Written By: Frances Cardullo

"The divine drink, which builds up resistance and fights fatigue. 

A cup of this precious drink permits a man to walk for a whole day without food.”
Aztec Emperor Montezuma (circa 1480 to 1520).

Chocolate is one of the most luxurious, indulgent foods in existence.  We eat it voraciously and, at times, indiscriminately, for comfort, energy and passion.  We present it to our friends, families and lovers as a greeting or farewell, to say thank you or sorry, as a declaration of love, in celebrations, or as solace.

One of the greatest treasures ever discovered was the bean from the tree Theobroma cacao, (so named by the eighteenth century botanist Linnaeus.  The name means, “drink of the gods”, from the Greek Theo [god] and broma [beverage]), the original source of chocolate. Smooth in texture, intense in taste, subtly perfumed and elegant to behold, chocolate is a rich source of sensory pleasure, adored by almost everyone.

The first usage of chocolate was as a beverage. The Indians called it  xocolatl (translated as bitter water). It was in the form of a drink that chocolate was discovered by explorers in Mexico during the 15^th century and then introduced into Europe by the Spanish.  The Aztecs prepared a highly spiced beverage with cocoa beans that were roasted, pounded in a mortar, and mixed and flavored with pepper, chilies, vanilla, annatto (to dye it red), and sometimes honey and dried flowers.  The emperor Montezuma drank this beverage, as an aphrodisiac, served in gold cups at the end of meals.  This was to prepare him for retiring to his harem .

In 1615, Ann of Austria introduced this novelty to the French court, and her maid of honor circulated the recipes.  It was in England that it became customary to prepare it with milk, and even to add Madeira and beaten eggs.  The Church did not consider that chocolate broke the fast, and the days of Lent became agreeably sweetened.  Throughout the seventeenth century drinking chocolate had spread across Europe and was avidly consumed by royal families and courtiers for breakfast and as an aphrodisiac.

It was in Austria, Spain, and France, the countries where most chocolate was drunk, that chocolate powder began to be retailed during the 19^th century.  Balzac did not think highly of it but Brillat-Savarin* rose to its defense declaring: “Chocolate is one of the most powerful restoratives.  Let any man who has spent working a considerable portion of the time that should be spent sleeping, let any man of wit who feels himself temporarily become stupid, let any man who finds their air dam, the time long, and the atmosphere difficult to tolerate, let any man who is tormented by an obsession that prevents him from thinking clearly, let all those men dose themselves with a good half liter of chocolate…. and they will see a miracle.”

*Brillat-Savarin was a French magistrate and gastronome who lived between 1755 and 1826.  He studied law, chemistry and medicine but his passion was foods.  My favorite quote of his is; “To invite someone to your house means devoting yourself to ensuring his happiness the whole time he is under your roof.”

The first French chocolate factory was situated in Bayonne, where a guild of chocolate makers had existed since 1761.

In 1778 the first hydraulic machine for crushing and mixing the chocolate paste appeared in France, and in 1819 Pelletier built the first factory to use steam.  It was about this time that the famous family businesses were se up in Europe: Van Houten in the Netherlands (1815).  Menier in France in 1824.  Cadbury and Rowntree in England: and Suchard, Nestle, Lindt and Kohler in Switzerland.  Dr. Peter, a Swiss, was responsible for the invention of milk chocolate in 1818.  After 1850 the chocolate industry was developed throughout the world.

Chocolate is not only used in confectionery but is also an essential ingredient of numerous cakes, pastries, beverages, desserts, etc.

 "The superiority of chocolate, both for health and nourishment, will soon give it the preference over tea and coffee in America, which it has in Spain."
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826, third President of the United States)

Chocolate was believed to have medical benefits too. Soon after its introduction in France, the medical profession considered chocolate to be a panacea for fevers and chest or stomach illness.  Later I’ll show you that chocolate does alter ones mood.

Chocolate is a concentrated food with a high-energy value: 4 oz produces about 500 calories or the equivalent of 9 eggs.  (I always keep a bar or two in my pocket while skiing.)

Chocolate is available in many forms.  Cocoa powder is normally unsweetened.

Powdered or drinking chocolate is a mixture of sugar and cocoa containing at least 32% cocoa. l Chocolate coating often referred to as couverture in French contains a higher proportion of cocoa butter or other fat which lowers it’s melting point.  It is sold either in a solid or a liquid form and is intended for covering cookies or decorating cakes. Cooking chocolate and chocolate for candy are two other forms.

