Chocolate
Antioxidant-rich Medicinal Food
by Sandra Brandt

Special dates on the calendar, such as Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Halloween, are often celebrated with chocolate treats. In fact, chocolate and red wine are among the most common gifts given on special occasions. Coincidentally, both are also noted for their antioxidant-rich health benefits.

Chocolate, originally recognized for its therapeutic properties, has become a guilty pleasure in modern times, but is now once again coming into its own as a highly regarded medicinal food.

Health checkmarks are usually awarded only to pure dark chocolate, in a form that contains as little sugar and other additives as possible. So forget about candy bars, milk chocolate, and white chocolate; to get any health benefits from chocolate it’s recommended to get used to eating 70% dark chocolate, in small amounts of course, and gradually train the taste buds to enjoy as pure a form as possible, perhaps as high as 90% chocolate. The rest of the percentage points of course are mainly sugar, so the less sugar and the more chocolate in the mixture while still allowing for an enjoyable taste experience, the better it is for you.

Various other aspects are also reflected in the taste experience and the health benefits of eating chocolate. Like the relationship between wine and grapes, the quality of a particular batch of chocolate depends in large part on the beans—the growing conditions in that season, the area they come from, and the exact mixture of different types of beans—as well as the exact processing methods, consisting of fermentation, roasting, and mixing. So many variations make up the equation that it is possible for artisanal chocolate makers and gourmet tasters to detect differences not only between brands, but also between various batches and years of production, again similar to the differences in wines.

Chocolate hasn’t always been the decadent treat it is nowadays. When European explorers first discovered the Americas, they found that cocoa beans were used as a form of currency among native peoples of Central America that they encountered. The main culinary use of these beans is to grind them for use in an unsweetened frothy beverage, flavoured with chili spices and sometimes vanilla pods. This drink was believed to cure stomach issues and other ailments, as well as being known as an aphrodisiac. Introduced into Europe by explorers in the late 16th century, it was not an easy taste to adapt to, being intensely bitter, but not long after, the combination of ground cocoa beans and sugar was discovered, and thereafter it became a very popular beverage. In a later development, the beans were pressed and processed into a solid product, also with added sugar, whereupon it became a sought-after food as well as a beverage.

Controversy is ongoing regarding whether chocolate is actually a healthy food. The major benefits promoted for chocolate are its antioxidant-rich flavonoids, its high magnesium and sulfur content, and its feel-good serotonin activators. Dissenters, however, claim that it contains seriously addictive substances, such as caffeine and cannabinoid-like chemicals, as well as being hard on the digestive system.

Proponents of “raw chocolate” believe that this is the only way to realize the actual nutritional advantages; however, disagreement also arises over whether any chocolate we commonly consume can really be called raw, since both the fermentation and the roasting of the beans, which are necessary to bring out the characteristic flavours we associate with chocolate, produce temperatures that would conflict with most definitions of “raw.” Some say that it is actually possible to ferment and dehydrate the beans without allowing the temperatures to rise above 118º Fahrenheit, but this is not commonly done; even chocolate labelled as raw has almost always been heated above that temperature. For an in-depth examination of the claims about raw chocolate, visit the Chocolate Alchemy webpage listed in the resources at the end of this article.

Another concern is the “Dutch” process, a method of adding an alkalinizing agent to yield a milder flavour, more appetizing colour, and superior texture, which is used in most of the chocolate commonly consumed. This process does, however, destroy at least some portion of the much praised antioxidants in chocolate.

The cacao plant, which is the source of cocoa beans, is grown only around the equatorial belt, including South and Central America, Africa, and Indonesia. Serious labour and environmental abuses exist in the chocolate industry. As with many other resources, multinational corporations are sucking huge profits from less developed regions through their cocoa acquisition practices. Child labour and child trafficking are rampant in growing areas. The child workers of course have no idea of what the crop is used for and have certainly never had an opportunity to taste chocolate. When any particular country tries to introduce laws to curb abuses, the global companies simply move on to a more corporate-friendly region. Another issue is poor care of the tree stock in some regions in order to make a quicker profit without concern for the future wellbeing of the trees.

Chocolate that carries a Fair Trade label is produced by certain companies and organizations with the aim of eliminating these abuses, although to date it still only affects a very minute percentage of global cacao workers. Fair trade co-operatives are difficult and complex to organize and maintain due to the level of accountability and administration involved to ensure that standards are adhered to. CBC talk show host Carol Off, states in her book, Bitter Chocolate, “I discourage a boycott because I think cocoa is a good crop for the farmers and I don’t think a boycott will do any good. Fair trade is, I suppose, the only way to go, but the way to work on change is to buy your fair trade chocolate while writing your letter to government. They both have to be done.”

RECIPES

(organic, fair trade chocolate and cocoa highly recommended for all uses):

Chocolate Date Nut Truffles

Lots of creative versions of this recipe exist, and lots of possibilities to create your own...

Combine in food processor and process to a paste:

20 pitted dates
1 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 tsp light miso, or 1/4 tsp unrefined salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
Add: 3/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped or ground, and process again.

Place in a warm saucepan over lowest heat:

2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

When chocolate is melted, add processed mixture and stir well to combine.

(Taste for sweetness. May add a bit of unrefined sugar or stevia powder if needed.)

Place mixture in fridge for about 1/2 hour to chill. Take out and roll into balls.

Roll balls in:

Cocoa powder (may combine with a pinch of stevia powder) and/or finely chopped nuts.

Chili with Chocolate

Drawing on the South American tradition of combining chocolate and chili spice, simply add 30–60 grams of unsweetened chocolate, or several tbsp cocoa powder to your favourite chili dish, per each 2 lbs of meat in the recipe. Experiment with proportions, adding more chocolate/cocoa as desired. You can also experiment with vegetarian chili recipes in the same way. Cocoa powder is usually cooked in with the chili. Solid chocolate may be added after cooking and allowed to melt into the stewy mixture, and/or chopped and sprinkled on top of each serving for extra dramatic effect!

Quick Homemade Chocolate Sauce

Combine:

1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup cocoa powder

Stir carefully to fold the cocoa into the syrup. Add vanilla extract to taste. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Resources:
chocolatealchemy.com/the-truth-about-raw-chocolate/
www.cacaoweb.net
www.exploratorium.edu/exploring/exploring_chocolate/choc_2.html
www.sacredearth.com/ethnobotany/plantprofiles/cacao.php
www.thenibble.com
Bitter Chocolate: Investigating the Dark Side of the World’s Most Seductive Sweet, Carol Off, Random House, 2007

Sandra Brandt has had a lifelong interest in whole natural foods. She lives in Regina, where she gives cooking classes, presentations, and dietary consultations. She can be reached by email: brandt.s@sasktel.net. Also see the colour display ad on page 9 of the 19.4 November/December issue of the WHOLifE Journal.