The 21st century has witnessed a remarkable transformation in the world of chocolate, elevating it to gourmet heights where creative and experimental approaches reign supreme. Just like fine wines, chocolate is now valued for its quality, variety, and origin
The 20th century saw a worldwide explosion in the consumption of chocolate in a multitude of forms. However, the 21st century has witnessed a significant leap in the quality of chocolate, elevating it into gourmet territory. Chocolate has evolved from being a simple childhood treat, returned to its roots, and is now hailed as an art form. The creations of master chocolatiers are now recognised as culinary masterpieces.
The industry has developed a rich lexicon to describe the complexities of chocolate, mirroring the terminology used in the world of fine wines. Commonplace terms include ‘single-origin’; ‘grand cru’ (a dark chocolate with a high cacao content, expressed as a percentage); estate; vintage or origin; bean-to-bar, from a designation of origin region that indicates quality such as D.O. Chuao, Piura, Xoconusco; and ‘terroir’ indicating a specific geographical location like the Venezuelan Hacienda San José (equivalent to Pago in wines). These terms highlight the importance of provenance, specific growing conditions as well as vintage.
Generally, there are three main varieties of cacao: Forastero, the most common, with dark, larger beans but less aroma; Criollo, with lighter-coloured beans and a sweeter taste; and Trinitario, a hybrid of the two. The closer a chocolate is to the Criollo origin, the higher its quality.
Having carefully selected cacao beans for their origin and unique, nuanced flavour profiles, master chocolatiers explore a vast spectrum of flavour combinations. High-quality chocolates are elevated through pairings with fruits, nuts, and spices, while floral notes like rose, violet, and lavender add a touch of elegance. Unexpected combinations, such as orange and extra virgin olive oil, chilli, cinnamon, fleur de sel, and pink peppercorns.
The finest chocolatiers always meticulously document the origin and characteristics of their cacao beans, detailing their flavour profiles. For example, Domori’s Trinitario from Peru offers floral, caramel, and creamy notes, while Arriba from Ecuador presents hazelnut, banana, and citrus flavours. RÃo Caribe from Venezuela brings notes of dried fruits, ripe fruits, raisins, tobacco, and chlorophyll, and Morogoro from Tanzania offers red fruits with a pleasant acidity and Sur del Lago from Venezuela has almond and coffee flavours. Other experts highlight the various flavour nuances based on the bean’s origin allowing consumers to appreciate the complexities of each chocolate.