FOOD NEWS
The Reason You Should Always Taste Chocolate Before Baking With It
By Harriette Halepis
From its origin to its texture, chocolate is a complex ingredient, and tasting it before baking will help you decide which level of sweetness and flavor profile your recipe needs.
Weather and environment impact the flavor, with extreme temperatures changing how cocoa tastes. A longer refinement time will also result in a smoother taste.
Executive pastry chef of Hopkins and Company Jen Yee said, "taste your chocolate before baking with it [...] Some have fruitier tones, while some are more vanilla-caramel forward."
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company recommends rubbing chocolate between your fingertips to detect a specific scent. From there, note how chocolate melts while sitting on your tongue.
Compared to bar chocolate, many chips retain their shape and melt less due to reduced cocoa butter, which may or may not be how you want your cake to taste and feel.
Ghirardelli recommends tasting a maximum of six types of chocolate to avoid overwhelming your senses. Practice and a well-stocked chocolate pantry will yield the perfect bake.