The quality of chocolate

The quality of chocolate depends both on the quality of the raw materials and on the care taken at the different stages of manufacture: roasting and crushing the cocoa beans and mixing the cocoa paste or “mass” with sugar and possibly milk.

A good chocolate is shiny brown, breaks cleanly, and is free of lumps, tiny burst bubbles and white specks.  The process of preparing chocolate to these specifications is called conching. Rudolph Lindt, a Swiss, invented the conching machine in 1880.  The name is derived from the shape of the machine, a large shell-shaped container.  The function of the machine is to agitate the liquid chocolate over a period of time that maybe as long as seven days.  It is a vital step in the production of fine chocolate. Good chocolate melts on the tongue like butter, has a true aroma of chocolate rather than of cocoa powder, and is neither greasy nor sticky.

Belgian Chocolate

A natural stimulant

As I mentioned earlier the therapeutic properties of chocolate were written about extensively in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.  We now know that it is the fat carbohydrate in chocolate that provides the fuel for the body.  As well as the better-known nutrients, chocolate contains certain alkaloids – organic substances found in plants – that have a potent effect on the body.  Chocolate is also a stimulant of the central nervous system, with an effect similar to caffeine, which is also present in chocolate. An average size bar contains about one-fourth the caffeine found in a cup of coffee.

Myths & Prejudices

Claims that chocolate is bad for you are almost certainly based on the excess sugar and added vegetable fat in poor grade, mass produced chocolate.  Quality chocolate contains pure cacao butter with no added fat, as well as a high percentage of cacao solids and correspondingly less sugar – in some cases hardly any.  Several medical experts have also refuted specific claims that chocolate causes migraine, obesity, acne, tooth decay and allergies.  Of particular interest is obesity.  Good quality dark chocolate is unlikely o be the cause of obesity because it contains far less sugar then junk chocolate and, because it is more expensive, is less likely to be eaten to excess.

Craving & Addiction

It has been said that addictive personalities should use chocolate to satisfy their needs because its advantages vastly outweigh those of other substances: “Chocolate doesn’t make you stupid and clumsy.  It doesn’t render you incapable of operating heavy machinery…You don’t have to smuggle chocolate across the border…Possession, even possession with intent to sell, is perfectly legal.”  It is believed that the presence of theobromine and caffeine in chocolate are the cause of its so-called addictive properties.

Women’s Craving

Mood Enhancer

Chocolate contains another substance called phenylethylamine.  This is one of a group of chemicals knows as endorphins, which have an effect similar to amphetamines, to which phenylethylamine is related.  When released into the blood stream, endorphins lift the mood, creating positive energy and feelings ranging from happiness to euphoria as experienced in the runner’s “high”.  Levels in the brain have even been found to increase when we experience the state we refer to as “falling in love”.

Chocolate & Love

Historical sources abound with tales of chocolate being used as an aphrodisiac.  Casanova thought that hot chocolate was “the elixir of love,” and drank it instead of champagne!  Even after chocolate had become widely accepted as a nourishing beverage, it was still regarded by some as “as a violent inflamer of passions, which should be prohibited to the monks”.  A British journalist wrote in 1905; “I shall also advise my fair readers to be in a particular manner careful how they meddle with romances, chocolates, novels, and the like inflamers, which I look upon as very dangerous to be made use of…”

The pleasure of chocolate

One of the reasons we love chocolate is not just from eating it but also from the sense of anticipation of eating it.  It is visual, tactile and the flavor overwhelms our taste buds.  Elaine Sherman, a twentieth century writer, more than adequately summed it up when she wrote: “Chocolate is heavenly, mellow, sensual, deep, dark, sumptuous, gratifying, potent, dense, creamy, seductive, suggestive, rich, excessive, silky, smooth, luxurious, celestial.  Chocolate is downfall, happiness, pleasure, love, ecstasy, fantasy…chocolate makes us wicked, guilty, sinful, healthy, chic, happy.”

What to drink with chocolate

Generally speaking, chocolate and wine do not mix.  The lingering intensity of the chocolate competes with the aroma of the wine, and the chocolate’s bitterness can mask the tannins essential to the wine’s flavor.  White wines or Champagne drunk with chocolate is a particularly uneasy combination.  At the end of a meal, coffee, perhaps accompanied by a fine cognac, whiskey or bourbon, is the best choice.  An interesting alternative would also be a lapsang souchong tea or a fine port.

Now for the fun part – Tasting Chocolates

Glossary of terms