Spirited Chocolate Blog

Overview of CACAO

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 16:13:00 GMT

Quote of the Month:

Other things are just food. But chocolate’s chocolate. – Patrick Skene Catling

OVERVIEW OF CACAO

Chocolate's European Debut - Part TWO

16th — 17th Centuries

Columbus likely was the first European to discover cacao beans but it took some time before Europe discovered chocolate. Columbus saw how natives cherished the beans, but he thought they were a type of almond. Though he did bring them back to Spain with him, cacao and chocolate went unnoticed for some decades because the Spanish didn’t know what to do with them—until Cortes’ conquest of the Aztecs and Mexico.

Cortes Courts the Cacao Bean

Around 1519, Hernan Cortes arrived at the great court of the Aztec king, Montezuma. He and his crew witnessed Montezuma’s 50-cup-a-day chocolate ritual, discovered the royal storehouses brimming with beans and observed the custom of using cacao as currency.

One of the conquistadors had this to say about the power of chocolate: “This drink is the healthiest thing, and the greatest sustenance of anything you could drink in the world because he who drinks a cup of this liquid, no matter how far he walks, can go a whole day without eating anything else.”

Cortes himself didn’t take to the bitter brew, but realized its value. He wrote to King Carlos I of Spain that chocolate was a "drink that builds up resistance and fights fatigue." Cortes later became a New World land owner, with plantations in Mexico, Haiti and Trinidad. Cacao was one of the crops he raised. Legend has it that it was Cortes who first cultivated cacao in West Africa on one of his many travels between Spain and the New World.

A Sweet Trend

After the Spanish conquered the Aztecs and began building settlements in the New World, they adapted many of the dining habits of the natives, including chocolate. Incoming colonists brought sugar and other European delicacies to South and Central America, and the Spanish settlers, after some experimentation, began drinking chocolate hot and sweet. The trend traveled across the Atlantic but it still took a while for chocolate to catch on in Spain. It wasn’t until the end of the 16th century that it started to achieve popularity, and then only with the upper crust, mostly because of the expensive cacao bean tax. The Spanish had a lock on chocolate in Europe. They controlled the cacao growing regions, and they kept its existence a secret. But interaction between the royal courts would spread chocolate across Europe.

Royal Wedding: The 17th Century Court of France

It took a royal wedding to make chocolate a star. When the Spanish princess, Maria Theresa, came to the French court at Versailles to marry King Louis XIV in 1660, she brought her precious cacao beans with her, as well as her chocolate-loving ladies-in-waiting, and a crew of retainers just to make it. Hot chocolate was served at the wedding to the cream of European society. It eventually caught on at Versailles and Louis XIV came to love it. His personal recipe included an egg yolk to guarantee a rich thick concoction.

Medical Marvel

Much was made of the medicinal properties of chocolate by doctors and health experts on both sides of the Atlantic. It was thought of as a cure-all for everything from stomach upset to a fever and chills, and was described as an elixir of life. Chocolate was consumed for its health benefits instead of as a sweet treat. Some of chocolate’s rave reviews from physicians and medical experts of the 17th Century are:

“Chocolate, well known, is an invention so noble, that it should be the nourishment of the gods, rather than nectar or ambrosia.” - Joseph Bachot

“Good for the stomach if drunk in small quantities." - Valverde Turices

"Chocolate gives comfort." - Hurtado

"Chocolate is one of the most wholesome and precious drinks that have been discovered to this day." - Stubbe

"Chocolate nourishes and preserves health entire, yet causes a pleasant and natural sleep and rest." - Hughes

"Chocolate calms insomnia" - de Blégny

"Chocolate preserves health and prolongs the lives of old men." - de Quelus

Early European Preparation and Equipment

Chocolate was served hot in liquid form. The 17th century saw the European additions of milk, sugar, and eggs as well as spices and flavorings such as vanilla, anise, rosewater, ground nuts, and ambergris. Europeans added their own touches to the preparation of the rich brew:

The metate stone slab was often imported from Mexico and used to grind the roasted, shelled cacao beans.

The molinillo was a Spanish wooden whisk or beater, used to make chocolate frothy and create foam, and is still in use today in Mexico and South America. In France it was known as the moussoir.

The mancerina was a special saucer that secured the chocolate cup to prevent spills.

The chocolatiere was a French chocolate pot that made it easier to prepare and pour the concoction.

