"The golden age of chocolate is starting. Chocolate has become fashionable. More people are ditching Hershey's bars and trying other things," said Zemack, who hosts a website (www.thetastyshow.com) and leads tasting parties.

The public demand for chocolate information and samples keeps Zemack busy teaching a chocolate-tasting class at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education and hosting special events. This fall, 300 people consumed 5,000 pieces of chocolate at her fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Her events seem to appeal to the curious as well as unabashed culinary thrill-seekers who want the best of a good thing.

"I can't think of any other food that people get so excited about," said Zemack.

Zemack urges people to slow down enough to appreciate chocolate's complexity. "If you eat too fast, you don't always taste things," she said.

In her classes and at private tasting parties, people are encouraged to sniff the samples before they taste them. She counsels against biting, as the flavor and texture of chocolate come through best when chocolate dissolves in the mouth.

"It's as intricate and fun to analyze as wine" she said. "I try to encourage people to feel like they're on vacation when they're tasting."

Zemack's website includes chocolate recipes, reviews of chocolate cookbooks, and her upcoming events. In it, Zemack describes herself as a "chocolate enthusiast, gastronomical temptress, and all-around cool chick."

For holiday gifts, Zemack suggests making your own truffles. "The different between those and something factory-made is immense." Her favorite store-bought chocolates come from L.A. Burdick's; she recently visited the Cambridge store to pick out her favorite truffles and chocolate mice. She also said the miniature chocolate purses from www.chocochocohouse.com in Somerville look as good as they taste.

"Chocolate appeals to people of all ages," said Zemack, which makes it a good choice for almost anyone on your gift list. "