How the virtues of chocolate go way beyond the decadent taste.
By Radha Marcum
Do you remember when chocolate’s worth was determined by how big the heart it came in was? When it was See’s or Hershey’s and it was purely an indulgence? Who had ever heard of organic or fair trade or antioxidants? Now I can hardly enter the chocolate aisle at my local market without some trepidation: Should I choose the Endangered Species Milk Chocolate with Cherries or Dagoba’s Xocolatl dark chocolate bar? There’s chocolate for a cause, ethically produced chocolate, chocolate infused with exotic fruits and spices, chocolate of distinct origins . . . there’s even raw chocolate (cocoa nibs). Why so many choices? Our taste buds are obsessed, and hundreds of chocolate companies have sprouted up all over the map—from Belgium to Oregon—to satisfy our passion.
Chocolate, the delicious end product of dried, fermented, and processed cacao beans, is still an indulgence, true, but it has some bona fide health perks too. (And who hasn’t self-medicated with chocolate at least once?) “It’s only a matter of time before chocolate becomes prescribed,” says Heather M. Walters, PhD, author of Desserts That Heal: Desserts Are Good Medicine.
Chocolate’s health perks come from its cacao origins; the cacao bean contains a number of health-enhancing phytochemicals. One recent study published in September 2008 found that moderate dark chocolate consumption (approximately 6 to 7 grams daily) lowered the risk of cardiovascular disease. “Just 1 ounce of dark chocolate [72 percent cocoa content or greater] can lower blood pressure,” says Dr. Walters. This is because the arginine in cocoa converts to nitric oxide in the body and relaxes the blood vessels. Antioxidants in chocolate can also help favorably alter your HDL “bad” and LDL “good” cholesterol levels.
So what’s not to love? Well, most chocolate is made with saturated fat, so anything more than an ounce and you might actually be raising your cholesterol levels. And if you’re sensitive, the caffeine content could potentially cause insomnia. Dr. Walters recommends enjoying one 1-ounce serving of a high-quality chocolate per day.
When Spanish explorers first encountered xocolatl in the New World, it was a bitter-tasting beverage of ground cacao beans mixed with water and spices such as vanilla or chili powder—not at all the palate-pleaser it was to become. Over the centuries chocolate has evolved from an unsweetened drink to a sweetened drink to the “eating chocolate” we now associate with the term. But before it’s poured and molded and done up in a tantalizing wrapper, chocolate starts out as raw cacao beans, which are harvested, fermented, dried, and then shipped to be roasted, ground, and refined. There are four main types of cacao cultivated around the globe, all with distinct flavor profiles and characteristics. “Depending on how the bean was grown—which crops it was grown with, such as bananas or tree nuts—the chocolate that ends up in your bar may taste fruity, smoky, bitter, or earthy, among other subtle flavors,” says Susan Fussell, spokesperson for the National Confectioners Association. Aside from the usual cocoa butter, milk, and other “carriers,” the cocoa may be paired with nuts, dried fruits, spices, and other enhancements to augment-or tone down its flavor.
Here are four tips for selecting the very best.
1. Know the cocoa content.
Almost any chocolate bar worth your purchase will include a cocoa percentage on its label. “This is the most important thing to consider when buying chocolate,” says Fussell. This number indicates the amount of cocoa content-cocoa solids plus cocoa butter, which are separated during processing and then reunited in the final product. But numbers can be confusing. For example, “milk chocolate” could go up as high as 65 percent cocoa content, says Fussell. That’s because the total percentage doesn’t tell you the ratio of cocoa butter (which gives a creamy consistency but far less chocolate flavor) to cocoa solids (in which the strong chocolate flavor resides). “Taste preference is entirely personal,” says Fussell. “The higher the cocoa mass, the stronger the flavor. But cocoa butter gives the melt-in-your-mouth quality.” Keep in mind that the more cacao the chocolate contains, the less sweetener is used.
2. Get the lowdown on origin. Cacao grows only within 10 degrees north or south of the equator. Where the cocoa was grown—it’s origin, such as Ghana, Venezuela, or Madagascar—affects the flavor profile of the chocolate. “The soil, the trade winds that might come to that region, what it’s grown with—all affect the cocoa’s flavor profile,” says Fussell. You’ll see some chocolate bars labeled “single origin,” which means all the cocoa used to make the bar came from one country. But most often chocolate is a blend, Fussell explains, and for good reason. “Madagascar is one of my favorites, but when you mix it with cocoa from other origins you get a completely different taste. Often they’re better together: one might taste nutty or like coffee and when mixed the blend is a really amazing piece of chocolate.”
3. Favor fair trade and organic. Although these last two considerations don’t necessarily contribute to flavor, they might affect how you feel about your purchase. Like coffee, cocoa tends to be grown in economically challenged communities in the third world. “The World Cocoa Foundation is making efforts to establish more sustainable crops,” says Fussell. “Cacao is a tender crop that needs care and attention, and it really grows best on small farms, where farmers know each tree. To be sure the people and the communities who grew and prepared the cocoa that went into your truffle were paid fairly for their efforts, look for TransFair USA’s Fair Trade Certified label on chocolates such as Shaman’s Visions. Chocolate labeled USDA Organic, such as Green & Black’s, must contain 100 percent certified organic ingredients, including cocoa produced without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
4. Let your taste buds be your guide. “For a long time, I thought I liked dark chocolate,” says Fussell, “but I’ve learned that what I really like is a high percentage cacao milk chocolate. The milk rounds out the flavor experience.” As an experiment, try buying milk chocolate and bittersweet chocolate with similar cocoa percentages. Which do you prefer? Beyond that, says Fussell, there are lots of unusual ingredients being mixed into chocolates these days—chili, cayenne, salt, wasabi. “All in their own way complement and change flavor profile.”
Noteworthy Chocolatiers
- Chocolove: Smooth and rich. Excellent gift choice for people whose chocolate preferences you don’t know intimately.
- Dagoba: High-quality light to dark chocolate infused with unusual flavors such as chili, lavender, and chai tea.
- Endangered Species Chocolate: Good chocolate for a good cause.
- Green & Black’s: Classic chocolate bars; widely available in organic.
- Theo(also 3400 Phinney Chocolate): Single-origin bars as well as a variety of exotic flavors, including Coconut Curry Milk
Chocolate and Fig, Fennel, and Almond Dark Chocolate.
