Chocolate Facts
Chocolate Fountains
Most chocolate fountains are not capable of melting chocolate directly in the base. Therefore, chocolate is typically melted in a microwave or double boiler before pouring it into the fountain. The current worldwide craze of Chocolate Fountains has created an industry of businesses that supply chocolate fountains for events such as weddings, parties and bar mitzvahs.
Is An Allergy To Chocolate Rare?
It is possible for a person to be allergic to chocolate, though recent evidence suggests that a chocolate allergy is relatively rare. The actual incidence of allergic sensitivity to chocolate is far less common than positive reactions to skin scratch tests would seem to indicate. In at least one double-blind study to determine the correlation of positive skin tests for a chocolate allergy and the manifestation of clinically observable symptoms, researchers could find only one patient out of a possible 500 who showed both a positive response to the skin test and an objective clinical reaction after eating chocolate.
Milk Chocolate
Daniel Peter, who was a Swiss candle maker and joined his father-in-law's chocolate business, began experimenting with milk as an ingredient in 1867. He brought his new product, milk chocolate, to market in 1875. He was assisted in removing the water content from the milk to prevent mildewing by a neighbour, a baby food manufacturer named Henri Nestlé. Rodolphe Lindt invented the process called conching, which involves heating and grinding the chocolate solids very finely to ensure that the liquid is evenly blended.
Chocolate And The Overweight
Contrary to popular stereotype, most overweight people do not eat excessive amounts of cake, cookies, confections or other foods containing sugar. Their sugar intake tends, in fact, to be below average. More important in controlling weight is the total number of calories consumed each day and the amount of energy expended in physical activity. Overweight children, for example, are generally less active than those of normal weight; thus, they may remain obese even when their caloric intake is reasonable or even limited.
The Chocolate Diet
Yes, it's true, there is a Chocolate Diet. It emphasizes eating chocolate and cocoa powder in capsules. However, consuming milk chocolate or white chocolate, or drinking milk with dark chocolate, appears to largely negate the health benefits. Chocolate is calorie rich, with a high content of saturated fat, so a daily intake needs to be balanced by reducing the intake of other foods.
The Fat In Chocolate
Two-thirds of the fat in chocolate comes in the forms of a saturated fat called stearic acid and a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid. However, unlike other saturated fats, stearic acid does not raise levels of LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream. A 2001 study by researchers at Penn State University found that the flavonoids in chocolate slowed the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, a process that is believed to lead to atherosclerosis.
The Benefits of Dark Chocolate
Recent studies have shown that dark chocolate can actually be beneficial to your health. Dark chocolate is full of the flavonoids, epicatechin and gallic acid, all antioxidants that help protect blood vessels, promote cardiac health, and prevent cancer. It also has been shown to counteract mild hypertension. In fact, dark chocolate has more flavonoids than any other antioxidant-rich food such as red wine, green and black tea, and blueberries.
Couverture
Couverture is a term used for chocolates rich in cocoa butter. Popular brands of couverture used by professional pastry chefs and often sold in gourmet and specialty food stores include: Valrhona, Felchlin, Lindt & Sprüngli, Cacao Barry, Callebaut, and Guittard. These chocolates contain a high percentage of cocoa (sometimes 70% or more) and have a total fat content of 36-40%.
Chocolate In The 1500s
The first recorded shipment of chocolate to the Old World for commercial purposes was in 1585 from Veracruz to Seville. Chocolate was still served as a beverage at this time, but the Europeans added sugar and milk to counteract the natural bitterness and removed the chilli pepper, replacing it with another Mexican indigenous spice, vanilla. By the 17th century chocolate had become a luxury item among European nobility.
Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is chocolate without milk as an additive. It is sometimes called "plain chocolate". The U.S. Government calls this "sweet chocolate", and requires a 15% concentration of chocolate liquor. European rules specify a minimum of 35% cocoa solids.
There's Lead In Chocolate
Chocolate has one of the highest concentrations of lead among all products that constitute a typical Westerner's diet. This is thought to happen because the cocoa beans are mostly grown in developing countries such as Nigeria. Those countries still use tetra-ethyl lead as a gasoline additive and, consequently, have high atmospheric concentrations of lead. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, levels of lead in chocolate are sufficiently low that even people who eat large amounts of chocolate every day are not at risk of any adverse effects.
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