and the winner of a gift card to The Cocoa Tree is...

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Nicole Winter won the $10 gift card to The Cocoa Tree. Thanks for watching the Nashville Experience and keep watching for more cool stuff in the future.

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Are you in need of good chocolate for Valentine's Day?

Here are some options for some really good, gourmet chocolates. Yes, she will know the difference when she tastes it so go out and do something to impress her.

Xoconochco
Historic Downtown Franklin
434 Main Street
Franklin, TN 37064
(615) 599-0236

Cocoa Tree
121 3rd Ave N
Franklin, TN 37064
(615) 599-1989

Pralines by Leon
138 2nd Ave N # 102
Nashville, TN 37201
(615) 254-5030

Chocolate Tasting with Dorie Greenspan

After baking authority and author Dorie Greenspan did a Valrhona chocolate tasting with the company's sensory expert, she stopped by the show to share what she learned. As she and Lynne sampled Valrhona's Manjari Grande Cru, Dorie explained the seven steps involved in tasting chocolate:

Look: note the color and sheen (shininess is a sign of good tempering)
Smell: breathe in the odor (what you smell when breathing directly through your nose)
Break: assess the "snap." A crisp snap indicated good tempering.
Put in mouth: note the texture.
Melt in mouth by pressing the chocolate against the roof of your mouth with your tongue.
Distinguish aromas: fruity, floral, warm, heavier (toasted nuts, woods)
Taste: you taste acidity first and bitterness last



This comes from the Splendid Table.