** UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE – Unsweetened chocolate contains nothing but pure chocolate and cocoa butter. There’s no sugar added. This chocolate is dark in color and has a strong flavor.

** UNSWEETENED COCOA POWDER – Unsweetened cocoa powder is pure chocolate that’s had a majority of the cocoa butter removed.

** SEMISWEET AND BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE – Semisweet and Bittersweet chocolate contains at least 35% pure chocolate. Cocoa butter and sugar have been added. This type of chocolate is often used in cookies and can be used interchangeably.

** MILK CHOCOLATE – Milk chocolate contains at least 15% of pure chocolate, and is mixed with cocoa butter, sugar, and milk solids. It has a creamy texture and is often used to make chocolate candy.

** WHITE CHOCOLATE – White chocolate is unique in that it contains no pure chocolate. However, it does have cocoa butter. Other ingredients are sugar and milk solids. When buying white chocolate for baking, be sure to check the label first to avoid confusing it with other similar looking white baking products.

** SWEET CHOCOLATE – Sweet chocolate contains at least 15% pure chocolate. Other ingredients are sugar and cocoa butter. Use sweet baking chocolate when you want your baked goods to have a rich chocolate flavor, without the bitterness of other types of chocolate.

Chocolate drinking, has since earliest times been attributed with the ability to increase human libido and prowess. Many have claimed it possesses sexual and medicinal properties. Chocolate is definitely considered by many to be an aphrodisiac.

It is statistically true that men tend to give women chocolate, however, whether it is for the supposed love properties is an interesting point of conjecture. According to many women (I personally believe them) it is much more romantic to receive flowers instead. Chocolates are an added bonus in these situations.

In Aztec culture Montezuma is reported to have drunk an average 50 goblets of cocoa a day. This was to increase his prowess in lovemaking. 50 cups is not really my cup of tea. Nevertheless, it has long been revered as a food of love.

Chocolate’s Medicinal Properties:

Many claims have been made about Cocoa’s beneficial medicinal properties, as well as various side effects for those who indulge in eating and drinking of chocolate.

This is not really surprising, we are after all discovering more about out own bodies, and the link between our mood and the foods we eat. What’s not so clear, are the actual effects consuming chocolate might (or might not) have on us.

The cocoa bean (Theobroma cacao) gives us the substance Theobromine. This is known to variously affect those who eat or drink chocolates.

Theobromine

· Theobromine is one of the active ingredients in cocoa and chocolate alike. It affects several of the major systems of the body: · The ‘central nervous system’. (The brain and it’s components) · The ‘cardiovascular system’. (The heart and lungs, which is one of the areas scientist now believe is beneficially helped by cocoa.) A current area for debate is the use of chocolate-based medicines in the treatments of coughs. · Theobromine is also said to cause raised blood pressure, as well as inducing vomiting.

Whatever the claims and counter claims of chocolate’s promoters and detractors, it is abundantly clear we in the people like chocolate. In Northern Europe individuals consume approx. 15 – 22 lbs of it per annum. Americans consume somewhat less.

Strangely, one of the ancient treatments for emaciation (weight loss) was to drink chocolate. It certainly helps many round the world to do just that.

I can personally testify that I put weight on if I eat large amounts of the stuff. The reason may be that we corrupt the bean with so much fat and sugar that add caloric value, rather than the properties of the beans themselves.

Fantastic Gourmet Chocolates Delivered to your Home

You and Chocolate:

Most sensible people are not concerned about their consumption of chocolate, considering them a luxury. They are usually given by an admirer, or purchased in an impulse to cheer us up after a gruelling day at the office.

Whatever our reasons, we like chocolate’s comforting power. Gourmet chocolates are fantastic, as are Swiss, Belgian, Thornton’s (my personal favourites) and Hershey’s chocolate.

There are increasingly more and more Internet sites, where you can browse the aisles of online Chocolate Malls, in a quest for 24/7 never ending chocolate heaven.

So, as you sit at home, indulging in your latest purchase a word of warning: If you have a dog or other pet.

Don’t Ever Feed Them Chocolate!

Let me repeat that!

Don’t Ever Feed Them Chocolate!

There are two extremely compelling reasons for this:

a. Theobromine is toxic for animals and can cause serious problems for them.

b. If you share your favourite chocolates: THERE’S LESS FOR YOU!