Pierre Hermé on Choocolate

Hermé comes from a family of pastry chefs that goes back four generations. By the age of 14, he had decided that he wanted to do more than take over the family business in the eastern French town of Colmar. So he headed for the capital, where he was an apprentice to the legendary chef Gaston Lenôtre. Within a decade, Hermé had become executive pastry chef for the renowned caterer Fauchon. Then, in 1997, he decided to strike out on his own, turning his name into an elite brand. Besides two boutiques in Paris, Hermé also owns two in Tokyo. And his cookbooks are well known in the U.S.

Q: Does chocolate have its own tasting etiquette, like wine, foie gras and smoked salmon do?

Pierre Hermé: Absolutely. Quality chocolate should be eaten at room temperature. Poor storage conditions, excess humidity, heat, cold or sudden changes in temperature can be lethal for chocolate.

The first impact is visual: first the texture-whether it's matte, satiny, glossy-and then the color-burned carmine, chestnut, tobacco brown. The second impact is olfactory: a sophisticated nose can distinguish aromas of coffee, caramel, flowers, fruits or spices. The ear is also attuned to chocolate: two good signs are a muted snapping sound when broken, and a clean break. Four flavors emerge: first acidity, then bitterness, followed by sugary and salty tastes. The aromas underline the smells, while merging to a greater degree. They are supported by the fatty yet fine and smooth texture. Chocolate is structured by the astringency of the bean tannins. Like wine, chocolate lingers in the mouth and has robust flavors. It should be eaten slowly.
 
Q: Dark chocolate is becoming more popular. What's behind this penchant for bitter tastes?

Pierre Hermé: Since the mid-1980s, dark chocolate has become more popular. This is particularly true in France, although the same thing is occurring in Japan and the United States. People look for new flavors as tastes become more refined; it may have something to do with eating less sugar as well. But just because chocolate is bitter doesn't necessarily mean it is better. Quality is also linked to the origin of the beans and the way in which chocolate is made. Americans are less receptive to bitterness in chocolate, even in pastries. I am careful not to go too far. In 1993, I created a milk chocolate and hazelnut cake, called "The cherry on the cake." When Fauchon began marketing it, it was their top-selling pastry. Dark chocolate is in vogue; and many people won't even admit they like milk chocolate.

Q: Is this change in tastes linked to an appreciation of chocolate types and qualities?

Pierre Hermé:  Yes, the trend today is to distinguish between the various types of chocolate. Classic chocolate is made of a mixture of African, American or Indonesian beans. The fashion now is for chocolate from a single countryMadagascar, Venezuela, Brazil-and even for a notion of region. Depending on the crop region, each cocoa variety, such as Criollo, Forastero, Trinitario, produces a specific type and quality, such as Chuao from Venezuela or Arriba from Trinidad.

Q: You speak about the type and quality of chocolate as one would speak about the type and quality of wines. Are there other similarities to enology?

Pierre Hermé:  The comparison with wine is quite a good one. Cocoa is harvested, fermented and blended, just as grapes are. But that's not all. Tasting chocolate, like tasting wine, begins with reading the label, which provides information on the percentage of cocoa and, increasingly, the origin of the beans: the aromatic Criollo from Ecuador, the fruity beans from Indonesia, or the stronger-tasting Forastero from Africa. You might think that chocolate made from the reputed Criollo bean should be marked with a special mention such as "appellation controlee." And you could also imagine vintages from Maraca'lbo or Trinidad.

Q: Chocolate and wine have many points in common. But it is rare that the two go together. Chocolate's intensity rivals wine's aroma, and its bitterness tends to mask the taste of the tannins. What should be drunk with chocolate?

Pierre Hermé:  Tea and coffee bring out the best in chocolate. Cool water is ideal, as it quenches thirst but has a neutral taste. Port or wines like Banyuls and surprisingly enough some of the really full-bodied Graves like Saint-Joseph, Comas or Hermitage go very well with chocolate.

Q: Chocolate seems to be eaten throughout the world. Is the quality the same from country to country?

Pierre Hermé:  With the exception of EI Rey in Venezuela, I have never found good chocolate in chocolate-producing countries. 

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