You heard it here first: the cheese board is dead.
Dublin gastropub BO·CO Bar + Oven is getting ready for Valentine's Day by introducing the ultimate aphrodisiac dessert. Instead of a selection of pungent cheeses, diners will be served a variety of chocolates to sample à deux.
The four single origin chocolates on the tasting board are an Ecuador 76%, a Saint Dominque 70%, an Ecuador 70% with Spiced Hazelnut and Wexford Honey and a Java 32.6% with Smoked Irish Sea Salt & Cocoa Nibs, all by Bean and Goose.
Feast your eyes on this...
There's also a water biscuit palate cleanser to use in between tastings (to eliminate as much flavour cross over as possible, natch) as well as some fruits and nuts to complement the choice.
FYI, owners Natalie and Karen recommend that you taste chocolate from the darkest to the lightest, beginning with the Ecuador 76% and finishing with the Java 32.6%
Here are their tips for really tasting each piece (instead of just scarfing it down like a jumbo bag of Minstrels in a darkened cinema):
- Take a small piece of chocolate and place it in your mouth. Allow the chocolate to come to just above body temperature and slowly melt on your tongue.
- The flavours of each chocolate will become apparent from spicy and powerful to fruity and sweet. These flavours will change as the chocolate melts and each origin will leave you with a unique after taste.
Race you there.
