The Truth Behind Chocolate Myths
In my many years of existence, almost all the people I know have a divine love for chocolate. You are seriously disturbed if you hate this treat, or you may be the biggest liar of all time. Levity aside, the mere thought of disliking chocolate is not really usual. However, if you’re really not crazy about chocolate, can you please explain why?
Chocolate contains caffeine, however not in dangerous levels. You may still savor it but it’s not going to make you jumpy and stuff.
You may have hears about the link between chocolate and acne. That’s not necessarily accurate. You may blame it on the natural changes that occur with age. Truth be told, there is no actual evidence-based proof that chocolate causes acne.
Same theory applies with chocolate being linked to hyperactivity. It can be considered as a stimulant, but not to the point that its stimulating elements go overboard and make you jumpy, like I mentioned a while ago. Studies have also failed to show any link between chocolate consumption and excessive energy. Call me when there is.
Furthermore, there has been no correlation and whatnot between chocolate and migraine. A lot of migraine sufferers seem to think this way, but it is not scientifically accurate.
Another very common notion about chocolate is that it causes tooth decay. That is a huge misconception. Research has it that the sugar content of any food is not the culprit behind tooth cavities, but rather the length of time that the food ingested will stay in your mouth. Any food you eat and any drink you have, once stuck in your teeth, will cause dental issues.
Moreover, only few people are allergic to chocolate. A greater part of the population is still allergic to all the other stuff.
Finally, as much as we want to always eat chocolate, it does not yet belong to the basic physiological needs of us humans. It is just that we crave always, I repeat, always. But yes, it is not addictive.
If you know the myths associated with chocolates, then you may tend to become skeptic about enjoying your chocolaty treat. But now, I have already let you in on some secrets. Not everything you hear is true. These are real and honest facts about chocolate that will eventually turn you from a cynic to a fan.
Categories: chocolate articles Tags: chocolate education, chocolate myths
From the Bean to the Bar
There is much more to making fine chocolate than picking a cacao bean and cooking it. Going from tree to chocolate bar takes a special touch to achieve the perfection you’re looking for.
Bean selection is the first step in making chocolate. If the bean chosen isn’t of high quality, the end result will be a less than desirable chocolate. Therefore, many fine chocolate makers take time to personally select the best beans.
Once a chocolatier selects the beans they are roasted. The roasting process has a great impact on the finished flavor. After roasting, the beans are put into a grinding process. The pulverized mass is called chocolate liquor and is turned into the actual chocolate.
To create the final chocolate bar from chocolate liquor, sugar and other ingredients are added to the liquor. Then another grinding process called refining is begun. Refining crushes everything and helps ensure that that the chocolate bar doesn’t have a grainy feeling in your mouth. Following the refining process, the mix is cooked and stirred in a process called conching. This step can take place over a few hours or days. It is at this point that chocolate begins to take on the flavor that most chocoholics love.
After conching, cocoa butter can be added to change the flow. Then the chocolate can be put into its final form, liquid or solid. If the final product is in solid form it must be tempered. Then it is packaged and shipped. If it took the form of a chocolate bar, now it’s finally ready for you to purchase and eat. Yum.
For a fun and tasty chocolate education visit Chocolate University Online.
