Flavor Harmony a Balancing Act

I received a box of chocolate truffles as a gift. My friend gave them to me so that we could do a tasting and comparison. The box was a standard gold box with a transparent window to better see the chocolates nestled inside. I opened the box and looked at the dozen small, molded egg shaped truffles resting in the plastic tray. They were quite pretty, although the blue color on one of the white shells was a bit jarring. Still, I thought that the taste would be great since these chocolates had just been named best in town.

Taking my trusty kitchen knife, I cut the first one open. The center was a cross between a buttercream and a ganache; I popped it into my mouth. The center was soft, so it melted easily. The chocolate flavor, however, was overpoweringly sweet. It was a classic case of using an average chocolate for making fine chocolates. I swallowed, and instructed my friend to do the same. She said that it was very sweet. I nodded. The problem is that the chocolate wasn’t in balance. The center was flavored, but the outer shell was so sweet that it overpowered the filling.

Balance is a common problem in cooking and formulating. It is a constant challenge to make sure that the ingredients when mixed together make a harmonious whole. We deal with that situation daily at Mont Blanc.

We are constantly formulating chocolate syrups for our specialty café customers. In order to be successful, however, we must have their coffee beans to work with. Each of our café customers offers a different blend of espresso, using different beans and roasted to different sweetness levels. For us to create the perfect match, we have to pair the chocolate — is it too sweet, not sweet enough, will it overpower the coffee – with the coffee in their finished drink. Balance is key. Unfortunately, this chocolate maker hadn’t yet learned that lesson.