Hello everyone,
It was my first time in an event in a scale like this, consequently, plenty of chocolate tasting from different origins.
There are two main trends that I paid attention to:
1. Most of the products are around 70%, I was very disappointed because of the sugar mask the taste of the chocolate.
2. more importantly, almost all the chocolate taste among the world winners in the last years were very acidic, fruity and has citrus aftertaste.
I'm not a bean to bar producer but make it from the stage of cacao liquir, cacao butter, stone grinder and so on.
The point it that the "commercial chocolates" (big producers) has no sign of sour taste at all but the best chocolates in the world does have.
Even though I taste Peru origion (the same as I use) the taste was different.
I do know that is a lot of parameters controling the final taste:
1. beans origin
2. degree of roasting
3. time and temperature of counching
etc'..

My questions are, why are the majority of the international chocolate awards winners has this sour taste, regardless the origin of the cacoa?
Why they are considers as the best ones according to the judges?
Is it the "real" taste of chocolate and it's just my lack of knowledge?

updated by @lly: 04/11/25 09:27:36