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Chocolate Part Five : Chocolate Today

Let's face it, the world is getting more and more complicated. Just when you thought is was safe to sit down and indulge in a delicious bar of chocolate and forget your cares, well someone has to muddy the waters. The world of gourmet chocolates has taken it's clue from the world of wine, which may not be the best way to go. Be that as it may, there is no doubt that the best chocolates the world has known are being produced today and in a greater variety than ever.

The year of the chocolate epiphany? 1987. This was the year that gave us single origin chocolate. Before, when we were chocolate barbarians, this delectable treat was believed best when it was made from a blend of beans from several cacao growing regions. Each chocolatier had their signature blend. Take a little Ivory Coast, add a smidgen of Venezuela, and just a touch of Brazil. Some have likened it to buying jug wine from the supermarket. You really didn't know what was in it. And frankly, did we really care?

Well now it is very trendy to care. And by golly I demand 100% Ivory Coast in my chocolate! Seriously, just as there a noble grapes in winemaking, there is a pecking order to cacao beans as well. At the top of the list is Criollo, known for it's fruity flavor and fine acidity. But if I may draw a parallel, this in the Pinot Noir of the cocoa world, prone to disease and lower yielding. Forastero is as common as zinfandel in California. 90% of the world's chocolate feature forastero. Finally, trinitario is a cross between criollo and forastero.

As we have described earlier, chocolate production is a long and difficult process. Modern gourmet chocolate makers want better control over this process, in order to have better control over the final product. And this laborious task starts at the very beginning. Beans ripen on same tree at different times. Meaning that they must be handpicked at the height of ripeness, and most growers are simply not willing to invest the effort. The beans are then fermented and slow roasted to bring out the aromas and distinct chocolate flavors.

Americans have a taste for sweet milky chocolate. And believe me I am one of them. But the best European chocolate makers believe that sugar in chocolate should be as salt in cooking. It can bring out the flavor, but more is not necessarily better. With the decrease in sugar, more cocoa solids can be added, as high as 70% (see bittersweet above). But if you don't use the best beans, this ultra rich chocolate will be horrible.

Looking for a beverage with that chocolate? Well look no further than your pantry. Because they are both beans and are both roasted, coffee and chocolate are natural friends. As for wines, you want a wine without the effects of tannins. Of course reds are best, but they need to be well-aged and smooth. Too much tannin will make chocolate and wine collide in your mouth. Sweet wines, which have the benefit of sugar to counteract the effects of tannins are good partners.

But above all remember this one rule; as with wine, don't let anyone tell you what chocolate you are supposed to like!

Chocolate Part Three : Cooking with Chocolate

There is nothing better, at least in my mind, than a rich chocolate cake or a gooey brownie. But cooking with chocolate can be a little tricky. So here are some tips that will help relieve any anxiety you might have.

1. Store chocolate in a cool dry place away from direct sunlight and strong smelling foods. Keep the temperature below 70 degrees F. If absolutely necessary you can keep chocolate in the refrigerator. But make sure that it is securely wrapped and remains so until it is brought to room temperature for cooking. Chocolate can develop a "bloom," A dusty, whitish appearance that is not harmful. The chocolate can be returned to it's beautiful brown by melting. Just remember that chocolate is sensitive to sudden changes in temperature, so treat it with a little respect!

2. Chocolate will burn very easily, so always use a double boiler when melting. Hot water from the faucet will provide plenty of heat for the chocolate. Take care not to get any steam in the melted chocolate or it will stiffen right up. If this does happen add a little shortening, NOT butter, to the chocolate and return it to the heat. Butter contains water and will cause the chocolate to stiffen further. Scorched chocolate will separate and be unusable.

3. To make chocolate curls, warm a block of chocolate slightly. Using a completely dry vegetable peeler slowly draw it across the smooth side of the chocolate.

4. On the other hand, grating chocolate requires a cool block of chocolate and a clean hand grater. Wipe the grater frequently to keep the chocolate from clogging the holes.

5. If you want to make chocolate candies or dipped fruit that has that shiny, crisp surface you will need to temper the chocolate. Tempering returns the cocoa butter crystals to suspension and will give you the luxurious effect that you are looking for. Click here for direction on tempering.

Tempering Chocolate
you will need a double boiler
a candy thermometer that registers low temperatures
rubber spatula
chocolate (white, milk, or dark)

1. Melt 2/3 of your chocolate in a double boiler over hot water until it reaches a temperature of 113 degrees F.

2. Remove the top part of the double boiler and place it on a towel on the counter. Add the remaining 1/3 of the chocolate and beat until smooth.

3. Allow the mixture to cool to :
88 degrees for semisweet chocolate
84 degrees for milk chocolate
82 degrees for white chocolate

4. The chocolate should be smooth and glossy. Keep the chocolate at the above temperature while you pour your candies or dip your fruit.

Chocolate Part Two : Is Chocolate an Aphrodisiac?

Facts
Chocolate has long been the preferred gift to stimulate romance. And the basis for this notion is very old indeed. We already mentioned the exploits of Montezuma. And Aztec society in general believed that chocolate invigorated men and made women less inhibited. This is exactly the information that Spanish explorers brought back with them to the Old World. Soon admirers all over Europe were receiving the gift of chocolate. But is it really an aphrodisiac?

