Find a peaceful place to enjoy your chocolate.

Cleanse your palate. Room temperature water, green apple slices and plain crackers
do the trick.

If you will taste more than one chocolate bar, start with the one that has the highest
cacao percentage and work your way down so the sweetest chocolate will be last.

Admire the packaging. The maker put a lot of intention into its design. Once unwrapped,
examine your bar. Notice the imprint as well as the color, finish and texture of the chocolate. It
should be free of any unsightly spotting known as “bloom.”

Run your finger along the surface of the chocolate. Feel its weight in your hand.

Break off a piece of chocolate close to your ear. What you hear may remind you of the
satisfying thud of a luxury car door closing, the crisp snap of your fingers, or the splintering of
the most delicate sheet of ice.

Bring the chocolate close to your nose with one hand and cup your other hand around
the sample. Deeply inhale its aroma. The scent may be fruity, floral, roasted, nutty, spicy or
earthy. Smell accounts for 80% of flavor so relish the fragrance and anticipate what notes may
reveal themselves on your palate.

Take a bite or two of your chocolate and then allow it to melt leisurely. It takes at least 7
to 10 seconds for top, middle and finishing notes to unfold and blossom. Many lovely flavors are
released upon each exhalation and in the aftertaste, so give yourself the gift of time to
experience your chocolate richly and fully.