Food Fridays: How to Eat Chocolate

There might not be a right way to eat chocolate, but there may be a better way.

National Geographic’s Digital Nomad, Andrew Evans, recently met up with Swiss chocolate sage Michel Baud of Philippe Pascoët, who shared with him these five tips on how to maximize the chocolate experience.

Now we’re sharing them with you (after all, it’s important to pay it forward in life):

• Let the first bite be small to “warm up” the tongue, which can taste only sweet, sour, salty, bitter. Some chocolates can hit all four tastes.
• The second bite is the one that counts. Suck on the chocolate and feel how it melts, sense the texture. Is it grainy or smooth? Sweet or dry?
• Don’t rush on to the next bit. Enjoy the aftertaste—good chocolate will offer new and subtle flavors after a few seconds.
• Don’t ever eat more than four or five different kinds of chocolate at a time. You will overwhelm your sense of taste and ruin the experience.
• Cleanse your palate with water before and in between each new variety that you taste (not in between bites).

Read the rest of Andrew’s dispatch from Switzerland to learn more the confection that helped put the Swiss on the map and follow along with the rest of his Alpine adventures on Twitter @WheresAndrew.