A Reader Writes, asking, [sic] “to increase the shelf life of chocolates (assorted or filled with fresh cream/milk) what preservatives to use?” In general, I don’t like to recommend using preservatives, but there are many techniques that can be used to increase shelf life without using artificial preservatives ...

A Reader from Dubai Writes, asking, “I am in the business of imporing chocolates for retail sales. However, I’m having difficulties sourcing the most prestigous French Chocolates. Could you please advise of me of your rankings according to taste? I have read some of your reviews and was very impressed with your judgement. I wish if it was possible that you could have a list of all chocolate brands that you can sort by taste, superiority, price, etc.” Such a list of all chocolate brands sortable by these factors would be a very valuable list ...

A Reader in Belgium Writes, asking, “I am a US citizen living in Brussels, Belgium (to me the “chocolate capital of the world"). I’m also attending a two-year course to become a “chocolatier artisanal”. What I would like to know is the following: what is/are the difference(s) between U.S. chocolate and Belgian/European chocolate?” Answering this question gets to the heart of a part of the chocophile rating system ...

A Reader Writes, asking, “I have a truffle recipe that calls for Valrhona chocolate, which, although it sounds divine, is out of my price range. Is there an acceptable substitue? I have Callebaut, but don’t know if there is a comparably-priced better option. Help!” The answer is yes ...

A Reader Writes, asking, “What is the best chocolate to use for melting & dipping? I make chocolate-coated peanut butter balls and have recently had difficulty with the dipping.” As long as you’re using real chocolate and not compound coating, the answer is pretty much anything with a cocoa content of under 70% ...

A Reader Writes, asking, “I got 100 lbs of criollo type cacao beans from Nicaragua and have just started experimenting. I want to roast as little as possible to preserve all the good stuff but there is a green, or astringent leftover taste that may be due to insufficient roasting. My latest roast was in my oven at 200+F for 80 minutes. It is remotely possible that it has to do with the Sucanat that I am using for sweetener. One other matter-- oxalic acid (not good stuff) in cacao, let me know if you have any info. I suspect that roasting gets rid of much of it.” Wow, I appreciate that people are seriously into trying to roast cacao in small batches at home ...

A Reader Asks: I’ve heard that it’s a good idea to warm your chocolate in the microwave before eating it, but only for certain chocolates which can hold their shape. Which ones would those be? Well, none, actually ...

A reader writes, asking, “Why does some chocolate have a “waxy” taste? The reasons for this are very simple on the surface, but far more complex on the chemical level ...