Chocolate

The Chocolate Passion

Soul food? Some say chocolate has the ability to lift low spirits, others think it's just plain good. One thing is for sure: We don't want to imagine life without it. Chocolate contains phenylethylamine, a naturally occurring substance in the body believed to help ward off the blues; it also contains stearic acid, a unique saturated fat that may actually lower cholesterol (not by much, but it's a nice thought). The Aztec emperor Montezuma didn't have scientific study to rationalize his chocolate indulgences, but he knew he was on to something. Convinced chocolate was a potent aphrodisiac, he drank 50 golden goblets of it every day. Back then chocolate was served as an unsweetened drink (its name is derived from the Aztec xocalatl, meaning "bitter water"), infused with red dye and made powerful and spicy with chiles.

A Rich History
The history of chocolate dates back more than 2000 years ago to the time of the ancient Aztec and Mayan civilizations. The word "chocolate" is derived from the Aztec "xocoatl" which means bitter drink. The Mayan Indians of Mexico and Central America created an unsweetened beverage with ground cocoa beans exalting it as the food of the gods.

In 1528, the Spanish explorer Cortez brought chocolate from the Aztecs to Spanish royalty where it was kept a secret to be enjoyed only by nobility. As the Spanish royalty intermarried with other European royalty, cocoa was given as dowry and by mid-century the secret was out. Hot chocolate was mixed with honey and spices and the drink gained widespread popularity throughout Europe.

By the 1700's chocolate houses were as prominent as coffee houses in England. Chocolate had reached most of the middle class by the 19th century as expanded sea trade aided in chocolate becoming an affordable luxury.

Chocolate Revealed

Coca beans are blended, much like coffee beans or wine grapes, and processing begins with fermentation to reduce bitterness. The beans are then removed from the pods, dried and roasted. The roasted beans are cracked to reach the heart or nib, which is finely ground into what's known as chocolate liquor, a thick liquid of cocoa butter and cocoa solids.

Cocoa
Powdered cocoa is made form cocoa solids, which have had the cocoa butter removed, been pressed into a cake, and pulverized into a powder.

Unsweetened chocolate (bitter, baking or cooking chocolate)
Pure chocolate liquor, about 45% cocoa solids and 55% cocoa butter. The most expensive type of chocolate because it contains the highest amount of chocolate liquor.

Bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate
This chocolate contains at least 35% chocolate liquor. The sweetness depends upon the amount of liquor, which varies between brands.

Sweet or dark chocolate (vanilla chocolate)
Contains between 15% and 35% chocolate liquor and no milk or milk solids. Lighter chocolate flavor than semi-sweet, but dark in color.

Milk chocolate
This contains milk or milk solids in place of some chocolate liquor. Sweeter and less chocolatey and its texture smoother than darker chocolates.

White chocolate
Not really chocolate at all because it does not contain chocolate liquor. Ingredients are cocoa butter, milk solids, sugar and vanilla.


 

The Chocolate Factory

A Long Way from the Cocoa Bean to the Chocolate Bar

The process of making fine chocolate has not changed much since the Swiss developed a number of processes to create solid chocolate candy in the late 1800's. It all starts with the cacao (Kah-KOW) tree. Growing directly from trunk of the tree are cocoa pods that look like small melons and take about six months to ripen. These colorful green, red, and yellow pods are harvested by hand, and then cut open to release 20 to 50 purple-colored seeds or "chocolate beans." The beans are scooped out, fermented and dried.

Next the beans are passed through a winnower, which cracks open the bean, and removes the thin shell from the meat or "nib."

Nibs are roasted to specific temperatures that elicit their aroma, color and rich flavor. After roasting, the nibs are crushed to produce a thick paste called chocolate liquor (non-alcoholic liquid). Some of the liquor is processed through presses that remove the cocoa butter.

The chocolate that we eat is then made by adding cocoa butter back to the chocolate liquor in a process called conching, which aids in developing texture and flavor. Tempering gives chocolate its shiny appearance and smooth texture and allows it to set quickly.


 

No Fudging, It Really Is Good For You!

Chocolate provides a number of nutrients the body requires daily. A milk chocolate bar weighing 1.4 ounces contains about three grams of protein, 7% of the adult daily value (DV) of riboflavin, 8% of the DV for calcium and 5% of the DV for iron.

In fact, dark chocolate has now been shown to be good for your health! New studies suggest that chocolate lovers can take heart in recent findings that this favorite food is packed with high-quality polyphenol antioxidants that may promote overall cardiovascular health. Cocoa beans contain flavonoids (the same found in tea and red wine), which promote healthy cholesterol levels and act as antioxidants. Even though the research indicates only dark chocolate has this positive effect and not milk or white chocolate, there are other good reasons to eat those!


 

The Sweet Lure of Chocolate

Chocolate... there are few foods that people feel as passionate about. One of the most pleasant effects of eating chocolate is the "good feeling" that many people experience after indulging. Chocolate contains more than 300 known chemicals.

Scientists can explain some of the pleasurable effects of consuming chocolate. The small amount of caffeine found in chocolate (1.4 oz of chocolate = 1 cup of decaf coffee) combined with Theobromine, a weak stimulant also present in chocolate, provides the "lift" that chocolate eaters experience. And phenyethylamine is reputed, although no conclusive proof exists yet, to be a mood elevator and an anti-depressant.


 

Keeping Chocolate at Its Best

Chocolate should be stored in its original wrapping in a cool, dry, airy place at a recommended temperature of 65–70° degrees F. Since chocolate is notorious for absorbing odors, it should not be stored in any container nor near any items that might impart an odor. Avoid storing chocolate in the refrigerator. If stored properly most chocolate has a shelf life of more than one year—darker varieties will keep a little longer.

Sometimes chocolate will develop white or gray "clouds" or "blooms" on the surface when improperly stored. This actually means that the cocoa butter crystals within the chocolate bar have melted and migrated to the surface of the chocolate. This will not spoil the taste, but can impair the texture.


 

Little Morsels—Facts about Chocolate

 March 24, 2011 10:18:58 PM

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