Level 1 Certificate in Chocolate Tasting, 26 Feb 2024, Union City, Greater New York

Level 1 establishes the sensory foundation needed for tasting chocolate professionally. It explores fine, artisanal chocolate and the processes that contribute to quality and flavor, from country and region of origin to post-harvest practices and manufacturing.

During the course you will practice formal approaches to chocolate tasting and become familiar with sensory analysis hrough a series of tasting games and experiments.

This Foundation course is designed to run over a single day workshop, it provides a solid grounding in chocolate tasting and includes tasting of 9 or more different origin or blended fine dark chocolate bars, tasted in different forms for an understanding of aroma, length, texture, and taste. We will taste samples of well-made craft chocolate from various origins and examples of defects and industrial production.

The course finishes with a 30-question multiple choice exam based on the course content. Certificates will be issued upon achieving a pass mark.

About the course in Greater New York

This Level 1 will take place at our new IICCT learning centre in Casa Gran Cacao Americas, Union City, four blocks from Boulevard East, right across the Hudson River and only 22 minutes from Midtown Manhattan by train, bus, or ferry. This is the heart of the Latin community in NJ and it speaks to the same agricultural cacao communities that IICCT works with and is proud to support. It is a lively, charming, and walkable town with restaurants and markets from all over Latin America that will enrich the learning  experience.

Dr. Maricel E. Presilla, one of the founders of the IICCT and one of the founders and director of the International Chocolate Awards Americas competition, will be teaching the course in English. She is the author of the books The New Taste of Chocolate: A Cultural and Natural History of Cacao with Recipes (Ten Speed Press). Great Latin Cuisine: The Food of Latin America (W.W. Norton) and Peppers of the Americas (Ten Speed Press). A specialist in Latin American cuisine, cacao, and chocolate, she is also president of Gran Cacao Americas, a company dedicated to research and innovative agroecological programs in the sustainable production of cocoa and fine chocolate in the Americas.

The course fee includes £40 for registration with our UK-based accreditor, FDQ and issue of an official Ofqual (UK Government) approved certificate for the “FDQ Level 1 Foundation Award in Chocolate Tasting“, should you pass the assessment. Retakes will require an additional fee.

A Latin American inspired lunch will be offered. Let us know if you have any dietary restriction.

For information about the course and payment methods, as well as for transportation details and lodging recommendations, contact Dr. Presilla directly by email at grancacao@aol.com. In your registration application include full name, ID, gender, date of birth, email and home address.