Chocolate through the senses

Senses are part of our lives and sometimes one sense can prevail over the others and change our perception of things.

I am Stefania, an EVS volunteer from Italy, working at Ravage and discovering Belgium and its culture.

Since my arrival in Belgium, not knowing the language, I noticed that I could observe the people more deeply. Silence is around us, a mute movie in slow motion. I see happiness and funny gestures while probably telling a joke, kindness and serene expressions in tranquil moments, shyness while thinking what to say next to fill seconds of silence.

Another one of my senses is often shut down: the taste. In fact I am lactose intolerant and for those who don’t know what it is, I can’t drink milk and eat all the other things that contain lactose. You will be wondering why I am telling you this…

Today I am writing from the Salon du Chocolat Brussels and I would like to bring you my chocolate experience through the senses.

Will I be able to resist without the taste?

It’s an overwhelming experience for the nose, the bouquet of aromas penetrates in every nerve of the brain.

The people around me took the chocolate in their hands and smelled the flavour deeply before tasting it. The chocolatiers explained the differences among the flavours to involve the public in the scent sensations more intensely.

The touch in this senses trip had surely an important part.

Chocolatiers made fresh pralines with their precise touch, they brought the melted chocolate into exquisite forms, adding little details to finish it up.

Every chocolate with its shape and consistency brings a different feeling. I saw people bringing it immediately to their mouth and others keeping it in their hands for a while, perceiving it longer. Feeling it melting with the warmth of the hands before bringing their fingers to their mouth while closing their eyes.

Eyes closed to feel the taste intrinsic in the chocolate and eyes opened to be rapt by the colours, sheen and elegance of the shapes, to admire the work of the chocolatiers and the passion they’ve put into it, to see the amazed glance of the people.

The ear has also a part in it, I could listen to the interesting cooking demonstration, hear the people talking in French and some in Dutch. But mostly listen to the silence while people are tasting the black gold.

After I smelled, touched, saw and listened for two hours, I couldn’t resist anymore.

I took the first praline and it tasted extraordinary. I told to myself: this is the first and last one!

But after a while I saw a biscuit filled with pink cream and covered with white chocolate. I ate that too. I felt overwhelmed and wanted to taste every single chocolate. I took a long breath and let my good sense take the lead and decided to leave before it was too late…