Chocolate

The complexities and charms of chocolate are infinite and constantly changing based on many factors, not least of all its vintage or harvest. The fermentation, choice of beans, roasting, and blending of the beans, as well as processing, particularly the amount of conching, all have an impact on the final product. Needless to say, that product will vary from batch to batch. Storage and age of the chocolate will also influence flavor. The chocolate world has changed dramatically in the past 20 years. What used to be the most extra bittersweet available was 61 percent cacao; now, it has been eclipsed by 70 percent and even higher-cacao chocolates. And the terms “semisweet” or “bittersweet” no longer have any real meaning. As in the wine world, some companies are producing single-origin chocolates made from one variety of bean that may even be harvested in the “wild.” Manufacturers sometimes indicate the vintage year on the bar.