36 of the country's best chocolate producers have gone head to head amongst distinguished connoisseurs
Have you got chocolate in the fridge right now? Stop reading this and go get it out now. We'll wait.
Right. According to chocolate experts (a title many of us would like to hold officially), people need to stop the madness that is chocolate in the fridge.
Summer temperatures mighttempt you to store it in the coldest possible place but, by doing so, you're actually ruining it.
Luke Owen Smith, owner of The Chocolate Bar in Wellington, told Stuff that chocolate needs to be stored in a cool, dark and dry place - but definitely not in the fridge.
Cold temperatures stop chocolate from releasing its full flavour. We wouldn't want that to happen.
Chilling your chocolate in the fridge will make it dull and stop the release of flavours, he explained.
"But if it's too hot, then your fridge is the only option ... it's not great for chocolate."
If you really absolutely definitely without a shadow of a doubt must put your chocolate in the fridge, Smith suggests you use a sealed container. This avoids the chocolate from absorbing any foreign flavours (you know, that stuff that's been sitting in the back of the fridge for so long you can't even tell what it is anymore).
Putting chocolate in the fridge also involves a bit of forward planning as, in order to enjoy the full chocolate flavour, you need to get it out of the fridge a little while before you can eat it, to make sure it returns to room temperature.
