One of the great things about Salt Lake City is the growing number of people interested in fine foods. Recently Matt Caputo started teaching classes on Fine Chocolates at Tony Caputo’s Deli and many people are coming to see what the art of chocolate tasting is all about.
Honestly, before this class I was ignorant to the culture surrounding fine chocolates. It was eye opening to me to learn more about the cocoa bean and the different processes used to make chocolate. Also, I learned that Amano Chocolate in Orem, Utah won gold in the 2009 London Academy of Chocolate awards. Amano is America’s most highly acclaimed chocolate producer.

We learned about fermenting, harvesting, roasting and conching . We learned why you should not eat Hershey’s (I’ll let you come to a class to find this out for yourself). And best of all we tasted many chocolates, some with notes of fruit, some of leather and others of roses. I never knew the diversity of chocolate was so grand.
Much like the wine tasting scene, much goes into tasting chocolate. But fortunately, you can buy the best chocolate in the world for less than $20. Wine connoisseurs are envious of the soft blow to the chocolate gourmand’s pocketbook. It is perhaps the most affordable indulgence for those interested in the world of fine food.

I imagine the rule is the same with chocolate as it is with wine. You shouldn’t cook with it unless you could enjoy it on its own. So, after the class I purchased some high end chocolate to make chocolate souffles. Matt Caputo recommended Valrhona Tainori for baking hot chocolate. By the way you can buy chocolate in bulk at Caputo’s. I’ll let you know how my baking adventures with fine chocolate turn out.

A tip for how to tell a good chocolate from a poorly made one: the texture should have a luster (almost shiny), and it should make a sharp sound when you break off a bite.