enzymes that break these down into the building blocks of flavor The second factor is the complexity of chocolate’s preparation, which combines the chemical creativity of microbes and of high heat Among the flavors that an attentive taster can detect in chocolate are these: From the bean itself, astringency and bitterness (phenolic compounds, theobromine) From the fermented pulp, the flavors of fruits and wine and sherry and vinegar (acids, esters; alcohols; acetaldehyde; acetic acid) From the self-digested bean, almond and dairy and flowery notes (benzaldehyde; diacetyl and methyl ketones; linalool) From roasting and the browning reactions, roasted, nutty, sweet, earthy, flowery, and spicy notes (pyrazines and thiazoles; phenyls; phenylalkanals; dienals), as well as a more pronounced bitterness (diketopiperazines) From added sugar and vanilla, sweetness and the warm character of the spice From added milk solids, caramel and butterscotch and cooked-milk and cheese notes Chocolate made from poorly fermented or handled beans can have a variety of unpleasant aromas, among them rubbery, burned, smoky, hammy, fishy, moldy, cardboard, and rancid notes Some confectioners add a small amount of salt to their products, especially milk chocolates Saltiness is the one basic taste sensation missing from simply sweetened chocolate, and adding it is said to give the overall flavor a certain bite and clarity The Different Flavors of Milk Chocolate The milk chocolates made in Europe, England, and the United States have ...bitterness (diketopiperazines) From added sugar and vanilla, sweetness and the warm character of the spice From added milk solids, caramel and butterscotch and cooked-milk and cheese notes... or handled beans can have a variety of unpleasant aromas, among them rubbery, burned, smoky, hammy, fishy, moldy, cardboard, and rancid notes Some confectioners add a small amount of salt to their products, especially milk... Saltiness is the one basic taste sensation missing from simply sweetened chocolate, and adding it is said to give the overall flavor a certain bite and clarity The Different Flavors of Milk Chocolate The