Chocolate according to Domori

Domori has contributed to changing the world of chocolate, because our method of cultivating, fermenting, and processing cacao is so unique. We were among the first producers to intuit the importance of single origin chocolate. Today, words like Trinitario or Criollo – both highly prized varieties of cacao – have become words on the street, spoken together with the vortex of volatile elements that make chocolate a gourmet food. Its aromatic richness is comparable to a fine wine or quality coffee.

Overriding even chocolate, the Domori culture is dedicated to cacao and to the pleasure of returning to the origins of things. 

1997 signifies year zero for Domori chocolate.

Before this date, the general dichotomy of chocolate was milk versus dark – but “dark” became an adjective so rapidly outmoded that today, it hardly makes sense. The dichotomy dissolved into a theory between percentages: milk chocolate contains 30-36% cocoa mass, while bitter chocolate has a much more ample range, from 45% to 70%, 80%, 90%, and even 100% cocoa mass.

100% chocolate, better to say 100% cacao, was proposed for the very first time on the market by Domori. Only an aromatic, high quality cacao can pass the taste test without any added lecithins, aromas, or sugar – just pure cocoa mass.

Working with cacao at a low environmental impact

Raw material, even of the highest quality, is not enough. Domori is present at every stage of production in order to conserve the aromatic notes that are naturally present in cacao beans of the best, select varieties. Storing, cleaning, toasting, grinding. Every day at the production center of Domori in None, the beans are processed with machines, using environmentally sustainable technology and innovative production methods.

There are three fundamental processing phases in the making of Domori chocolate bars:

• Toasting at a low temperature (about 120°C (248°F), 30° lower than the 150°C temperature that is historically used) to exalt the beans’ extraordinary aromatic notes without losing any sensory properties.
• Partial conching: done at a low temperature of 50°C (122°F) and lasting just 8 hours from cocoa mass to chocolate – a very brief amount of time.
• A two-ingredient recipe: cocoa mass and cane sugar. 

The Domori tasting code

Taste and memory can be trained, educated, and refined. Taste, in particular, should not monopolize the experience of a formal tasting, because you should also rely on sight, smell, touch, and sound for a full appreciation of the qualities of aromatic cacao. Domori was the first company in the world to create a tasting code for chocolate that involves all five senses, creating a complete sensory experience.

Evaluating chocolate

On the palate, the Domori tasting code evaluates three perceptions: scent, taste, and touch.

Scent perceptions

Intensity. The assessment of the fullness of a single aroma.

Complexity. The evaluation of the number of different aromas.

Finesse. The overall quality of aromas.

Persistence. How long the aromas last on the palate.

Taste perceptions

Sweetness. This is a natural characteristic of high quality cacao.

Bitterness. This must be perceived to the right degree of pleasantness. When excessive, the fault is attributed to insufficient fermentation or poor cacao quality. 

Acidity. Acidity is necessary for precursory aromatic development. Again, when excessive, the fault is due to errors of fermentation or processing.

Tactile perceptions

Tactile finesse. Judged based on the micronization of solids emulsified in cacao butter.

Astringency. This must be imperceptible, almost absent. This sensation comes from diminished lubrication of saliva.

Roundness. This sensation is one of creaminess and body, sensed when the chocolate is melting in your mouth. It is directly correlated with the quality of fermentation and the natural quality of the cacao.