What could be better than the sweet, creamy taste of a decadent piece of chocolate coating your taste buds with sinful goodness? Chocolate may be incredibly satisfying to that sweet tooth, but the truth about chocolate is that it goes deeper than savoring a piece of Godiva.
According to Mark Tarner, president of the South Bend Chocolate Co., people have been fascinated with chocolate since the Aztec, Mayan and Olmec civilizations. They were among the first to consume chocolate, but in a liquid form. Chocolate was then brought to Europe where candy makers such as Lindt and Nestle developed a process to make chocolate similar to what we think of chocolate today.
Chocolate came to the United States during the 1700s and has become a part of every day life ever since.
“For Valentine’s Day, it’s flowers and chocolate, at Christmastime we give chocolate gifts, Easter, you eat chocolate Easter eggs, it’s probably in your purse, and in every vending machine,” said Tarner. “It’s something that’s very difficult to get away from; it’s a product that’s part of our culture.”
Chocolate may have been around for quite sometime, but what’s interesting to some is how it simply makes people happy.
Tarner compares the soothing and mood elevating effects of chocolate to eating chicken noodle soup when one is sick. There’s a chemical in chocolate called theobromine that acts as a mild stimulant. Combine the taste of chocolate, sugar, a small amount of caffeine, then the theobromine, and they all work together to elevate your mood.
Some believe that not only does chocolate make you blissful, but that it’s good for you.
“Dark chocolate has been in the media a lot in the past couple of years because it’s high in antioxidants. It’s known to have neutralizing effects on cholesterol and it’s good for fighting against free radicals in your body,” explained Renee Sweany, marketing associate, Endangered Species Chocolate Co.
Sweany warns consumers when choosing chocolate, look for the main ingredients to be cocoa based. Chocolate begins as fruit, the cacao bean, from the cacao tree. Once you extract the bean, it is turned into cocoa powder, cocoa liquor or cocoa butter. Each of those can be formulated into creating chocolate.
“There’s so much chocolate that’s artificially sweetened or artificially ‘watered down’ with other ingredients that has nothing to do with cocoa. It should have very few ingredients,” said Sweany. “We’ve gotten used to certain brands of chocolate, but when you get to your higher end, gourmet chocolate you can taste the difference.”
The Endangered Species Chocolate Co. has even taken the delicious treat a step further by producing chocolate that’s either all natural or made with organic products. They even donate 10 percent of their annual net profit to endangered species conservation efforts.
Chocolate has evolved and now comes in voluminous shapes, sizes and flavors and even incorporates environmental and ecological efforts. What was once regarded as a luxury fit for kings and queens, chocolate brings about incredible benefits, indulgence and satisfaction one wouldn’t believe.
“Chocolate is one of those magical things like coffee or tobacco; one of these things that humans need and crave. It’s unlike any other drug,” said Tarner.
