Like wine, aged chocolate is a rarified culinary experience that commands a high price tag.
At $345 per bar, To’ak dark chocolate could be the world’s most expensive treat.
Only 200 of the bars are in existence, each of which contains chocolate that’s been aged in 50-year-old French Oak Cognac casks and a Spanish Elm wood vessel for 18 months. To’ak sourced the cocoa from the valley of Piedra de Plata in Ecuador, a protected cocoa preservation.
Both dark chocolate and wine are rich with flavonoid compounds that contribute to their taste. By aging the chocolate, a more rounded flavor profile can emerge that has subtle notes of other flavors. However precise this may sound, the science behind aging chocolate is far less developed that of wine. So, To’ak hired a team of scientists, sommeliers, and wine makers for the task.
Presented with each 50-gram bar in a hand-crafted wooden box is a booklet that explores this science. The chocolate company continues to explore this science with oenologists at Washington State University and U.C. California, Davis.
To learn more about the chocolate, watch the video below. To order a bar, click here.
—RealClearLife
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