If we put chocolate in this category it will sit alongside such reputed aphrodisiacs as oysters, lobsters and crab legs. So why the preponderance of sexually charged gifts from the sea? This category of delights is named after the Greek goddess of sexual love and beauty. And Aphrodite, it was claimed, was born from the sea. Now we have the connection between oysters and sex, but what about chocolate? Casanova obviously believed in the potential effects of chocolate. The greatest lover who ever lived drank chocolate every day to kick start his libido and preferred the rich elixir to champagne!

So what does science say? Chocolate is very complex and when you consume it, phenylethylamine and seratonin are released into the system. These two chemicals are naturally occurring in the body and are produced by the brain when we are happy or aroused. But chocolate actually contains very little of either compound. So the effects are extremely mild at best. However it is generally known that women are more susceptible to these "love" chemicals which may explain why more women than men consider themselves chocoholics. Be that as it may, science stops short of classifying chocolate as an aphrodisiac. While it does increase energy, stamina and feelings of well being (and they don't consider that an aphrodisiac?!?) it most closely captures the feeling of being loved. Making it the perfect gift for that someone special.

The health benefits of chocolate vary greatly with the type of chocolate eaten.

cavities - It is the sugar in the chocolate and not the cocoa that causes cavities. In fact eating bittersweet and semisweet chocolate may actually reduce the number of cavities as cacao contains certain antibacterial agents.

acne - It has long been known that chocolate does not cause acne.

jittery - Chocolate contains a number of stimulants including caffeine and theobromine. But one ounce of milk chocolate contains about the same amount of caffeine as a cup of decaffeinated coffee.

cholesterol - Eating chocolate will not cause your cholesterol levels to rise. Chocolate contains stearic acid which is a neutral fat and will not increase bad cholesterol (LDL) levels. Cocoa butter contains oleic acid, the same type of fat found in olive oil which may actually raise the levels of good cholesterol (HDL) in your body.

heart - Like red wine, tea and some fruits and vegetables, chocolate is loaded with flavonoids. These may act as antioxidants and be potentially beneficial to cardiovascular health.

not all chocolate is healthy - Dark chocolate contains twice as many flavonoids as milk chocolate and has fewer calories. Milk chocolate is much higher in saturated fats simply because it contains milk. In fact the only health advantage of milk chocolate is that it contains calcium.

pets - Chocolate is dangerous to dogs and cats because they cannot metabolize or excrete theobromine - the mild stimulant found in chocolate. In some pets theobromine can trigger cardiac irregularity, internal bleeding, seizures and even death. In this case dark chocolate offers the greater risk to your pets. If your dog or cat consumes chocolate, consult your vet.

Chocolate Part One : The History of Chocolate

Chocolate can be healthy, it can produce a state of mild euphoria, and there are more varieties available to the consumer than ever before. So read no further if that's all you needed to know. Bite into a big bar of chocolate and escape to bliss. But if you consider yourself a chocoholic and crave all of the facts, that is if chocolate is really an aphrodisiac, or which chocolates are the most healthy, then read on as we bring you A Big Slice of Chocolate.

History
I have always wondered why people do things in the first place. Like, who said "Ok, I'll eat that snail." Or, "hey, let's put this raw flesh over a fire and see what happens!" Short of time travel we will never know how or why early humans developed certain practices. But the complicated method of producing chocolate makes me wonder. We may not know why the Maya decided to take the bean from the native cacao tree, dry the seeds inside the pod, roast these seeds over a fire, remove the shells and grind the seeds into a paste with a small stone. But thank God they did. From evidence at archeological sites dating back to 250 CE, the Maya loved chocolate so much that they actually harvested the seeds and planted them in gardens near their homes. But before we marvel at their good taste, we have to understand that the Mayan's enjoyed their chocolate as a bitter beverage that included cornmeal, chile peppers and water. Think of downing a glass of molé! If it was sweetened at all then honey or flower nectar would have been used. At this point in history enjoying chocolate was very democratic. Rich and poor alike could sip chocolate to their heart's content. And the Maya passed their love of chocolate to their conquerors, the Aztecs. Legend has that Montezuma drank 50 cups a day to keep up his stamina, both in and out of bed. Contributing to the rumors of the aphrodisiac properties of the beverage. Chocolate, while common in middle america was a secret that only they knew.

So if you were living in Europe up to the 1500's, you had no idea what you were missing! Early Spanish explorers in the new world probably came across the cacao tree but seemed unaware of the tempting treasures it held. But Hernán Cortés in 1521 conquered Montezuma and the Aztecs and demanded all of their riches. As cacao was used as a form of tribute, the beans were the spoils of war. Of course they eventually made their way across the Atlantic and back to the Spanish court. Back in Spain chocolate was hardly a people's drink. The distant cacao trees, treacherous sea voyages, and time consuming production methods made chocolate costly and it quickly became the potion for the rich. But they weren't huge fans of the bitter drink if the Aztecs and they began to add sugar and heated it. Thus hot chocolate was born.

It took over 1000 years for the nectar known as chocolate to reach Spain and just 100 years for it to become a European obsession. But, wouldn't you know it, only for the wealthy. In fact, French law of the 1600's time spelled it out : only the aristocracy were allowed to drink. Royal plantations began to spring up in Africa and Indonesia providing the kings and queens with their newest addiction. But all of this came to a screeching halt with the Industrial Revolution. No longer was chocolate a handmade commodity that was time consuming and expensive to produce. Machines whipped out bars of chocolate at an astonishing pace. French chocolatiers produced an amazing variety of smooth and creamy bon-bons And in one of those big circles of history chocolate once again became the treat of the masses.