Chocolate

About

Chocolate's flavor varies widely depending on processing. Raw cocoa beans are bitter and astringent; fermentation adds fruity, wine-like notes, and roasting develops nutty, earthy, woody, floral and spicy characteristics. Higher sugar content makes the flavor read faster, while higher cocoa percentages take longer to develop and produce more bitterness and a longer aftertaste. The category includes dark and milk chocolate and cocoa; white chocolate is considered separately since it lacks cocoa solids.

Pairs well with chocolate

• CiLemonChocolate and lemon is a difficult but rewarding pairing, as in layered lemon custard and dark chocolate ganache, or in Joël Robuchon's…
• CiOrangeOrange zest and orange-flower water have flavored chocolate since at least the 17th century, and the pairing has outlasted older chocolate…
• FrTomatoA small amount of chocolate is a traditional addition to spicy tomato dishes like chili con carne, caponata, ketchup, and meatballs.
• WoAlmondChocolate and almond are a classic combination, as in Toblerone bars, owing to the compatible nutty notes that develop in both cocoa beans…
• SpCinnamonA popular Mexican pairing, used in both drinking chocolate and chocolate bars as well as in mole sauce for meat.
• CrCoconutFine chocolates sometimes carry tobacco- and smoke-like notes, as in Pralus's Tanzanie (tobacco, treacle, molasses, raisin) or Vanuatu…
• CiGingerDark chocolate-covered stem ginger pairs bitter, mentholated chocolate with sweet ginger heat.
• BeMintMilk chocolate paired with strong mint, as in mass-market mint crisps, is a divisive combination, but dark chocolate with mint, as in…
• GrAniseAnise seeds were among the spices the Spanish used to flavor chocolate in the sixteenth century.
• FfVanillaBoth ingredients are native to Mexico, where vanilla-flavored chocolate dates back to Aztec times, and most chocolate today includes some…
• BrBaconChocolatier Katrina Markoff of Vosges Haut-Chocolat combines applewood-smoked bacon and smoked salt with dark milk chocolate in her Mo's…
• GrChiliOne of the classic globally recognized flavor pairings: ripening chiles develop sweet, fruity notes that complement bitter chocolate,…
• FfHoneyHoney was the Aztecs' original sweetener for chocolate, and roasting cacao beans today still produces honey-like, nutty aromas.
• GrAvocadoRaw-food cooks make a silky chocolate mousse from avocado and cocoa powder, sometimes with banana or date added for sweetness, avocado…
• CiLimeChocolate limes are a classic British sweet, pairing a sharp lime shell with a chocolate center.
• RoSesameA simple snack of shaved chocolate, halva, and butter is a classic combination; some chocolate bars pair bittersweet chocolate with whole…
• RoCoffeeMatari (mocha) coffee beans from Yemen's port of Moka have a naturally rich, chocolate-like aftertaste, which inspired drinks combining…
• BrMisoMiso brownies typically use a small amount of sweet white miso for subtle salt, or red miso for a stronger fermented tang that echoes…
• SpPeppercornBlack pepper is said to accentuate chocolate's richness, and raw cacao is itself sometimes cited as a flavor note in peppercorns.
• SuCornChocolate corn cakes combine the rough texture of compressed corn with the smoothness of chocolate; the flavor combination is less…
• MuMustardA small amount of mustard powder, around half a teaspoon per dozen cookies, can work as a subtle flavor enhancer in chocolate cookies,…
• CrRaisinChocolate-covered raisins are a well-known combination, evoked in literature as a childhood treat, though the pairing appears surprisingly…
• ChGoat CheeseChocolate and cheese pairings work on similar logic to chocolate and cream, since fruity, spicy, or caramel notes in good chocolate…
• CrBananaA simple campfire treat: an unpeeled banana is slit lengthwise, studded with chunks of chocolate pushed into cuts in the flesh, wrapped in…
• SuCauliflowerChef Heston Blumenthal created a cauliflower risotto served with cauliflower carpaccio and chocolate jelly, designed so each component…
• FrPineappleChef David Biron serves a chocolate club sandwich with pineapple cut to resemble fries, alongside strawberry and basil standing in for…
• WoWalnutA classic brownie pairing, also used in chocolate bread-and-butter pudding or combined with caramel to make "turtle" flavor, named for…
• RoPeanutPeanuts were historically compared to cocoa in flavor, leading to cheap chocolate substitutes; the Goo Goo Cluster (1912) was an early…
• CrPruneChocolate and prune rarely work well together on their own, as their flavors are too similar and intense, though brandy-soaked prunes are…
• EaRyeRye bread naturally carries cocoa-like flavor notes, so adding a modest amount of cocoa powder (roughly 2 tbsp per 4 cups flour) deepens…