Chocolate - to be delicious, it must be smooth.

When it comes to chocolate, many people immediately think of the countless chocolate bars in supermarkets, with all sorts of flavors from dark, brown, and milk chocolate to chocolates with jam or nut fillings. Making chocolate is not simple, and the chocolate bars on the shelves don't fully capture the magic of this sweet treat.

Where does chocolate come from?

Originating from South America, chocolate is considered one of the "sacred" foods, a symbol of nobility and the "food of the gods." Before its introduction to Europe, the aristocracy in some regions, such as Arabia, used chocolate as a beverage to enhance sexual arousal. Even later, when Europe discovered chocolate, they only consumed it in liquid form.

Everyone knows that chocolate is made from cocoa beans. But from cocoa beans, we can make... two different versions of chocolate from different parts of the bean.

Cocoa beans yield both cocoa butter and cocoa powder, which can be used to make various types of chocolate. Since Joseph Storrs Fry invented the steam engine method of separating the beans in 1795, Europe has been able to produce convenient, easy-to-eat, and easy-to-store solid chocolate bars.

Chocolate tastes best when it's smooth.

For many people, chocolate is divided into many types such as dark chocolate, white chocolate, milk chocolate, etc., but in reality, there are only two types of chocolate: compound chocolate and couverture chocolate.

Compound chocolate, simply put, is a mixed chocolate made from cocoa powder, margarine (very few places use animal butter), and sugar. This method is considered quick, simple, and overcomes issues of cost and supply... However, the flavor is not outstanding.

As for couverture chocolate, this is a type of pure chocolate where the main ingredient is whole cocoa beans. After the cocoa beans are shelled, they are finely ground and dutched to produce cocoa powder and cocoa butter. Chocolate artisans then use their "magical hands" to create firm, smooth, dense, and fragrant chocolate bars. Typically, there will be a little sugar in the ingredients. Furthermore, pure chocolates are also transformed into many versions such as: dark chocolate (pure), milk chocolate, white chocolate (made entirely from cocoa butter), chocolate mixed with nuts and dried fruits, etc.

While couverture chocolate is smooth and dense, compound chocolate is the opposite. With a less firm texture and many air bubbles, compound chocolate often has a slightly porous or hollow interior, and its surface is not very smooth.

Typically, when eating chocolate directly, people often choose couverture chocolate because of its smooth texture and delicious flavor. Chocolate compounds, on the other hand, are an indispensable ingredient in bakeries of all sizes due to their versatility and reasonable cost.

The first sensation when eating a piece of compound chocolate is its sweetness, slightly gritty texture, and the slightly sticky, buttery "trace" it leaves on the tongue. With couverture chocolate, the aroma of cocoa is the first thing that overwhelms the taste buds, followed by a smooth, melting sensation on the tongue. Savoring a piece of pure chocolate and letting the warmth of the palate melt it is perhaps the sweetest thing anyone could wish for on a cold winter's day.

Chocolate on Valentine's Day

Before becoming a Valentine's Day gift, chocolate was a gift given on important occasions by the Aztecs. The people there believed that chocolate was closely connected to the gods and that only the nobility were allowed to enjoy this "sacred" food.

Starting in 1902, chocolate became a popular gift for Valentine's Day. No one knows exactly why people in the past chose this sweet treat as a gift, but to this day, we cannot deny the importance of chocolate on this most romantic holiday.

From a scientific perspective, chocolate is a drink that stimulates and releases "happiness hormones," as well as replenishing energy and vitality in men. For women, chocolate acts as a mood-enhancing food and helps warm the body. Perhaps this is why people give each other shiny, fragrant chocolate bars as a subtle and delicate declaration of love, imbued with deep affection.

The phrase "Be Mine" is considered the most popular phrase printed on chocolate bars sold on Valentine's Day.

Hopefully, with this article, Travellive can share with our readers some fresh perspectives on chocolate. More than just an ordinary food, chocolate has transcended the culinary world, becoming a symbol of love and passion for decades.

Travellive wishes our readers lots of joy this upcoming Valentine's Day!

Ha Chuu