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Question about qualities.
at Thu, 05 Feb 2004 16:03:14 GMT in
>, (Vic
Canova) wrote :
>I just received a shipment of Scharffen Berger 3oz. semi-sweet bars. I
>opened the first one and found a powdery mist covering the chocolate.
>It's barely noticeable at this point, but a finger swipe over the
>surface leaves a clear trail.
>
>It could be the natural oxidation of fine chocolate, but as a novice,
>it alarms me because having read many of the posts here, it could also
>be indicative of product about to spoil. I still have 11 more bars to
>consume, so should I return them now, or am I fretting over nothing?
>It doesn't taste spoiled (yet).
>
>Also, should the product itself be so HARD? I mean it behaves like a
>plane of glass and doesn't melt in your mouth very easily. Are these
>typical characteristics of 62% cacao, or did I get stuck with stale
>chocolate?
Return them now. What you got is chocolate that had "bloomed" - i.e. the
cocoa butter has separated out from the chocolate and risen to the surface.
The texture and mouthfeel you describe is typical of what chocolate is like
once it has bloomed like that. Now you also know that those sources that
claim that the quality of chocolate with cocoa butter bloom on it is
unaffected aren't telling the truth.
Bloom happens because of improper storage - typically temperature cycling
rising above 80F or so. Where did you get it from? I'd advise against
buying from the same source because if that chocolate arrived in that
condition, it's likely that all the chocolate they had in the same
warehouse will be in a similar state. If your source is unaware of this
behaviour you should let them know - chocolate must be kept in a
temperature and moisture controlled warehouse.
However, cocoa butter bloom doesn't indicate the chocolate is "spoiled" in
the classic sense of being unsafe to eat. It just means the sensory
experience will be diminished.
Typical Scharffen Berger chocolate has no problems with texture - it's
smooth and melts in the mouth readily. It has a nice clean snap, but
doesn't shatter "like a pane of glass". Its flavour is *very* fruity - IMHO
somewhat aggressively too much. However, if you like very fruity chocolate
this is the one for you.
--
Alex Rast
(remove d., .7, not, and .NOSPAM to reply)
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