England's Triple Threat

Coffee, tea and chocolate all arrived in England at the same time: coffee from Africa, tea from Asia and chocolate from America (specifically Jamaica, which became an English colony in 1655, and was home to thriving cacao plantations). While chocolate was an aristocratic treat in France, democracy prevailed in England; if you could pay for it, you could indulge. Hot chocolate was served in “chocolate houses,” not unlike coffee houses you see on every street corner today. Forerunners of English pubs, chocolate houses were places where politics were discussed and debated. While chocolate was more expensive than coffee, tea was the costliest of the three. And all three beverages were usually served up with loads of sugar.

Sinfully Delicious

As chocolate increased in popularity, it fell under religious scrutiny. For nearly two centuries, Catholic Ecclesiastics hotly debated whether chocolate was a food or a drink, and whether imbibing it during fasts was a sin.

Meanwhile, the strict and conservative Protestant Pilgrims who fled England for the Netherlands in 1690 took up residence next to a chocolate house in Amsterdam. The partying next door so offended their austere beliefs that they dubbed chocolate “Devil’s Food .” When they later immigrated to Plymouth in North America, they outlawed chocolate completely from their colony. Years later, dark chocolate cakes in Amsterdam were named “Devil’s Food Cakes” in honor of the stern Pilgrims.

The Pre-Columbian Experience - Part One

1200 B.C. — 1492 A.D.

The history of chocolate started in the hot, equatorial South and Central American and Amazon regions. It was considered a divine gift, a source of power, a form of currency, and a health food by the peoples of ancient Mesoamerica.

First Encounters

Monkeys were the first to find the cacao plant edible and delectable, not man. In the hottest parts of ancient Mesoamerica, these brightly colored, rugby ball-shaped pods hung off trees, begging to be picked. Monkeys learned of the sweet, refreshing pulp concealed within the thick pod. Ancient man followed their example, picking the fruit off trees as they walked past.

The sweet pulp of the cacao pod tasted like apricots or melons. But the beans—or seeds—in the core of the pulp were bitter and seemingly inedible. The monkeys would eat the pulp and spit out the beans. Ancient people followed the monkeys’ example, and only ate the delicious pulp. This was probably what Mother Nature had in mind: the seeds were disseminated throughout Mesoamerica, making cacao trees plentiful in South and Central America and guaranteeing cacao’s evolution.

From Fruit to Seed

It’s not known when ancient civilizations figured out how to use the bean. It might have been by sheer accident, when a handful of these bitter beans fell into a fire and roasted, setting off an enticing chocolate-like aroma that made the natives think twice about discarding them. Or it might have been when the pulp of the fruit was fermented into a native concoction called cacao chica and the beans fermented too, sweetening their taste and making them more palatable. But the transition from bitter beans to food source likely occurred during the time of the Olmecs.

The Olmecs Had a Name for It

An ancient tribe called the Olmecs (1200 to 300 B.C.) from the tropical lowlands of South Central Mexico were the first to domesticate the plant and use the beans. They had a name for these bitter seeds that held secrets to health and power: kakawa, or cacao. According to recent archaeologists’ findings, the beans were an integral part of this ancient civilization’s diet and culture from as early as 600 B.C.

The Mayans: The First Real Chocolate-Lovers

The Mayans are considered the most culturally advanced among the Mesoamerican civilizations. During the Mayan Classic Age (300-900 A.D.), they had cities with majestic pyramid-temples and palaces, a calendar calculated to end in the 21st century, and a complex written language that filled thousands of books. They also were the first true chocolate aficionados, treasuring cacao as a restorative, mood-enhancing cure-all. It became an integral part of their society, used in ceremonies, given as gifts and incorporated into their mythologies.

Burial tombs have been found that contain offerings, including ancient potteries that bear witness to cacao’s importance. The vases are covered with paintings showing Mayan gods fighting over beans and kings waiting to be served cacao creations.

Chocolate plays a part in Mayan religion. The Mayan’s sacred book, Popul Vuh, contains their story of the creation, and instead of an apple tree, there’s a cacao tree. In this myth, immortal ball-playing twins are beheaded by the gods of death. One has his head hung on a cacao tree. The magical head manages to mate with a woman who becomes the mother of twin gods. These two defeat the gods of death and then end up in the sky as the sun and the moon.

