The British Society of Flavourists (BSF) is set to host its second symposium on October 25 with all sessions dedicated to chocolate.
https://www.bsf.org.uk/diary/eventdetail/257/18%7C13%7C17/2nd-bsf-symposium-on-chocolate
Honorary BSF president and esarom senior flavorist Andrea Albertino shares a discussion with symposium speakers on chocolate pairings, their best memory of experiencing the ingredient, how chocolate has shaped their career and more. Take a look below:
Andrea Albertino [AA]: What´s your favorite chemical chocolate-related and why?
Erica Liberto, professor of Food Chemistry, Univ. of Turin: All of them! Because the symphony of flavors for our senses is like the sound of the orchestra when you miss one instrument the sound changes, with less theobromine you feel more astringency so a more strident sound as an out-of-tune violin, with less flavanol you fill a strong sound as a drum and with less esters a flat sound as a harpsichord
AA: What does chocolate mean to you and how did it shape your professional career?
Michel Aubanel, VP R&DA Innovation, Kerry Taste and Nutrition: Chocolate/cocoa is linked to the chocolate eaten in the Alps after a long walk to collect raspberries. It is full of emotions and warm full feeling. It shapes my career because since 1989 I have been working to generate great-tasting cocoa extracts with variations of process and mass balance.
AA: What's the best chocolate pairing?
Clay Gordon, independent journalist, consultant, motivational speaker: The newest find. What makes it best is the excitement of discovery. I am also looking for unusual pairings, something that would not ordinarily occur to me. And it’s usually a combination of flavor, texture, and situation: where and with whom is often as important as what. I do have a favorite pairing beer, a Belgian red ale, Rodenbach Grand Cru. I prefer Proseccos to Champagnes. My favorite paring wine is a Sauvignon Blanc a Côtes de Gascogne Grand Cuvée Montgravet.
AA: Are you curious about tasting different products (flavored/different origins) or you are conservative in your choices?
David Nilsen, freelance journalist, speaker, podcast host & Advanced Cicerone: I'm very adventurous as a taster. I'm always looking to expand my descriptive vocabulary, often seeking out fruits and botanicals to smell and taste just for that purpose. While I have some favorites, I don't really divide chocolates and other indulgences into "good and bad" or "favorite and least favorite," choosing instead to seek out well-made examples across a variety of expressions. If given the choice between tasting something new and interesting or proven but familiar, I will almost always choose the former.
AA: What is the best memory you have about chocolate?
Jimena Gomez de la Flor, communications director at EFFA: I spent my first salary on a chocolate feast with my sister. The big chocolate fondue from Häagen-Dazs—lots of fruits, and ice cream covered in chocolate. It became a tradition, and that’s how we would spend our first check at any new job. Chocolate brings people together. ❤
BSF: What is the worst chocolate pairing?
AA: I want to be disruptive here, I just don´t get it when chocolate is paired with hazelnut! Fortunately, this is probably a very rare exception, otherwise, we would not be able to explain the massive success of all the products on the market where these two ingredients are combined. I simply find that the specific creaminess of hazelnut (flavors) sticks out when combined with chocolate, milk or dark. Instead, I simply love a touch of salt in it!
BSF Chocolate Symposium Sessions
University professor Peter Schieberle, Ph.D., will be presenting "Understanding Chocolate Aroma: On the Way from Cocoa Seeds to Chocolate Consumption"
Communications director for the European Flavour Association (EFFA) Jimena Gomez de la Flor: will present "The European Flavour Association distilled: Anticipation through regulation, influence via advocacy, and amplification through communication." This session is designed to provide a brief exploration of how EFFA's initiatives can empower the craft of flavorists.
Kerry Global Flavor Ingredients director Michel Aubanel will present "The Technology Behind Cocoa Flavor"
Associate professor of Food Chemistry Erica Liberto will present a hybrid presentation titled "Cocoa Flavor Quality and Artificial Intelligence in the Industry 4.0" \
Esarom senior flavorist and honorary president of BSF Andrea Albertino will present "Have you ever thought about using these chemicals in a chocolate flavor?" (after first presenting at Flavorcon 2024 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.)
ZOTO lead cocoa advisor Zoi Papalexandratou and The Chocolate Life's Clay Gordon will present "Quantifying the Flavours of Cocoa and Chocolate"
Freelance beer journalist David Nilsen will present "From Pod to Pint: Unlocking Surprising Flavors & Harmonies Between Craft Beer & Craft Chocolate"
The event will be hosted by EFFA which is located in Brussels City Center (Av. des Arts 6, 4th Floor), approximately 13km from the closest airport (Brussels International Airport).
