The experience of eating expensive gourmet chocolates (with small, succulent squares ranging from $1.50 to $3.50 each) suffers when we gobble them down like we do a Snickers or a package of M&Ms. With that in mind, to get the most pleasure from your gourmet chocolate purchases (no matter what your budget), follow these simple tips compiled by Littleviews' staff of chocolate lovers:
| 1. | After eating the first piece of chocolate, your mouth becomes coated. If you proceed to eat a different flavor quickly thereafter, its ingredients quickly mix with the first, dulling the flavors. If you must eat fine chocolate in rapid succession, you'll get the most from your experience by eating the same kind, leaving different flavors for a later times. |
| 2. | If your budget is limited, but you crave the experience of sampling three to four fine flavors, always space the time between your tasting by several hours. Why? As we discussed in Tip 1, if you quickly eat several pieces of candy in a single sitting, after the first one, you'll lose the flavor sensation of all the rest. |
| 3. | Avoid buying fine chocolates on a hot day unless you can quickly get them under refrigeration. While the best temperature for chocolate is between 65 and 70 degrees, temperatures hotter than 75 degrees cause rapid melting. |
| 4. | For those who want immediate gratification, buy and eat two to three of the same kind. (Two is best.) |
| 5. | Whenever you hand-pick a box, make a point of packing two to three of each selection, rather than one of everything. |
| 6. | Pair your chocolate nibbling with beverages, such as with high-quality coffee, or with Ruby or Tawny Port Wine. The less sweet the beverage, the better the combination. Note that slowly eating chocolate in an attractive coffee shop, restaurant, lounge, or other formal setting is more pleasurable than grabbing pieces out of the bag immediately after leaving the candy shop. |
| 7. | No matter what your budget, consider slicing your fine chocolates in half, then eat your candy a half at a time. Remember, the excitement from eating fine chocolates comes from the flood of taste that first enters your mouth and not from the quantity you stuff into it. |
| 8. | If you like to linger over coffee or drinks after a nice meal, but do not want full-blown dessert, nibble on one or two premium-quality chocolates that you purchased earlier in the day. If you are at a dinner party, ask your server to prepare your gourmet chocolates on a platter for sharing. Remember, of course, to tip accordingly for the extra service. |