Naked Chocolate
The key to chocolate's super qualities is to consume this in it's raw, natural state, "naked" if you will! Chocolate is made from the seeds of a plant called Theobroma cacao. The seeds are dried and roasted and then processed to form cocoa, the basic ingredient in chocolate and chocolate products. When the Cacao bean is heated, melted, processed, chemicalised and added to dairy products, they lose key nutrient qualities. Dark Chocolate contains antioxidants, aphrodisiac qualities, mood elevation properties that the cocao beans possess but diminished by cooking and unfavourable properties appear in the chocolate like becoming allergic or having intense cravings and addiction also due to cooking. Cocao has a wide array of unique properties and minerals, including high levels of sulfur and magnesium. It may increase your focus and alertness and contains nutrients to keep you happy. Chocolate and cacao are often associated with love. All this is due to phenylethylamine contained in the cacao. Anandamide can be produced in the brain when we are feeling great, cacao makes anandamide stick around longer. The cacao tastes similar to, yet better than, unsweetened bakers chocolate. A sweetener is often used like raw organic agave nectar in conjunction with your raw treat ingredients.
History
The use of cocoa for eating and drinking probably dates back several thousand years.The first evidence of cocoa use comes from cooking vessels containing cocao residue. Scientists have determined these pots to be from at least 460 to 480 A.D. Columbus discovered cacao beans in America and sent samples back to King Ferdinand. However, the beans didn't become popular in Europe at this time. Several years later, Cortes discovered that the Mexican Aztecs enjoyed a type of bitter chocolate drink containing burned and ground cacao beans, maize, water, and spices. Cortes sent cacao beans and recipes back to King Charles V. The Spanish refined some of the recipes adding sugar and heating the ingredients to improve taste and texture. But because of the high cost of imported cacao, chocolate beverages were enjoyed mostly by the wealthy. "Cocoa" pronounced(coco) is a British slang term for cacao (kakow).
It is also said that the Aztec Emperor, Montezuma who was deposed by Cortes and his own tribe was a confirmed chocoholic. A soldier from Cortes' army recorded in his memoirs an account of one of Montezuma's great feast: "From time to time, they brought him, in cup-shaped vessels of pure gold, a certain drink made from cacao, and women served this drink to him with great reverence ".....over two thousand jugs of cacao all frothed up.." Rumor had it that Montezuma would consume 50 cups of the cacao drink before visiting his harem.
Chocolat Movie Quotes:
Luc Clairmont: [at confession] Each time I tell myself it's the last time, but then I get a whiff of her hot chocolate, or...
Madame Audel: ...Seashells. Chocolate seashells, so small, so plain, so *innocent*. I thought, oh, just one little taste, it can't do any harm. But it turned out they were filled with rich, sinful...
Yvette Marceau: ...And it *melts*, God forgive me, it melts ever so slowly on your tongue, and tortures you with pleasure.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Claudia