These first chocolate-lovers did not make chocolate bars as we know them today. Instead, the beans were ground into a coarse paste and mixed with spices, water and chilies to create a variety of hot and cold frothy, bitter drinks. Or the beans were mixed with corn and flavorings to make an assortment of porridge-like meals that varied in thickness from very thin and watery to thick and solid. These dishes were high in nutrients and very healthy. They also were inedible by our standards and a far cry from the chocolate we eat today.

Toltecs Take the Territory

By 900 A.D., a new group of peoples emerged to challenge the empire of the Mayans. The Toltecs captured the Yucatan Peninsula and then some. Much of the wrangling between these nations was over who controlled the cacao-rich lands, and who had cacao trading rights.

The Toltecs also saw cacao as a divine gift, believing the god Quetzalcoatl had given the bean to men and taught them how to cultivate it. Quetzalcoatl was banished by the other gods for offering this divinely delicious food to mortals, but he swore to return. This legend continued centuries later into the age of the Aztecs, and when Cortes, the Spanish conquistador, showed up in the 16th century, the great Aztec King Montezuma believed it was Quetzalcoatl returning.

The Aztecs: The Gold Standard

The Aztecs led an empire of almost 15 million people between the 14th and 16th centuries. Theirs was an aristocratic society, and chocolate was reserved for the rich and the nobles. In fact, the Aztecs prized the cacao bean so highly that it was their form of currency. The bean also was used as money in Central American markets long after the Aztecs were gone, as late as 1858.

Cacao Currency Fraud

Forgery has been a popular scam for centuries – early civilizations did it with fake cacao beans. A practice of passing bad cacao “coins” was in use in Pre-Columbian times. Forgers would take empty cacao shells, fill them with earth, reassemble them and palm them off as real.

The beans were the natives' "coins." A list of Aztec trading prices looked something like this:
1 small rabbit = 30 cacao beans
1 turkey egg = 3 cacao beans
1 large tomato = 1 cacao bean

The royal storehouses had “vaults” full of this currency. One estimate listed the yearly expenditure of dried beans at 11,680,000. Some of these beans went to pay the king’s attendants. Others went into the king’s chocolate drinks—and he drank a lot of chocolate. Montezuma was rumored to enjoy 50 cups a day.

The Aztecs consumed chocolate in liquid form, as did the Mayans. It was served cold and frothy. The foam was believed to hold chocolate’s fundamental essence, and the ritual of creating the foam is seen in Aztec artwork. They’d pour the chocolate mixture vertically from one vessel to another, back and forth to make it froth. Today, many Mexican communities still value the foam so much they let their cacao beans calcify and turn white before grinding to ensure a heady mug of chocolate.

At this point, chocolate was still a bitter - tasting brew and contained a mish-mash of corn, flavorings and spices. But this would change after the Spanish arrived in the New World.

Top Picks

Chocolate & Nutrition

Sun, 05 Jun 2011 02:25:00 GMT

Quote of theMonth:
"It has been shown as proof positive that carefully prepared chocolate is as healthful a food as it is pleasant; that it is nourishing and easily digested... that it is above all helpful to people who must do a great deal of mental work." - Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

Chocolate and Cardiovascular Health Benefits

Dr Shock

January 19, 2011

Two recent large epidemiological studies again suggest a beneficial effect of chocolate consumption on cardiovascular disease. One study was a prospective study in 1216 women with a follow up of 9,5 years. The frequency of chocolate consumption was categorized in three groups”: < 1 serving per week, 1-6 servings and 7 or more. Outcome was defined as plaque thickness in the carotid artery and hospitalization or death at follow up as clinical outcome.

Not only were carotid plaques less prevalent in those women eating more chocolate but also those who ate more chocolate were less frequently hospitalized or death from ischemic heart disease.

In a large German study with middle aged participants of both sexes without cardiovascular disease at inclusion also an inverse relationship between chocolate consumption (at the time of enrollment in the study) and cardiovascular disease risk (myocardial infarction and stroke over the following 8 years) could be found.

in the quartile characterized by the lowest chocolate consumption (1.7 g/day) 106 myocardial infarctions and strokes occurred, whereas only 61 events occurred (combined relative risk of 0.61) in the quartile with the highest chocolate consumption (7.5 g/day). In the latter group, both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were found to be 1 mmHg lower as compared with the referent low chocolate consumption quartile.

In our quest for the optimal chocolate dose this last research adds another probable dosage that benefits our cardiovascular system namely 7,5 g/day.
Nevertheless, the problem with these large studies is the proof of a correlation, unfortunately no causation. These studies cannot provide direct proof for the existence of a cause and effect relationship. These two studies add up with two other large epidemiological studies. One in elderly Dutch men (Zutphen Elderly Study) and one in post-menopausal American women (Iowa Women’s Health Study).

