Posted on Tue, 6 Sep 2011
How To Pair Chocolate With Coffee
Like red wine and chocolate, coffee and choc is a lovely combination – if you know how to handle it. We’re not sure, so we asked Edouard Thomas, a coffee sensory expert at Nespresso about pairing them.
What are some of the main points to note when matching chocolate with coffee?
Like with wine and dishes, matching consist of balancing the structure, flavour and aroma of coffee and chocolate. Coffee and chocolate’s structures are both based on the basic tastes of acidity and bitterness. Think also of the texture, sweetness and chocolate’s aptitude to melt.
What sort of coffee will you pair with different kinds of chocolates? (eg. dark chocolate; bittersweet; milk choc; etc)
With an intense dark chocolate persistent in aroma and bitterness, I would associate a short ristretto which is smooth, thick and creamy with intense aroma. I would consider the ratio of bitterness and sweetness in the chocolate to match it with a coffee which has the reverse ratio of bitterness and softness. Milk chocolate and mild espresso with a little acidity can go very well together. In a filled chocolate (eg with brandy, liqueur, etc), the chocolate structure and aromatics change; it will be sweeter, so pair it with a more bitter coffee. But always experiment and see what you like.
How about chocolate desserts like Chocolate mousse cake? And choc-chip cookies?
The principles remain. It’s great to switch to an intense espresso coffee with dark cocoa notes after a rich and aerated dark chocolate mousse. An afternoon coffee break with a long cup of coffee like a soft Decaffeinato Lungo accompanies the cereal and chocolate flavours of the choc-chip cookies very well.
What’s the best coffee to serve after a meal?
The diversity of cooking, Asian or Western call for diversity in coffee. Generally, I would recommend a structured coffee after a rich meal, a spicy intense coffee after spicy foods and a delicate coffee after subtle dishes. Also, an interesting pairing to try is coffee and fruit (Mango and Nespresso Dulsao) – a refreshing combination.
