As a kid, I had only one goal when it came to chocolate: eat as much as I could get away with! We weren't exactly eating fine chocolate back then, just whatever we could buy at the corner store. I remember my sister and I would be given a bit of money to buy whatever we wanted. Candy was cheap, and you could actually buy two Hershey Kisses for a penny. (And yes, writing that makes me feel really old).
I still love chocolate today, but over the years, my tastes have leaned more toward dark chocolate and other fine chocolates. You can easily spend a few dollars on a fine chocolate bar, and those chocolate bars should "snap" apart with an audible sound. That, according to chocolatefetish.com, is the sign of a good chocolate bar, with a high percentage of cocoa butter. Not only should the chocolate bar make a sound when you snap it apart, it should also have a clean edge.
Now that you have a chocolate bar and have snapped off a piece of it, the fun begins. Time to eat your chocolate and get the most out of its flavors. According to delish.com, the first thing you should do before eating a small piece is to press your thumb to the chocolate. That will soften it up and release some of the chocolate's aroma. Then you can really smell the chocolate before eating it. Yes, smell it and get an idea of what you'll be eating. That prepares your palate and will make the chocolate even tastier, if that's possible.
Now, pop the chocolate in your mouth. But don't chew it. Make it last by letting the chocolate slowly "melt in your mouth." (Sorry for borrowing the line, M&M's). Not only will the indulgent experience last longer, but you'll also get to experience more of the complexity that goes into that piece of chocolate.
A final tip from the delish.com article: Don't drink anything immediately after finishing your chocolate. It may have a long finish, and a drink will wash away all that goodness. Wait a few minutes, and then take a drink.
One personal tip from my own experience, as well as some random study I read about chocolate: Don't feel guilty about eating a little chocolate each day. Moderation is the key, but dark chocolate actually has some appetite suppressing properties. In one study, researchers found that people who'd eaten dark chocolate ate 15% less pizza when it was offered. And maybe more important, it's human nature to want what we can't have. So by not depriving yourself when you want a bite, you're less likely to experience intense chocolate cravings.
Enjoy!