Another problem is specificity. Cocoa contains other bioactive substances. Until now the beneficial effect of chocolate is attributed to it’s flavanol content. Moreover, participants might derive flavanols from other food substances such as vegetables, tea or fruit.

Originally, the positive effects of cocoa were found among the Kuna Indians living longer on islands off the coast of Panama than the mainland Panama population. But these Indians drank a cocoa drink that is consumed many times a day. This drink is something completely different from our chocolate. It’s low in calories and contains the unadulterated, unstripped cocoa, its bitterness tempered by sugar. Tried to find it’s recipe on the Internet but without any luck. Recipe anyone?

Health Benefits of Chocolate pt..2

Sat, 19 Mar 2011 02:53:00 GMT

Quote for March: "Any sane person loves chocolate." - Bob Greene

Nutrition Facts for Cocoa and Chocolate

There have been many studies linking cocoa and dark chocolate with health benefits. Cocoa and chocolate contain a large amount of antioxidants (flavinoids). Cocoa and dark chocolate may keep high blood pressure down and reduce the blood's ability to clot, thus the risk of stroke and heart attacks may be reduced. The darker chocolate with the most concentrated cocoa will be the most beneficial. According to an

Italian study

A small square (20 g) of dark (bittersweet) chocolate every three days is the ideal dose for cardiovascular benefits. Eating more does not provide additional benefits.

The nutrition values presented below are based on review of a selection of brands. Variations outside the given ranges can be expected. Numbers are % by weight, not % of daily value.

Ingredient	Cocoa - low fat (European type)	Cocoa - high fat (Breakfast cocoa)	Unsweetened chocolate	Bittersweet chocolate	Semisweet chocolate and baking chocolate
Fat	10-15%	20-25%	45-55%	33-45%	20-35%
Carbohydrates	45-60%	45-60%	30-35%	20-50%	50-70%
Sugars	0-2%	0-2%	0-2%	13-45%	45-65%
Dietary fibers	20-35%	30-35%	15-20%	5-8%	3-8%
Protein	17-22%	15-20%	10-15%	5-10%	3-8%
Calories per oz	ca 60	ca 90	140-150	150-160	130-160
Calories per 100 g	ca 200	ca 300	470-500	500-550	450-550

Fat

Cocoa beans contain approximately 50% fat. It is primarily comprised of two saturated fatty acids (palmitic and stearic acids) and one mono-unsaturated acid (oleic acid). Cocoa butter and chocolate do not raise blood cholesterol. However, when consuming milk chocolate or lower grade chocolate where a part of the total fat content comes from milk fat or various other types of fat, the cholesterol level might be adversely affected.

Sugar
The cacao bean contains quite a lot of carbohydrates, but most of it is starch, soluble dietary fibers, and insoluble dietary fibers. A very small proportion is simple sugars. Sugar is added during the manufacture of chocolate.

Antioxidants
Cocoa beans contain polyphenols (similar to those found in wine) with antioxidant properties which are health beneficial. These compounds are called flavonoids and include catechins, epicatechins, and procyandins. The antioxidant flavinoids are found in the nonfat portions of the cocoa bean. The flavinoids also reduce the blood's ability to clot and thus reduces the risk of stroke and heart attacks.

Theobromine
Theobromine is a very mild stimulant with a mild diuretic action (increases the production of urine). Theobromine can be toxic to animals like dogs, cats, parrots and horses.

Caffeine
Cocoa beans contains a very low amount of caffeine, much less than found in coffee, tea and cola drinks.

Phenylethylamine

Phenylethylamine is a slight antidepressant and stimulant similar to the body's own dopamine and adrenaline.

Serotonine
Cocoa and chocolate can increase the level of serotonine in the brain. Serotonine levels are often decreased in people with depression and in those experiencing PMS symptoms.

Essential minerals
Cocoa beans are rich in a number of essential minerals, including magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium and manganese.

Vitamins
A, B1, B2, B3, C, E and pantothenic acid.

Welcome to the world of CHOCOLA'TE

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 23:40:00 GMT

Chocola'te would like to invite you enjoy the world chocolate with us.

