January 23

Today's chocolate tasting featured four chocolates from around the world. The first was a Caracan chocolate made from Trinitarian beans and smelled much different from  the others. Even when I was chewing on the chocolate, I could smell in my nose at the same time. The taste itself was slightly bitter and fruity but not acidic. The second type was a Venezuelan Trinitarian which smelled like a floor cleaner. It too tasted fruity but more acidic with a grassy and earthy tone. The third type was the Indonesian Criollo which was acidic and sour but was notably minty and fruity. It was also acidic to the point of astringency. Then there was the Madagascar which was very sour. The wrapper said that it was supposed to taste like wood and mushroom, but I never got those. Instead I got a strong p-nutty flavor. The final chocolate we tasted was a mystery chocolate. It was extremely bitter and astringent but had a coffee flavor to it. We found out later that it 100% dark chocolate with cocoa nibs added . . . . That explained a lot! Even though this class has taught me not to be afraid of (and even to like) some dark chocolates, I still can't handle 100% dark.

The next test was olive oil, of which there are four types: delicate/mild, olivey/peppery, leafy/green/grassy, and fruity/fragrant. We were given four different cups and told to match each with the category to which it belonged. I found that the Bertoli was olivey and peppery, the L'Estornel was leafy, green, and grassy, the Masserie di Sant'eramo was delicate and mild, and the Badia a Coltibuono was fruity and fragrant. We were then told by the teachers that the Bertoli was actually fruity and fragrant, the L'Estornel was actually olivey and peppery, and the Badia a Coltibuono was actually leafy green and grassy. I personally think that I was right. The only conclusion that I can reach is that my cups must have gotten mixed up. I tried each cup several more times, and each time I became more certain that my answers were right.

After the olive oil tasting, we went straight into tasting olives themselves. We started with the Kalamate which was salty and olivey. The next was a ripe black which was slightly bitter and salty but more mild than the first. Next, we moved on to the Nicoise which was just plain olivey. The Queen Olive was salty and sour to the extreme! And finally there was the Manzanilla which was just salty. They were all olivey and salty, but I could taste individual differences between each. After we had tried them all, someone pointed out that most of them tasted like boiled peanuts, and I could definitely taste some truth to this claim. While I could taste the differences, I had no way of describing those differences. Personally, it didn't bother me too much anyway because I didn’t like any of them anyway. So its not like I'm about to go out and buy them. Even though I didn't like them, I am glad to say that I tried them in the spirit of being adventurous. Besides now I can explain my reason why I don't like olives instead of just saying "I don't like them".

After the olives, we moved on to tasting different types of Cheddar cheese. The Vermont, I thought, was the driest and had the least taste. Then there was the Boar's Head which was bland but was slightly fruit. My second favorite was the Kerry Gold which was astringent and sour/bitter but good with a sharp taste. Finally my favorite was the Cabot which was smooth with a mild, but unique taste. It was a little sour but also had hints of wood and butter. A fact to part with is that apple cider is the traditional drink match for cheddar. I just thought that was interesting.