But how do you measure taste?
Tasting has to be made as accurate as possible, so our tasters use seven different criteria to assess the chocolate they’re eating.
Condition
First of all the sample has to be at the ‘right’ temperature – around 20˚C.
Expose
Now you have to snap or cut the sample to give a freshly exposed surface.
Sniff
Wave it under the nose, sniffing in a series of short and long bursts.
Bite
Bite carefully to assess the resistance – note the force required; how the product deforms, and if the sample suddenly collapses.
Reduce
Chew the sample into a mass, and hold it still for a while to see how long it takes to melt or dissolve. Rub it between the tongue and the teeth to assess particle size, and look for sandy or slimy effects on the palate.
Taste
Now consider the flavour – swirl the dissolved mass around the mouth, right to the back of the tongue. You can then spit it out if you like (as if!).
Refresh
Wait for aftertaste; decide if it is time for the next sample. Wash the mouth with still mineral water. Wait until all the flavours in your mouth subside before you taste something else.
Humans can detect some substances down to 10 parts per million, but not everyone can be a chocolate taster. You need to go through a screening process to see if you meet a British Standard for tasting – which rules out 50% of applicants – and you need to be able to accurately describe very subtle changes in taste. Our tasters often ask for feedback after a tasting session so they can see how they marked a product compared to the others in the group, and we tell them – it helps them refine and develop their tasting skills.
New product tastings are definitely the most popular with our panel, but we constantly monitor everything the factory produces, so that, for instance, if we get an ingredient from a different supplier, the product still tastes exactly like it’s supposed to. We even run sensory tests when a shift ends and there are different people in charge of the chocolate-making machines
Now we must find the perfect packaging