Our chocolatier, Alison has been working on some new exciting flavor combinations for this season. like white chocolate wasabi truffle or the kentucky cherry bourbon truffle.
She is also introducing a line of spicy pepper infused confections from regional peppers, that is sure to "light your fire"

"COMING SOON" salted Caramels, handmade Marshmallows & we are very excited about our line of sugar-free dark chocolate truffles & barks. Finally a sugar-free confection that does not taste sugar-free.
We use a blend of fine dark belgian chocolate & a sugar alcohol "maltitol" as our sweetener to offer those who are watching thier sugar intake.
Check the website often to see when Alison adds new confections to the menu.

Quote of the month - "Nine out of ten people like chocolate. The tenth person always lies." John Q. Tullius

Over the next few months we will post some things about chocolate's health benefits we found on the interent. Please excuse the plagarism.

Let's start with:

The Health Benefits of Chocolate

Is chocolate good for you? Yes! The health benefits of chocolate are many... assuming we're talking about the same thing, that is. I'm talking about chocolate in its purest form - as close to the bean as you can get. If you want me to tell you a Milky Way bar is good for you, I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed.

That doesn't mean, however, that there aren't any chocolate bars that are good for you. The key is to find a bar with high cocoa content. The higher the cocoa content, the less room there is for cocoa butter, sugar, lecithin, vanilla, milk, and other stuff that makes chocolate less of a vegetable and more of a candy.

Some of you may be thinking that a dark chocolate bar is bitter or yucky. If you aren't a fan of dark chocolate, you've probably never had the good stuff.

So just what are the amazing health benefits of chocolate? Most notably, chocolate is a champion antioxidant. Antioxidants help rid the body of free radicals, nasty little molecules running amok in your body which cause aging and disease. Antioxidants bond to free radicals and whisk them from your body via digestion and other means.

Quick. Think of the best antioxidants you've ever heard of. Red wine? Green tea? Pomegranate? Blueberries? Dark chocolate leaves them all in the dust. According the USDA’S published chart of antioxidant foods measured in ORACs (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity Units) for every 100 grams, dark chocolate has 13,120 ORACs, and blueberries have only 2,400.

Antioxidant-rich diets have been linked to a lowered risk of heart attacks, stroke, cardiovascular disease, cancer, high blood pressure, cholesterol problems, arthritis, asthma, Alzheimer's and more. So it stands to reason that if chocolate is chock full of antioxidants, it's actually good for you.

Naysayers will point out that chocolate is loaded with fat, sugar, and caffeine. It's true that cocoa butter, the main source of fat (besides milk) in chocolate, is composed of both saturated and unsaturated fats, but most of this, about 75%, is in the form of oleic and stearic acids. Diets rich in these acids have been shown to lower cholesterol levels. While 25% of the fat in chocolate is "the bad kind," the amount of good fat in chocolate seems to counteract the bad fat. And, as with all chocolates, the darker they are the less room there is for things like cocoa butter, and the more room for that healthy antioxidant-packed cocoa.

What about the sugar? Well, that is bad. Nothing good about it, really. But keep in mind that a strong dark chocolate bar might have ten to fifteen grams of sugar, which is still less than the 22 grams in your glass of orange juice, the 29 grams in your cup of yogurt, and the 34 grams in your glass of cran-grape juice, all of which are considered "good" for you. Keep your eye on the labels, too. Some of the specialty chocolate manufacturers are choosing healthier alternatives to refined white sugar, such as evaporated cane juice and molasses.

And the caffeine in chocolate? An average bar contains about 27 mg, about half what you'd find in a cola and a third what you'd find in a cup of coffee. Besides which, studies have shown that having some, but less than 200 mg of caffeine a day, might actually be good for you.

The bottom line is that indulging in a small amount of dark chocolate might be the perfect dessert - satisfying your sweet tooth while treating your body to the many health benefits of chocolate. So next time you're craving dessert, reach for the dark chocolate, and hold the guilt.

For more information about the health benefits of chocolate, we suggest reading Chocolate Unwrapped: The Surprising Health Benefits of America's Favorite Passion by Rowan Jacobsen

It's the definitive work on the subject and the source of much of the information in this article. A fun read, it highlights a number of scientific studies about the health benefits of chocolate. It also includes information about the history and processing of chocolate, along with some delicious recipes. We rate it 4.5 out of 5 bon bons.

To be continued next month.

Our Blog Is Coming Soon

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:08:00 GMT

Our Blog will feature latest news, products, and other information about the world of Chocoláte. Check back here often to see what's new. We look forward to the opportunity to share our joy of Chocoláte with you.