How can you combine coffee and chocolate?

When we are asked what goes best with coffee, we are undoubtedly the first to come up with chocolate.

Surely we’re not the only ones? Finally are Coffee and chocolate together a true potion of happiness!

It’s not for nothing that a piece of chocolate turns up so often during the coffee break, and the world of confectionery is full of all kinds of coffee-chocolate combinations.

Books and the internet provide a wealth of information on food and wine pairing, and it is not surprising that top-quality restaurants offer wine to match.

And do you know how to combine your favourite coffee with chocolate? Let’s take a closer look.

Basic rules for combining coffee and chocolate

Coffee and chocolate go so well together because coffee and cocoa beans are related – both are the seeds of ripe fruits of tropical plants that undergo a similar processing and preparation process: they are collected, fermented, dried and finally roasted.

As with coffee, chocolate comes in a wide range of flavour combinations, some with fruity and jammy notes, others with rich, bitter flavours. Different combinations of coffee and chocolate can open the door to a world of flavours yet to be discovered.

How do combine these flavours? There are a few rules to keep in mind:

Similarity. The Law of Similars states that it is appropriate to pair coffee and chocolate of similar intensity and flavour range. Coffees with nutty and cocoa notes should be combined with strong dark chocolate.

Coffees with fruit, berry and floral notes are combined with less intense chocolate (less cocoa, milk or white), which can be either natural or flavoured with fruit, berries or flowers.

Coffees with spicy notes are paired with bitter chocolate flavoured with chilli or other spices.

There can only be one bright one.

This combination rule states that foods with a strong flavour palette should be paired with milder flavours that enhance the former flavour.

So fits a heavily flavoured specialty coffee best with a classic chocolate flavour with no added additives, while exotic chocolates pair better with coffee blends that have a more neutral flavour palette.

No rules.

The third rule is that there are no rules and it all depends on your taste and the whims of the moment.

After all, the most important thing is that you personally like it!

That’s the theory, and below we recommend specific combinations of coffee drinks, types of coffee, and chocolate.

Espresso and dark dark chocolate

The coffee that comes from a Brazilian bean mix is made, and goes particularly well with dark chocolate with a high cocoa content. Dark chocolate with +85% cocoa content is perfect here, or if you want a little more texture, try Dark chocolate with cacao nibs.

The flavours come out best in an espresso – the tangy chocolate goes perfectly with the chocolaty and nutty notes that dominate Brazilian coffee.