So, here’s a question that needs some thought: How do you evaluate macarons? Or maybe another questions would be, what makes one macaron better than the other? Well, these column writers were looking for Chicago’s Best Macarons and they came up with an interesting criteria or a way of evaluating macarons – it rocks!
It’s great to see that they took a purely scientific approach since, as they explain: “Taste is subjective.” So chances are that if you love a particular macaron your girlfriends won’t. I agree. So how do you measure ‘macaron goodness’? Is it the cookie? The filling? Some macaron secret?
How do you go beyond the usual, ah, you know: it’s good or … it’s ok when trying to describe your macaron experience?
Surely, those intricate cookies deserve a more sophisticated evaluation! That’s where I think those writers did such a great job.
They used a quantitative points system for ranking macarons. So of they went on a macaron spree and assigned each bakery’s macarons a VALUE based on the following five best macarons criteria:
the top 5 best macarons criteria
- shell texture – needs to be smooth and delicate, and slightly crispy but not crunchy!
- filling texture – needs to be smooth, light and flavourful
- flavour – needs to be distinct and not overly sweet
- aesthetics – what can you say about the shape/feet of the macaron?
- and value – how much you pay for it
Each of the above was ranked on a five point scale (0-5), then combined for a total score.
An interesting approach, don’t you think? Can you try something similar when trying to evaluate your macaron experience?
I would also add the following best macarons criteria:
Aftertaste – the taste that lingers in your mouth after you take the last bite.
Balance – the balance of ingredients, do they work together or contrast one another. When do you really feel like in a macaron heaven – with the first bite or in the middle or perhaps when the two filled cookies are finally gone?
Why not keep these points in mind the next time you go on a macaron spree!
I love tasting new macarons, however, nothing beats home-made macarons. Especially when you use a good recipe for macarons!
