Buying Chocolate for the Workplace -

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.