I recently finished the book, The Chocolate Connoisseur by Chloé Doutre-Roussel. When Chloé was writing the book, she was the chocolate buyer for Fortnum & Mason, a very high-end department store in London. Known for her keen sense of smell, she is now an independent consultant who gives advice to clients on cacao cultivation, refinement techniques and the chocolate making process. There are several steps to get the cacao bean to taste like a fine piece of chocolate and Chloé is chocolate’s sweetheart at the moment.

I have always had a love for chocolate, so when I saw this book on the shelf, I was immediately interested. I had done some independent research on the chocolate making process and the different cacao bean regions, just so I could be an informed customer. Even as a young girl, I liked the semi-sweet baking chips over the milk chocolate bars any day. As my chocolate palette continues to broaden, so has my education on the subject. The Chocolate Connoisseur really gave me a broad overview of chocolate by distinguishing between the types of cacao bean varieties and their location, the laws regarding labeling for cacao content and how to really taste the deep flavors in chocolate bars. 

Some say that this book is self-serving or self-absorbed for Chloé, but I find her honest opinion very refreshing. She encourages you to listen to her advice, simply because she does have a lot experience to learn from, but she also makes sure that you are tasting with your own palette … making chocolate decisions based on your own set of guidelines or moods.

Since reading the book, I have set up several chocolate tastings for myself. Chloé says that tasting chocolate in the morning, before you have had anything else to eat and your palette is clean, is the best time. I have to agree with her. My recent morning tastings have brought out flavors and smells that you wouldn’t ordinarily sense after a meal. I guess I am now looking at chocolate as a fine wine or coffee instead of just dessert. 

I highly recommend this book if you are interested in chocolate. Although Chloé doesn’t cover the injustice that has taken place in the name of chocolate, I believe that this book is only one piece of education. You can never rely on one book to make up your whole opinion. I think that Chloé’s mission of creating better chocolate and bringing attention to the subject makes the chocolate industry more transparent … more accountable.

This is a good time to study up on chocolate as it makes its way to new frontiers in the gourmet food industry. I would predict that within the next 5 years, you will see more gourmet chocolate shops, restaurants and new chocolate bar varieties in the main stream. Everyone wants a piece of this emerging market. Chloé Doutre-Roussel is working to make sure that uninspired chocolate isn’t lurking in those beautiful packages and I appreciate her effort! 

On the right side of my blog, I have a section of “Serious about Chocolate” links. Some of these are from this book and some I have found on my own. I will continue to explore this subject and refine my list as I taste the chocolate and get more information.

In reference to the book, you can visit Chloé’s site or read extensive excerpts at Chocolate.org.

Photo credits- top left: chloechocolate.com, top right: Timmy Toucan, bottom left: cstrom and bottom right: misoponia.