Walking Tours of Melbourne
Discover the sweet secrets of Melbourne
About us
The Story of Chocoholic Tours
Suzie’s father was a closet chocoholic who introduced her to the delights and health benefits of chocolate. He was known to never share his spoils but would occasionally let Suzie sample the wonders of a dark chocolate almond.
Read our story5 must-visit international chocolatiers
I’ve been to cities that never close down, from New York to Rio and old London town… Unless you’ve been around the world back, then maybe it’s not the time to unpack your suitcase. Get ready for another trip to experience not only a holiday… but to see some of the best chocolatiers and taste the best chocolate the world has on offer.
Chocolate Tours Melbourne
Couverture Chocolate vs. Compound Chocolate
On our chocolate walking tours all of the chocolate we taste is Couveture chocolate. What does this mean?
Couverture chocolate is a natural product and it has a minimum of 32% cocoa butter –– to which cocoa mass, sugar, milk, an emulsifier, vanilla and other flavourings are added. It is the professional’s choice for making handmade chocolates and desserts because it has a creamier texture. Dark chocolate in particular is less bitter in flavour. Couverture chocolate will last approx. two or three weeks before going off and should never be kept in the fridge.
Compound chocolate on the other hand, is a mix of vegetable fat (without cocoa butter), cocoa powder, sugar and flavourings. The natural cocoa butter is removed and replaced with the vegetable fats. The vegetable fat is used to enable the chocolate to last a lot longer. However, the taste and texture is inferior to couverture and is used in many mass-produced chocolate products.
How to tell the difference at home:
1. The texture: Put the chocolate in your mouth. Don't eat it! On the roof of your mouth Compound chocolate will have an oily texture while couverture chocolate will have a smooth, creamy texture. Now you can eat it!
2. Melting test: Hold the chocolate between fingers. Compound chocolate won’t melt straight away. You will see a fingerprint in the chocolate as oil holds the bar together. Couverture chocolate will start melting in your hand straight away because cocoa butter has a low melting point