Dark chocolates are made without milk as an additive. Milk chocolate is made with milk powder or condensed milk added. White chocolates are a confection based on cocoa butter without the cocoa solids. Unsweetened is pure chocolate liquor, also known as bitter or baking chocolate. Couverture is a term used for chocolates rich in cocoa butter. Bittersweet is chocolate liquor to which some sugar, more cocoa butter, vanilla and sometimes lecithin has been added. It has less sugar and more liquor than semisweet chocolate. Compound chocolate is the technical term for a confection combining cocoa with vegetable fat, usually tropical fats and/or hydrogenated fats, as a replacement for cocoa butter.

Chocolates contain phenylethylamine which is a mild mood elevator and anti-depressant. It happens to be the same chemical that produces the love or happiness feeling in our brains. It also contains a very small amount of caffeine. It is also considered an aphrodisiac. Very much like red wines, fruits, teas and vegetables, cocoa seeds contain important antioxidants called flavonoids, and has been linked to cardiovascular health. Dark chocolates contain about twice as many antioxidants as the milk chocolates do. Not everything that tastes good is bad for you and chocolates is definitely one of them. While chocolates and cocoa butter contain both saturated and unsaturated fat, but unlike many saturated fats the stearic acid in chocolates is a neutral fat and does not raise your bad cholesterol levels. Proper storage and care is important and here is a short but very important list to ensure you will be enjoying every last bite. Store in a cool, dry place at approximately 65-70 degrees F. It can and will absorb aromas and odors of other foods stored around it and should be kept in mind when storing. For the most part the shelf life is around 1 year if stored properly. Do not store in the refrigerator, the moisture from the refrigerator will effect both the appearance and texture. The same is true with storing in high heat, this will cause a “bloom” effect which will not affect the taste but it definitely affects the appearance.

Many of these recipes and formulas originated hundreds of years ago and have been passed on from generation to generation in their original form. Fine European gourmet chocolates make an excellent gift that is surly to never be forgotten and the great thing about giving chocolates is that you get to taste them as well when the box is opened. Or you can have your special gift of this magical confection shipped directly to the lucky recipient by the online distributor that you make your purchase from. Also, unlike your local specialty chocolate shop, you will find yourself faced with a veritable cornucopia of choices of gourmet chocolates from countries and regions that span the entire European continent.

Online sources also now have a wide choice in elaborate decorative gift boxes that contain a variety of European chocolates and there are so many to choose from. Also, you may be surprised to learn that so many of the gourmet chocolate treats such as chocolate liquors that you have been paying top dollar for at your local chocolate shop are in fact copies of the originals that hail from Europe.