How to store fine chocolate

Fine chocolate keeps best somewhere cool, dry and dark, between 15 and 18 °C, away from heat and strong smells — cacao is like a sponge and readily absorbs aromas. A cupboard away from the stove is almost always better than the fridge.

Avoid the fridge. Cold causes condensation when the chocolate returns to room temperature; the moisture dissolves surface sugar and leaves a dull film (sugar bloom). Kept too warm, the cocoa butter migrates and forms pale streaks (fat bloom). Neither is harmful, but both spoil the texture.

Keep the bonbons in their original packaging, well closed, and enjoy them fresh: a hand-filled bonbon is at its best in the first one to two weeks. Before tasting, let it come to room temperature — that is when the aromas open up.