As Easter approaches, our food lover souls can’t help dreaming about all the delicious chocolates we are going to taste … dark, milk, white, stuffed with caramel or peanut butter, truffles and so many more! This year, we invite you to discover more details about this treat that warms our hearts and delights our taste buds!
Chocolate – where does it come from?
Now well known to all, this sweet treat was born in Latin America, where the first cocoa trees were discovered. First consumed as an infusion by the Maya and other local civilizations during religious ceremonies in particular, cocoa beans then became a currency used by the Aztecs in the 15th century. Afterward, the first European expeditions to these then unknown countries allowed the Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés to bring back and introduce his country to this brand-new flavor. The popularity of chocolate then grew rapidly throughout Europe, and its manufacturing became easier and more widespread with the industrial progress of the 19th century. Recipes and variations multiplied over the years to create all those treats we enjoy so much today: chocolate bars, spreads, sweets and much more!
A product with multiple benefits!
When things get rough, chocolate is our best friend! Cocoa is naturally rich in tryptophan, an amino acid that participates in the creation of serotonin, better known as the “happiness hormone”. Chocolate is therefore excellent for our mood! But this sweet treat has even more to offer!
Dark chocolate, very high in cocoa, also has many other benefits! Brain stimulation, memory activation, prevention of cardiovascular diseases, anticoagulant actions, protection against cellular aging … dark chocolate not only fills our taste buds with happiness, it also pleases our body, consumed at a rate of 2 squares per day!
Many cooking opportunities!
We love it as a bar, to conclude a good meal, but chocolate also opens the door to many other ways to enjoy it!
Much appreciated for its comforting sweet note, chocolate is also cooked nowadays in savory dishes. In a sauce to go with chicken or pork tenderloin, paired with a pepper with tangy notes to enhance a piece of red meat, combined with chili to sweeten a chili con (or sin!) carne, sparingly added in a creamy pumpkin mousse (or other vegetables with subtle sweet notes), or sprinkled as shavings to decorate a plate: chocolate has more than one string to its bow!
For the sweet tooth, chocolate is without any doubt a safe bet to end a tasty home-cooked meal! That’s why we suggest you discover Malwina’s chocolate brownie cookies: a real treat!