The Bean to Beat: Commercial chocolate is made from three kinds of cacao beans: Criollo, Forastero, and Trinitario. Connoisseurs know to look for Criollo chocolate, usually touted on the label; the beans are the most prized because they produce light, aromatic, nutty, caramel-colored chocolate and sell for up to $15,000 a metric ton. The best Criollos grow in microclimates in Venezuela and Colombia. Forastero beans are used in 80 to 90 percent of the world’s chocolate. Their candy is heavier than that made from Criollo, and it can be bitter. These beans generally cost less than $1,900 a metric ton. Smack in the middle, genetically and economically, is the Trinitario bean, a hybrid of the first two. First grown in Trinidad, Trinitario is now found all over the world and sells for between $1,900 and $5,000 a metric ton.

The “Organic” Gimmick: Don’t fall for products—even from high-end chocolatiers—labeled “organic.” The beans may have been grown without pesticides, but nearly all commercial chocolate beans are sprayed with methyl bromide at the shipping port, at the factory, or both, to remove insects and dirt. To ensure your bonbons are pesticide-free, look for brands that say “nonfumigated” instead.

The Singular Sensation: Single-bean chocolate bars (like single-bean coffees) are all the rage. The trend started when small farms, especially those in Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and parts of Venezuela, started producing exclusive-derivation bean shipments, meaning the beans all come from a small grove of identical trees within a certain area. “Each microclimate has beans with particular genetics,” Guittard says, “and each climate creates a specific flavor.” Some beans make peppery chocolate, others make earthy chocolate, and others make chocolate tinged with vanilla, depending on the biology of their surroundings.

The Good Save: Chocolate can be stored for well over a year, provided the spot is cool and dry and the temperature is constant. Changes in temperature result in a “bloom”—white patches that make chocolate look moldy but are just the harmless result of cocoa butter coming to the surface. Make sure chocolate is wrapped and stored away from pungent foods, as it absorbs flavors. If the chocolate crumbles instead of melts in your mouth, it’s either old or of poor quality.

The Payoff: To best enjoy chocolate, eat it at room temperature: too cold and it’s waxy; too hot and it melts. The best chocolates melt quickly—the human body is just warmer than the melting point of chocolate—and have a powerful aftertaste. For a diverse tasting plate, assemble chocolates from different growing regions and compare, as you would with cheese; dried fruit (like apricots) and nuts (like almonds) make good accompaniments.