Some Sweet Info about Chocolate

• Cocoa is defined as the solids of a cacao bean.
• Cocoa Butter is defined as the fat component.
• Chocolate is the combination of the solids and fat.

Chocolate is Good for You!

Many studies indicate flavonoids protect the heart from damaging effects of unstable oxygen compounds called free radicals that, among other things, can damage blood vessels. The flavonoids found in chocolate have a complex chemical structure and are believed to be potent antioxidants (polyphenol which are present in many fruits, vegetables, tea and red wine. A one ounce bar of chocolate has the same antioxidant protection against cancer as a five ounce glass of red wine. When cocoa is processed into your favorite chocolate products, it goes through several steps to reduce its naturally pungent taste. Flavonoids provide this pungent taste. The more chocolate is processed (such as fermentation, alkalizing, roasting), the more flavonoids are lost. To date, dark chocolate appears to retain the highest level of flavonoids. So your best bet is to choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate for the most health benefits. Enjoy!

Chocolate is an Aztec word used to describe a number of raw and processed products that originate from the tropical cacao tree. It is a common ingredient in many kinds of sweets, ice creams, cookies, and cakes. It is arguably the most popular flavor in the world.

Chocolate is made from the fermented, roasted and ground beans taken from the pod of the tropical cacao tree Theobroma cacao. This tree is native to Central America. The resulting products are known as "Chocolate" or in some parts of the world as "Cocoa." They have an intensely flavored, bitter taste.

Chocolate residue found in Mayan teapots suggests that Mayans were drinking chocolate 2,600 years ago. This is the earliest record of cacao use. The Aztecs associated chocolate with Xochiuezal - the goddess of fertility. In the New World, chocolate was consumed in a drink called xocoatl, often seasoned with vanilla, chili peppers or pimento.

Christopher Columbus brought some cocoa beans back to Spain in the 1400's to show as a novelty, but chocolate use did not begin in Europe until the 17th century. It was still considered a luxury item throughout Europe. At this time it was served only as a beverage, and the Europeans added sugar to counteract the natural bitterness. An expensive import, chocolate remained an elite beverage and a status symbol for Europe's upper classes for the next 300 years. By the 1800s, mass production made solid chocolate candy affordable to a much broader public. It was not till the end of the 18th century that the first solid chocolate was created. In 1828 the Dutchman Conrad J. Van Houten patented a method for extracting the fat from cocoa beans and making powdered cocoa and cocoa butter. He also developed the so called Dutch process of treating the cocoa with alkali to remove the bitter taste. This made it posible to make the modern chocolate bar. It is believed that the Englishman Joseph Fry made the first chocolate bar for eating, followed shortly by the Cadbury Brothers. This was still a dark chocolate bar. It was Daniel Peter who used some techniques from candle making and began experimenting with adding milk as an ingredient. Milk chocolate came to the market in 1875. He was assisted in developing techniques to refine the chocolate bars with a neighbor named Henri Nestle.

Chocolate Bloom

Chocolate bloom is visible by whitish streaks or dots on the surface of the chocolate and can be the result of two things. One cause of chocolate bloom is chocolate that is allowed to get warm, allowing the cocoa butters to separate from the chocolate and rise to the surface in whitish streaks or swirls. This is not a sign that your chocolate is inedible, just that it does not look as pretty.