Choc-full Infatuation
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I have not met a chocolate I did not like. Milk, dark, semi-sweet, nutty, spiced, moussed, cookie, cake, ice cream cold or melted – bring it on!
The blame rests on my mom’s shoulders; she made the most deeply chocolatey birthday cake (with sprinkles!) and her chocolate babka dough was airy while its filling was deeply fudgy. As if that was not enough, she’d send me to school with the Israeli version of a peanut butter sandwich – a chocolate spread sandwich. The chocolate would get melty and gooey in the Israeli heat and of course, you’d have to wash it down with some cold chocolate milk too!
So, I was doomed to be a chocolate addict from my early childhood.
Fortunately, I am not alone. Millions of chocoholics around the world fuel the international chocolate industry. Consumers are craving higher quality chocolate as well as more ethical production chains, and the industry is responding with Fair Trade, artisanal chocolate and single sourced chocolates. Quality chocolates are easier to find and more affordable than ever.
How to choose your chocolate? Bear in mind that the important factor in chocolate excellence is the quality and quantity of the cocoa solids it contains.
“Dark chocolate contains 50-90% cocoa solids, cocoa butter, and sugar, whereas milk chocolate contains anywhere from 10-50% cocoa solids, cocoa butter, milk in some form, and sugar. Though dark chocolate should not contain milk, there may be traces of milk from cross-contamination during processing, as the same machinery is often used to produce milk and dark chocolate. Lower quality chocolates may also add butter fat, vegetable oils, or artificial colors or flavors. White chocolate does not contain any cocoa solids and is made simply of cocoa butter, sugar, and milk.”
Harvard University School of Public Health
We can thank the Mayans who have enjoyed it for thousands of years for introducing chocolate to the western world. Though I always wondered at the curious person who first opened the strange cocoa pod and decided to eat it… It does look like an alien life form…
Personally, I love the creamy, smooth mouth-feel of milk chocolate, still, dark chocolate is actually better for our health as it is rich in iron, copper, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus and flavanols. However, beware – the higher the cocoa solids, the higher the caffeine. So, take that into account when consuming! Also, choose the highest quality chocolate you can afford – its flavor, consistency and silkiness will affect the taste on your palate and in your recipe.
If this has whetted your appetite for the intoxicating taste and aroma of chocolate here are some recommendations:
This first appeared on SpiritedTable.com
