I’ve always thought that the only way to appreciate chocolate is to eat it.

Not true, according to Lindt, the other senses also play a part.

Lindt runs regular chocolate appreciation classes hosted by Swiss-born Master Chocolatier, Thomas Schnetzler and we went along to a recent session at the Good Food and Wine Show. They’re not only an excuse to sample Lindt’s most popular creations, but also gives participants the opportunity to learn the processes and history behind chocolate.

It goes without saying that chocolate is universally loved around the world. It’s reported that the average Australian consumes around 5.5 kilos of chocolate every year. Although the preference is milk, dark chocolate is slowly but surely gaining a following locally.

Lindt happens to be the fastest growing chocolate brand in Australia – and there is no surprise why. It is their chocolate’s signature ‘melt in mouth’ sensation which makes it so irresistable.

Thomas tells us that this is due to the way Lindt refines their chocolate, a method called ‘conching’ invented by Rodolphe Lindt in 1879. The friction created by conching grinds down chocolate particles into a smooth paste, which not only develops flavours but also takes away any bitterness.

Lindt cultivates the chocolate making process from the bean all the way through to the final creation. The cocoa beans are roasted at controlled temperatures to bring out the rich cocoa flavour. Once beans are roasted, they are cracked and refined to form a cocoa liquor. From there, the liquid is conched and finally tempered.

Lindt produces their Excellence chocolate blocks from South America cocoa beans – they are higher quality and more expensive than the variety from Africa (around 85% of the world’s cocoa originates from Africa). Lindt also offers single original varieties to highlight the attributes of that region. I tried the Madagascar, which had a very buttery taste, no real sharpness, which could be good for those who are curious about trying dark chocolate but not 100% sold on the taste.

I was really excited about trying the new ‘Touch of Sea Salt’ flavour for the first time and it certainly lived up to the hype (a girl sitting two seats away from me squealed when Thomas unveiled the block). The salt used in the chocolate is fleur de sel, which is a high quality sea salt seven times more expensive than the average household kind. The salt rounds out the flavour in the chocolate and also adds a slight sweetness too.

We also got to taste the new Swiss Gold range, which was developed with the Australian palate in mind. There are four varieties, including Milk Fruit & Nut, Milk Hazelnut, Milk and White with Almonds. The chocolate is just as you would expect, velvety smooth and satisfyingly rich – there are also whole nuts and fruit. I think this range will do really well in our market and also win over the chocoholics who are used to buying big family size blocks of chocolate.

And finally, I leave you with a tasting plate we spotted at the beginning of the class. Look at the size of that delice!

For more information about Lindt and their chocolate appreciation classes, please visit www.lindt.com/au/.

Thank you to Sarah at Entwistle PR for organising our visit.