How to Taste Luker Chocolate: A Sensory Experience

How to Taste Luker Chocolate

Chocolate is just chocolate…right? Well, we’re here to prove otherwise! Let’s take you on an incredible chocolate tasting journey, where your senses will be led down the road to fruity, citrus, nut, and malt note heaven. Get ready to become a chocolate know-it-all!

Luker Chocolate

Luker Chocolate is a family-owned manufacturer of fine chocolate couvertures and is based in Bogota, Colombia, a country geographically privileged for the cultivation of cacao. Established in 1906, they are one of the world’s largest producers of chocolates made exclusively from fine flavor cacao beans.

Prep Work

Before you begin eating (we see you, chocolate lover!), make sure you have a serene setting where your tasting will take place. As funny as it sounds, distractions like loud noises, bright lights, and strong smells can all get in the way of a pleasant chocolate tasting!

Once you have prepared your space, grab something to write with and download our printable Chocolate Tasting Guide. This guide provides you with a proper chocolate arrangement and note taking sections. In order to taste even the most subtle difference between your chocolates, be sure you taste them in groups arranged by type (dark, milk, and then white).

To ensure you have a clean palate before each chocolate variety taste test, have some water, bread, or unflavored crackers nearby to give your taste buds a chance to prepare for the next flavor explosion!

Let's Eat...with All Your Senses!

A proper tasting requires all 5 of your senses: what does the chocolate look like? How does it smell? Does it make a delightful snapping sound when you crack it in half? What texture is it when you touch it? And most importantly- what does it TASTE like? Here are some examples and tips of what you should look for:

• Smell- Cup the chocolate in your hands and allow it to melt slightly from the warmth. Bring to your nose. The chocolate will release a light aroma, which you can then decipher as fruity, nutty, malt, etc.
• Sight- Is it dark, milk, or white chocolate? Is it a thick or thin piece?
• Sound- When you try cracking the chocolate, does it make a sound? Is it difficult? Tip: chocolates with a higher cocoa percentage have a more satisfying snap.
• Touch- What is the texture of the chocolate? Smooth, bumpy, etc.
• Taste- After putting the piece in your mouth, allow it to slightly melt on your tongue. How are you responding to the flavor?

The origins of the cocoa beans, the quality of the tempering, and storage of the chocolate, all effect how the chocolate is received by the taster. So make sure you’re taking notes- your taste buds might deem one chocolate better than the rest for a number of reasons!

Testing Tips

Our Sales Rep Michael Aycock says that he likes “to melt the chocolate versus tasting it out of the bag. To me, tasting the chocolate cold mutes all the flavors, while the warm chocolate melts and covers your tongue and taste buds, bringing out all the flavors.” Michael does this in both stove top and oven methods.

I'll Stop the World and Melt [Chocolate] With You...

Stove Top Method

Ingredients & Tools:

• Pot or Double Boiler
• Water
• Chocolate
• Heat-proof bowl
• Spoon
• Parchment Paper
• Chocolate Thermometer

Instructions:

1. Pour a few inches of water into the pot.
2. Fit your heat-proof bowl over the pot, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
3. Heat the water to a simmer, turn off the heat, and add 2/3 of your chocolate to the bowl. Stir gently to melt, then add the remaining 1/3 of chocolate a little at a time and stir gently. By melting a portion of the chocolate and then stirring in the rest, you’ve just used the “seeding method” to temper chocolate. This means the cocoa butter crystals have stabilized and the chocolate will be glossy. If you have overheated the chocolate, it will seize and take on a dry, crumbly appearance.
4. Pour the melted chocolate out on to your parchment paper. Allow it to stiffen a bit and take a bite!

Oven Method

Ingredients & Tools:

• Chocolate
• Parchment Paper
• Sheet Pan

Instructions:

1. Cover your sheet pan with parchment paper. Place your chosen chocolate on the pan.

2. Chocolate melts best at temperatures between 104-113°F (40-45°C). The melting temperature must never exceed 115°F for milk and white chocolate, and 120°F for dark chocolate. This will cause it to seize, burn, clump, or become grainy.

3. The chocolate will take between 5-15 minutes to melt. Keep watch to ensure it does not burn.

4. Remove the chocolate from the oven and gently stir it before measuring the temperature. If the temperature is in the proper range, allow it to sit and stiffen a bit. Take a bite!

Luker Chocolate Tasting Recommendations

We have selected some of our favorite Luker Chocolate flavor profiles to get you started! You can purchase all Luker Chocolate options online at ifiprovisions.com.

• White Chocolate - Nevado 36.5%

Embodies the exotic color and exquisite flavor of chocolate made with 100% natural cocoa butter. Marked milky notes and mild cocoa notes typical of natural cocoa butter. It stands out for its high fluidity and its melt-in-the-mouth quality.

• Milk Chocolate - Claro de Luna 37%

Recognized for its typical light color and milky vanilla aroma, Claro de Luna 37% has a mild cocoa flavor, with sweet notes and a touch of vanilla. Its smooth texture melts in the mouth easily.

• Dark Chocolate - Misterio 58%

A pronounced chocolate flavor with delightful sweet floral tones. Smooth in texture and melts in the mouth quickly.

• Dark Chocolate - Perla 64%

A Fino de Aroma chocolate with a delicate balanced flavor and characteristic mild texture. Its floral, sweet, roasted notes are accompanied by a mild acidity that give it the typical Fino de Aroma flavor.

• Extra Dark Chocolate - Peru 72% Dark Chocolate

This chocolate embodies a strong cocoa flavor, a perfect balance of bitter notes and a subtle sweet tone. Fruity notes, slight acidity and citric flavors attribute to the unmistakable character of this dark chocolate as it melts easily in the mouth, fostering an exquisite creamy mild sensation. A pleasure for the senses.

Chocolate Tasting Expert

Woohoo! You now know the perfect route to taste-bud jumpin’ chocolate heaven! All 5 of your senses will guide your through properly tasting different types of chocolate. If you used our Chocolate Tasting Guide, tell us about your experience on Instagram and Facebook @ifigourmet. We would love to hear from you, our newest chocolate know-it-all.