CHOCOLATE FIX

"Chemically speaking, chocolate really is the world's perfect food". - Michael Levine

Chocolate is meant to change the chemistry of the brain in such a way that it resembles the chemistry of the brain when we are in love. Chocolate is made from the roasted, shelled, and ground beans of the tropical cacao tree, Theobroma cacao. It is on of the most popular of the world’s foods and is consumed in the form of bars, milk shakes, hot beverages, cereals, cakes and biscuits. It is an indispensable ingredient of desserts and often combined with vanilla to give a wonderful aroma to these sweet confections.

Chocolate contains more than 300 chemicals, and its health benefits have been studied extensively. Dark chocolate contains types of antioxidants known as flavonoids, which slow the processing of bad LDL cholesterol into material that clogs the arteries, and at the same time make blood platelets less likely to clump and cause clots, thus protecting from heart disease. Studies suggest that people who eat significant amounts of chocolate live longer than non-chocolate eaters.

Polyphenols present in chocolate reduce the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins, thereby protecting against atherosclerosis. These compounds are also found in red wine. In fact, a 1.5-ounce chocolate bar has as much antioxidant power as a 5-ounce glass of red wine. Chocolate also contains tryptophan, an essential amino acid that aids the production of serotonin, the body’s endogenous opiate. Enhanced serotonin function typically diminishes anxiety and reduces sensitivity to pain. Chocolates also make the brain trigger off endorphins, the feel good compounds in our bodies. Chocolate contains caffeine in very modest quantities. An ounce of milk chocolate contains no more caffeine than a typical cup of decaffeinated coffee.

In 1519, Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortes led an expedition to Mexico in search of gold. They found plenty of that, but also discovered a cold, bitter drink that the Aztecs loved to consume. It was called cacahuati, and was made from the beans of the cacao tree. Cacahuati was reserved for warriors, nobility and priests, and was believed to confer wisdom and vitality upon those who drank it. The Aztecs also believed this drink enhanced their sexual prowess. Cortes and his men found the drink too bitter, and sweetened it to make it more palatable.

When Cortes introduced the drink as “chocolatl” to the Spanish court, it was a huge success. The Spaniards kept the source of their chocolatl a secret for a century or so, after which it went on to become the rage in Europe. The first chocolate shop in London opened in 1657, and it served liquid chocolate in little gold and silver cups.

A Dutch inventor in the early 1800s figured out how to extract cocoa butter from the beans. Soon a Swiss chocolatier in Vevey, Switzerland mixed cocoa butter with evaporated milk (made by Nestlé) to get chocolate in the form that we know and love today. During the First World War, soldiers ate chocolate bars for energy and after the war was over, carried back this habit with them. Thus the world’s love for chocolates was born. Here is a recipe that we often use to manufacture our own brand of chocolate fix at home:

CHOCOLATE LOG

Ingredients
160 g butter
300 g icing sugar
300 g plain sweet biscuits (e.g. petit beurre)
160 g blanched, toasted almonds
100 g molten cooking chocolate
2 tablespoonfuls cocoa powder
2 fresh egg yolks
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup cream
1 teaspoonful vanillin sugar
100 g grated chocolate shavings

Method
Crumble the biscuits, mixing them well with the molten butter. Add the egg yolks, cocoa powder, cream, brandy and sugar, mixing thoroughly. Add the vanillin sugar, molten chocolate and almonds, kneading into a soft doughy consistency. Add some more brandy or crumbed biscuits to achieve the desired consistency. Shape into two logs and coat with chocolate shavings. Wrap in aluminum foil and refrigerate until set (approximately 5-6 hours). Cut into slices and leave at room temperature for about an hour before serving with whipped cream. Alternatively, the mixture may be shaped into small bite-sized balls and coated in chocolate.