Slow Down and Discover

August 10, 2026

Sometimes the most interesting chocolate stories begin long before the chocolate.

One of the things I love most about what I do is watching someone taste something they thought they knew—and suddenly discover something completely different.

It happens often when I lead a chocolate tasting—and this week, it happened more than once.

First, with three chocolates that were all 77% cacao. Then again on Sunday, when we discovered what chocolate, olive oil and balsamic vinegar have in common.

Three fruits. Three very different journeys. And so much to discover when we slow down long enough to notice.

When 77% Doesn't Taste Like 77%  ...huh?

77% • 77% • 77%
Same percentage. Different origins. Different chocolate.

This week I had so much fun leading a Chocology 101 experience at Syosset Library.

We tasted three Goodnow Farms single-origin dark chocolates side by side—all 77% cacao.

On paper, they sounded almost identical.

Then everyone tasted them.

The reactions around the room were so much fun to watch. People couldn't believe how different they were.

Same percentage. Completely different experiences.

That's one of my favorite discoveries to share because it opens the door to a much bigger chocolate story.

Just like wine and coffee, where cacao is grown matters. Soil, climate, cacao variety, fermentation and the choices of the chocolate maker all influence what we eventually experience as that chocolate melts on our tongues.

All 77%s are not the same.

And you don't need to be a chocolate expert to recognize the differences. You simply have to give yourself enough time to notice them.

That's why every tasting begins with The Art of the Chocolate Tasting Ritual.

Don't rush.

Take a moment to look at the chocolate first. Notice its color and appearance. Smell it before you taste it. Then let it begin to melt and pay attention to what develops.

There is no right answer. Only curiosity.

It's amazing what chocolate will tell you when you give it a little time.

Sunday's Discovery: Three Fruits

That same idea—slowing down and noticing—followed us right into Sunday's Chocology in Bloom experience.

This time I started with a different question:

What do chocolate, olive oil and balsamic vinegar have in common?

The answer surprised quite a few people.

Olives. Grapes. Cacao.

Three fruits. Three remarkable journeys. And three foods whose flavors can be influenced by where they're grown, how they're handled and the choices made along the way.

We spent the afternoon experimenting with artisan olive oils, aged balsamic vinegars and our Chocology fudge—and then the curiosity took over. We brought in other chocolates and cheeses from around the shop and started exploring even more combinations.

And experimenting really is the right word.

There were so many possible combinations between the fudge, olives, cheese, oils and balsamics that everyone could make discoveries of their own.

There wasn't a right pairing or a wrong pairing.

There was simply:

What do you notice?

And that's exactly what I wanted.

A Few Favorite Discoveries

While there were no right or wrong combinations, a few pairings had people coming back for another taste.

One was:

Chocology White Chocolate Fudge + Lemon Olive Oil = A Lemon Drop

[PHOTO: Lemon Drop White Chocolate Fudge + Lemon Olive Oil]

The additional citrus from the olive oil made the fudge feel brighter and fresher and brought out something we hadn't necessarily noticed when tasting the fudge on its own.

Another combination people loved was:

Dark Chocolate + Raspberry Balsamic

The rich dark chocolate and bright fruitiness of the raspberry balsamic created a completely different experience.

Neither pairing was about deciding which one was "best." The fun was noticing what changed.

That's one of the things I love about pairing. It isn't always about putting together two things that already taste alike.

Sometimes one ingredient reveals something in another that you hadn't noticed before.

And suddenly, a chocolate you've tasted many times becomes an entirely new experience.

Those moments of discovery are why I love doing this.

Sometimes the smallest bite leads to the biggest discovery.

And We're Not Finished Yet...

Later this month, Chocology in Bloom continues as we explore Chocolate & Aromatherapy.

We'll turn our attention to our sense of smell and discover just how much aroma influences what we think we're tasting.

Join Tara Penske and me as you create your own custom aromatherapy blend—and then discover the chocolate I choose to pair with it.

We've planned two opportunities to join us—a Sunday morning workshop and, for those who can't make it during the day, a Monday evening workshop.

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