Dear Reader,
Recently I attended a meeting to start a new chapter of Hadassah. There was a wonderful turnout and great conversation. But of course, I have to admit, the highlight of the evening for me was the talk by Randy Shangraw, who lives in northern Virginia. The brother of Baltimore Hadassah member Shari Kaplan, he had come that evening to talk chocolate.
Years ago, I worked with Greek olive oil, where I learned the fine art of appreciating its subtle differences. I have also been to wine tastings. But, let’s be honest, nothing can beat eating chocolate.
On this particular evening, Shangraw invited us take samples of seven chocolates and place each one on a specified circle labeled A through G. There were three milk chocolates, including a sample from a Hershey’s bar, one semi-sweet chocolate and three dark chocolates.
He then taught us several ways to determine the quality of the chocolate we were tasting. First, he suggested the “snap test,” telling us when we break the chocolate, it shouldn’t bend or crumble. If it snaps cleanly it is made well.
He also told us to take small bites, let it slowly melt in the mouth, like wine, and swallow it to experience the finish. The longer the finish continues, the finer the chocolate.
I always knew that not all chocolate tasted the same. What was fascinating to me, however, was when I bit into a piece of chocolate, I discovered that each piece had its own flavor nuances. Some were fruity, others spicy, still others flowery.
Take one of my favorites by Amano Artisan Chocolate. Called Ocumare, it was 30 percent milk chocolate and had a distinctive honey flavor. Then there was Chocolate Santander, a semi-dark chocolate that displayed hints of coffee. I also tasted Waialua Estate, a dark chocolate grown on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, at one of the only commercial cacao estates in the United States. It held hints of tropical fruits.
Like fine wine, Shangraw told us the flavor of chocolate results from a combination of factors including the type of cacao beans used to where they are grown and how they are processed. Fermentation and roasting of the beans is where the flavors get imparted.
This chocolate tasting made me think about our story, “L’Chayim,” where iNSIDER writer Simone Ellin takes on a “special assignment” — one which she will admit was a lot of fun — where she learns about tasting wine. In this November food issue, iNSIDER also wondered what vegetarians eat on?Thanksgiving. We talk to several local vegetarians for suggestions.
We hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving and that you try some of the recipes in this food issue.
Sincerely,
Rochelle Eisenberg
Editor
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