny appearance. This tells us that chocolate has been tempered to perfection. If the chocolate is dull, has bubbles, or has areas of discoloration, you can put it away. These signs tell us that the chocolate is old, made poorly, or stored poorly.

Freshly produced filled chocolate with beautiful shine

 Do you hear it break?

Good chocolate will have a satisfying “snap.” You should hear a clean, crisp, and sharp sound when breaking into a chocolate. This is the sound of the crystals breaking and is a sure sign that the chocolate was processed correctly.

Does it taste like chocolate?

This might be a little more subjective, but chocolate should taste like chocolate. Depending on the region you are getting your chocolate from, the chocolate could taste fruity, earthy, etc. When you taste our chocolate, the immediate taste on your tongue is fruity, which is why we can compare it to a fine wine. Some chocolate from regions of Mexico, have bolder flavors like cinnamon, clove, etc. Taste becomes an experience rather than just a spoonful of sugar. If you’re eating a chocolate that seems to fall a little flat or just tasting the overpowering added flavorings, then you are probably consuming a lower grade chocolate.

Does it melt in your mouth?

Finally, the best part of the chocolate experience is when it melts in your mouth. High-quality chocolate will have a smooth and soft texture that will melt perfectly in your mouth. Sometimes chocolate can have a waxy, sticky, or coarse feel depending on the chocolate process.

Tempered chocolate before being poured into molds

We have used these questions when evaluating our chocolate. At Ilan’s, we are always looking for ways to bring you a total chocolate experience. Each chocolate is prepared with quality ingredients and expertly hand-tempered to provide the shine, snap, and abundance of flavor that will keep you satisfied.