Chocolate is the biggest guilty pleasure for people all over the world. With its many flavors and forms, chocolate’s richness and complexity is what makes it so appealing to sweet tooths everywhere. As chocoholics, we need to know the facts about this candy so we can continue on our path to becoming chocolate connoisseurs. Here is everything you need to know about chocolate:
How Is Chocolate Made?
Chocolate is made from the cocoa beans of cacao trees - the cocoa beans and pulp are fermented together and the fermented beans are then dried before they are moved to chocolate factories. While beans from different places used to be combined together to make chocolate, there are now "single-origin" chocolates as well with beans from only one place.
At chocolate factories the beans are sorted, cleaned, and roasted. To remove the husks from the beans, air is blown onto them and the roasted beans shatter into fragments called cacao nibs which are finely ground into a paste called chocolate liquor. The chocolate liquor, which is composed of equal parts cocoa butter and nonfat dry cocoa solids, is used as the base for other types of chocolate products where other ingredients such as milk or sugar are added.
Finally, conching occurs, where machines with rotating blades blend heated chocolate liquor to remove moisture and acid while more cocoa butter, and sometimes lecithin, are added for texture. The chocolate is cooled in a temperer, then poured into molds to firm up into the chocolates we eat!
Where does the word “chocolate” come from?
The word “chocolate” comes from the Aztec word xocolatl, which means "bitter water.” Chocolate was first served as a hot or cold frothy beverage, long before it became the ubiquitous break-apart bars we know and love today.
Is chocolate really heart-healthy?
In moderation, chocolate can be considered to be good for your heart. Research suggests that it may even rival foods like red wine, fruits and vegetables, and tea as a source of heart-healthy antioxidants. Chocolate contains flavonoids that have been shown to have a potential influence on vascular health, by lowering blood pressure, improving blood flow to the brain and heart, and making blood platelets less sticky and prone to clotting.
However, not all forms of chocolate contain high levels of flavanols. Cold-processed dark chocolate has tested as one of the highest in antioxidant compounds, including polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins and catechins. Incredibly, antioxidants from one piece of pure dark chocolate is the equivalent to that of one pound of broccoli.
How long can I store dark chocolate?
Dark chocolate stored under perfect conditions—at a constant temperature of 65 degrees F and 50% humidity—will last for 10 years! Keeping it wrapped in foil and then in sealed plastic also aids in long lasting flavor.
Can I freeze chocolate?
The best way to store chocolate is in a cool, dry place but an interesting fact is that chocolate can also be frozen. To freeze chocolate, leave it in the plastic wrap and when ready to eat move it from the freezer to the refrigerator first. Drastic temperature changes could result in condensation which may leave a white or gray film on the chocolate.
As chocoholics, you’ve probably heard about the world’s chocolate shortage and are already panicking. The world is facing a shortage of this rich delicacy because more chocolate is being consumed than produced at an upwards rate, with 1 million metric tons expected to be the deficient by 2020. So take advantage of all chocolate has to offer today!