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Aroma changes what we notice. And this morning, we got to experience that for ourselves.
What a wonderful morning exploring chocolate, aroma, memory—and the surprising ways our senses work together.
And what fun working with Tara Penske of Amadeus Aromatherapy. Tara and I really do speak the same language: slow down, pay attention, and notice what your senses are telling you.
Before adding aroma, we took away something we usually depend on—sight.
We began our chocolate tasting blindfolded.
Without seeing the chocolate first, there were no clues from color, shape or appearance. Instead, we had to pay attention to aroma, texture, flavor, how the chocolate changed as it melted, and what lingered at the finish.
It was our Smell • Melt • Notice • Savor ritual—with a twist.
And that's when the discoveries began.
That may have been one of my favorite comments of the morning, because that's exactly what we were doing—experimenting with our senses.
We smelled. We tasted. We changed the aroma around us. Then we tasted again.
And one discovery summed it up beautifully:
“The taste of the chocolate was intensified by the scent.”
That was exactly the kind of discovery I hoped we would make.
And Then Came Yuzu
With our yuzu chocolate and essential oil came one of those wonderful:
“Wow! I never knew...” moments.
We tend to use the words taste and flavor interchangeably, but they aren't quite the same thing.
As chocolate melts in our mouths, aromatic compounds travel through the back of the throat to the nose. This is called retronasal aroma, and it's an important part of what we experience as flavor.
Suddenly, smelling wasn't simply something we did before tasting.
It became part of the experience of flavor.
Tara took us further.
What did a scent remind us of?
A person? A place? A food? A season? A memory?
At one point, an aroma transported our conversation all the way to Greece, as we talked about familiar scents and the similarities someone was noticing.
And that's what I loved.
The same aroma didn't necessarily take everyone to the same place.
Aroma and flavor can unlock memories we weren't expecting—and sometimes we recognize the feeling or the memory before we can even name the scent.
There were several other very memorable comments during this part of the morning...
Let's just say some discoveries are best left at the tasting table. 😉
After exploring aroma, we returned to the chocolate.
And the question wasn't:
“Do you like it?”
It was:
What changed?
Did the chocolate seem sweeter? Fruitier? More floral? Richer?
Did the aroma intensify something?
Or did you suddenly notice something that had been there all along?
That's the discovery.
A very special thank you to Tara Penske of Amadeus Aromatherapy for creating this memorable experience with me.
Chocolate and aromatherapy may seem like two very different worlds, but today reminded us just how connected they can be.
Both invite us to slow down.
Both can awaken memories.
And both become much more interesting when we stop looking for the “right” answer and simply notice.
And thank you to Rob for popping in and capturing a few moments for us. I have a habit of getting so caught up in the conversation around the table that I forget to take pictures—and today was no exception!
Perhaps that's not such a bad problem to have.
We're doing it again—but this time, we're changing with the season.
October 13 at 7 PM
Aromatherapy + Chocolate: A Harvest for the Senses
We'll move from the bright aromas of summer into the deeper, richer aromas and flavors of Harvest.
Tara will bring the aromatherapy.
I'll bring the chocolate.
And together, we'll create an entirely new sensory experience inspired by the season.
We'll continue exploring one of my favorite ideas:
Taste + Smell + Mouthfeel = Flavor
[CONTACT ME! (631) 901-7151 / LEARN MORE]
There are still a few discoveries left in Chocology in Bloom.
In fact, one final weekend is coming.
We'll say goodbye to a season filled with flowers, fruit, honey, cheese, olive oil, balsamic, aroma—and, of course, plenty of chocolate.
For our finale, we're going to have a little fun.
There will be surprises. We'll revisit some favorites. We'll taste our way around the shop.
And we may even play a little Choco Bingo.
Because before Harvest arrives, there are still a few things left to…
Notice • Discover • Savor.
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What happens when music and chocolate come together? Something wonderfully unexpected.
During a recent Chocolate in Harmony gathering, four chocolates and four pieces of music sparked surprising discoveries about flavor, memory, and connection. When we listened to We Are the World, one woman chose Venchi Cremino because its three distinct layers reminded her of the many voices coming together in harmony.
The chocolate didn't change. But what we noticed did.
Come explore the curious connection between music, chocolate, and the way we experience both.
What happens when different places, cultures, makers and flavors gather around one tasting table? At Wantagh Library, Chocolate Without Borders led us around the world — and one unexpected pairing followed me all the way home to my morning coffee.
What happens when Chinese tea, fine chocolate, different cultures and a little curiosity gather around the same table? An afternoon of unexpected pairings, shared knowledge and discoveries we never could have planned.
