Buying Chocolate for the Workplace
[A metaphor for
hiring a new employee]
As many already know, chocolate
is an amazing mood altering sweet-smelling substance that can be manipulated in
many remarkable ways, but because it is special and remarkable, it must be handled
and treated carefully as it is environmentally sensitive to changes in handling
and temperature, and if care is not properly taken, it will melt ruining the texture
and taste of the product risking a permanent damage to the purpose of choosing
chocolate in the workplace.
The quality of the chocolate
chosen for the workplace will be primarily determined how you desire your
finished product to taste or be textured. Remember all chocolates are not equal
and in general, there are strong correlations between quality and price. Your
skills to choose good or a poorer quality of chocolate will be tested.
This is not to say you should
always settle for the more expensive price but you must be aware that high
quality chocolate with large amounts of the main ingredient, cocoa, will cost
you more than inferior counterparts and should be a consideration in this
process.
Selecting chocolate should
primarily be a sensory experience. Use all five senses to determine the reality
of the chocolate being appraised. This means that before you choose it or taste
it, look at it closely and determine if that is the look you want. Do you want a
glossy kind of chocolate with no blemishes or do you care whether or not the
surface is scared, cloudy, or gray?
This is a sign the chocolate may
not be fresh or old. Do not let that discourage you. Be patient, there are
always reasons why it looks the way it does. Remember that looks can be
deceiving and what may look old or not so glossy on the outside, the taste may
be just right on the inside. What is most important to remember is that whether
the chocolate is fresh or old, the quality you are looking for is the match to
the chocolate’s environment.
You see, you have to pay
attention to the environment as chocolate will pick up odors from its environment.
So be aware, if the chocolate smells like coffee, tea or other aromatic foods
or substances. It may have been contaminated by others rubbing their fingers
all over the surface and although it may smell like chocolate, it may not taste
like it. Good chocolate will smell strongly of chocolate. As you can well,
imagine, this factor detracts from the chocolate looking fresh or new as it may
be tainted inside.
When all is said and done, you
have to make a decision which chocolate is the one you want and which is the
best for the workplace. Trust your taste buds and go with your chocolate
preference of your choice. The preference should be very personal and only you
know what good taste is in the end.
There are two main rules for
handling chocolate in the workplace. The first rule is to never ever let
chocolate come into contact with people who are sour and who provide the heat
for the workplace. The chocolate is sensitive to heat and melt ruining its
intended use and flavor. Chocolate tastes the best when indirect heat is applied
and applied at small intervals of time. This process is called tempering.
Tempering refers to a process of
heating and cooling a substance which in this case is chocolate. Tempering may
be applied to many substances, people or things. It is not difficult to temper
something. It takes little practice and little skill but overall, with a steady
hand, it can become second nature.
Caution is needed when tempering
something is critical. When you apply heat or cold in excess you can make the
substance brittle and break it. Not all chocolate needs to be tempered. Some
are naturally sweet and do not need tampering with as it might ruin the
texture or flavor. Chocolate comes in soft and hard products or texture and
each has its own special purpose in the workplace.
Tempering can produce a stable,
beautiful and appetizing candy if you treat it right. On the other hand, if you
tamper with what is determined to be already great tasting, good flavored chocolate,
you can ruin not only the texture but the perception as well. Keep the
chocolate real if you want great results
The good thing about tempering
chocolate is the fact you can do it without any special equipment or great deal
of attention to detail. This makes working with chocolate so much easier and
cost effective. The only drawback of tempering chocolate is sometimes, time and
patience are in short supply and you might find yourself looking for a
tempering shortcut.
Such a shortcut is sugar coating
a substitute for chocolate but remember it is not really chocolate. It may look
like chocolate and somewhat taste like chocolate but it has no real cacao and
is artificially flavored. When you sugar coat something to make it look like
chocolate, you can give it different flavors and make it in dark, milk, and
white varieties. In all reality, its taste does not compare to the real
chocolate.
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