"Mindful eating goes beyond eating," said Lilian Cheung, a registered dietitian, co-author of Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life, and director of health promotion and communication at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts.

You can easily be more mindful if you opt for high-quality chocolate and check the label before buying. You can get an instant idea regarding the sweetness or bitterness of chocolate by understanding the chocolate to sugar ratio.

"If you buy chocolate with a higher cocoa content, it will be less sweet," said Stephen Durfee, a pastry chef instructor at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, in St. Helena, California. "You will get more of the natural flavor of chocolate."

So, how can you know this instantly by looking at the label? These days most quality chocolates will list the percent of chocolate or cacao on the label. Since it's a percent you can think of it as parts per 100. The total of all ingredients cannot exceed 100.

That means that if you're looking at a 72% dark chocolate bar, that sugar can be no more than 28%.  While an 80% dark bar can contain no more than 20% sugar.  More bitter, less sweet.

Milk chocolate bars have to make room for milk as an ingredient, but usually the amount of chocolate is sacrificed, not the sugar.

OK, let's get back to tasting!

The origins of your chocolate has a huge impact on the final flavor. "As with wine, chocolate made from beans grown in select regions of the world reflect the 'terroir' or sense of place of that region," Durfee said.

"Soil conditions, climate, the lay of the land as it meets the sun -- all influence subtle differences in flavor." Soils of acidic nature yield a noticeable citrus flavor. Additionally, this type of soil produces lighter color to the chocolate.

To fully enjoy your high-quality chocolate, let it melt in your mouth first before you chew it. High-quality chocolate has cocoa butter in it, and this melts at body temperature, giving you a 'melt in the mouth' sensation.

"Let chocolate melt on your tongue for a few seconds before you start to chew," Durfee suggests. "As the warmth of your mouth softens the chocolate, you will notice a real explosion of flavor."

If you are on a chocolate-tasting spree, have some crackers and water handy. They cleanse your palate between tastings. Always, always use your every sense when eating your high-quality chocolate. Look at the color, smell its enticing aroma, be observant with the taste and texture, and listen to the sound it makes as you chew it.

If you typically do this when you eat chocolate, then you’re doing it all right!

• Author
• Recent Posts

Joanna Maligaya

Staff Writer/Content Developer at Chocolate University Online

Ever since she can remember, Joanna has always considered chocolate as the ultimate food for her soul. She believes in the saying, “9 out of 10 people love chocolate, and the 10th always lies.”

Latest posts by Joanna Maligaya (see all)

• Whipped Cream Chocolate Frosting Recipe - December 3, 2014
• Chocolate Hazelnut Cake Recipe - November 26, 2014
• Broiled Banana Chocolate Pudding Recipe - November 19, 2014