DavidoffCoffee and ChocolateThe enjoyment of an excellent cup of coffee is often accompanied by some sort of chocolate. This is often seen as a matter of course but did you ever think about the reason why coffee and chocolate are a true dream-team? The many existing similarities in cultivation and processing between chocolate and coffee turn the two luxury foods into allies. For the quality of good chocolate, the quality of the cocoa beans used to make it is crucial. Deciding are the kind of cocoa bean, the origin as well as the nurture and harvest and also the professional processing before roasting and grinding the beans. That a similar kind of interaction is a precondition to create an outstanding coffee is commonly known. However, this sensitivity towards chocolate preparation is a totally new development. While the best coffees are cultivated on the African continent in Tanzania and Kenya, the cocoa bean with the most exquisite and complex aroma, the “Criollo” comes from Venezuela, Ecuador or Colombia. The main factor for coffee indulgence is the composition of sugar, powdered milk and cocoa butter. The latter is the key to an extraordinary chocolate blend. Cocoa butter is the most expensive of the natural fats and its secret lies in its melting point: at room temperature the cocoa butter stays solid but at body temperature it melts, for example in the consumer’s mouth – the typical smooth and highly appreciated chocolate-own feeling. To enjoy the fascinating taste of chocolate to the outmost, you should drink soda water or eat some bread during the tasting of different varieties to neutralise the palate. For the ultimate chocolate enjoyment, take a sip of good-quality espresso, roll it over your tongue and let the chocolate melt in the warm beverage. Try it out and discover the mysterious bond existing between chocolate and coffee. |