Queen’s former chef reveals monarch kept chocolate in her room
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Should chocolate be stored in fridge or cupboard? Is it ever good to put it in the freezer? Two expert chocolatiers, Pierre Marcolini and James Cadbury, spoke exclusively to Express.co.uk to answer the top chocolatey questions.
James Cadbury is the great-great-great-grandson of the original Mr Cadbury, so knows a thing or two about chocolate.
In conversation with Express.co.uk: “The fridge versus the cupboard? The answer can be found in how we actually taste flavours.”
Surprisingly, tongues are “fairly primitive” when it comes to recognising different flavour groups.
“Despite being able to detect hundreds of chemicals, these boil down to five distinct tastes known as ‘tongue tastes’.
“There are five classic flavour archetypes; sweet, salty, sour, bitter and the more elusive umami, that’s best known for its savoury addictive addition to many recipes.”
It is therefore the nose, rather than the mouth, that effectively does the tasting.
James explained: “Our sense of smell is far more developed and can distinctly recognise hundreds of different flavours, making aroma a crucial aspect of our taste.”
So what does the fridge do to the way we smell – and thereby taste – food?
“When chocolate is kept in the fridge it melts much slower on the palate, not giving our carefully-developed flavour particles a chance to escape as aroma and having the knock-on effect that the chocolate can be perceived as bland and flavourless.
“As a result, if you’re looking for a complex flavour profile, and to really make the most of fine chocolate, it is by far superior to keep it at room temperature, ensuring the aroma is able to play a key part in the tasting!”
But if you’re a die-hard believer that chocolate should be kept in the fridge, there is only one type of chocolate that should definitely be kept away from those cold temperatures.
James continued: “Regarding different types of chocolate, dark chocolate has higher cacao percentages, which means it has a higher melting temperature.
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“This ultimately means this is the worst chocolate to keep in the fridge as it will have a hard time releasing its flavour and you’ll taste a bland flavour profile compared to its true potential!”
If you didn’t need another reason to keep chocolate far away from the fridge, James added: “Chocolate also loves taking on any smells surrounding it, meaning keeping it in the fridge can lead to some rather unsavoury flavour notes appearing, depending on what you’re storing it next to.”
Pierre Marcolini was inclined to agree with Mr Cadbury’s great-great-great-grandson it comes to the fridge versus cupboard debate.
The fridge should be kept at a temperature between one and five degrees celsius, whereas the sweet treat should be stored between 18 and 22 degrees, according to the expert.
He stated emphatically: “The refrigerator is too cold and should not be used.”
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He added: “In hot weather, it is advisable to store chocolate (carefully wrapped) in a wine cellar or in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator.
“In this case, leave the object of your desire at room temperature for one hour before unpacking it, to avoid any risk of condensation.”
Pierre provided another top tip for chocoholics.
“Chocolate does not perish quickly but dark chocolate will keep longer than milk chocolate and white chocolate will keep longer than milk chocolate.
“Chocolate-based confectionery is even more fragile and must respect the use-by dates indicated by the artisan.”
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