I'm usually satisfied with a plain Hershey's bar, but I do know good chocolate when I taste it. I was definitely in the company of good chocolate when I sat down for a private chocolate tasting with Michel Richart, the genius behind Paris-based chocolatier Richart.
Richart stands by the belief that chocolate should bring pleasure to the taster, the same belief his father Joseph Richart had when he started the company in 1925.
The chocolatier has gained some serious accolades for his work: National Geographic's Inside Travel named him one of the world's top chocolatiers, and has been awarded the Ruban Bleu, France's most prestigious confectioner's honor, a total of seven times.
Richart has several retail locations in Paris, but in the U.S., his sweets can be found at Gastronomie 491 on New York City's Upper West Side.
During our private tasting, Richart walked me through his unique five-part method of tasting and enjoying his chocolate and macarons, giving me a real joie de vivre. It turns out there's a lot more to tasting chocolate than just stuffing your face.
A delicate display was laid out for me when I entered the room, and my gastronomical journey began. Richart explained his "QuintEssence" method of tasting, a way to enjoy the taste experience on five levels.
The first level is presentation. Richart said like with any art, you need to set the stage.
The temperature, humidity, organization of the product on the table, and even the light in the room can give the product more or less pleasure. We had these chocolates at room temperature in a moderately lit, dry space.
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