“If there is no chocolate in Heaven, I don't want to go”. She said it Ernst Knam, one of the best and best-known pastry chefs in Europe, and he's not entirely wrong. Chocolate is a real delicacy, an ancient and versatile food but not only in the kitchen, also due to the beneficial properties and varied uses that are often not known. From emollient and nourishing properties to a remedy for problems caused by insomnia: here's how to use the chocolate differently and best pairings.
The history of chocolate
The history of chocolate is thousands of years long: for the Mayans and the Aztecs cocoa was a divine gift, for this reason they called it Food of the Gods, and its consumption was reserved only for some classes of the population (sovereigns, nobles and warriors) in the form of a hot bitter drink. While cocoa beans were used as a monetary unit and were used to pay taxes.
But who brought the cocoa in Europe? Christopher Columbus he is the first European to try cocoa in 1502 when during his fourth trip to the Americas he touches the island of Gunaja. Only in 1520, however, chocolate officially entered Europe, thanks to Hernán Cortés. Which had brought him to his land, Spain. At first it was only used as a medicine to treat particular ailments. Then some friars, with a passion for blends, replaced some ingredients with cane sugar and vanilla. The result A sweet drink, the ancestor of our hot chocolate.
In the seventeenth century cocoa finally arrived in Italy. In 1606 chocolate was being made in the cities of Florence, Venezia e Torino. In the early days, chocolate was regarded as a luxurious food. widespread among the nobles of Europe and the Dutch - skilled navigators - wrested world control and commercial dominance from the Spanish.
Pairings with chocolate starting from the varieties
There are different types of chocolate, based on the percentage of cocoa and the various added ingredients:
- White chocolate: ivory in colour, glossy with an intense, rich and persistent bouquet; very marked sweet taste. Only cocoa butter is used, therefore without the paste, with the addition of vanilla, sugar and milk.
- Milk chocolate: light brown, glossy color with a lingering, rich aroma and a full aroma of caramel and cocoa. It is obtained by adding powdered milk to the cocoa mass.
- Dark: dark brown, shiny colour. Strong, intense, aromatic bouquet. must contain at least 43% cocoa mass.
- Extra dark: dark brown tending towards black, the percentage must reach at least 85-90%. Fragrant, aromatic, very intense and persistent bouquet.
- Gianduia: Turin specialty born at the beginning of the 1865th century, to get around the Napoleonic blockade on cocoa, and officially presented in 20 on the occasion of the Carnival, in honor of the Gianduja mask. The legislation provides for hazelnuts in a percentage between 40 and XNUMX%.
The best combinations in the kitchen with chocolate
Chocolate is not only used in confectionery, can also be used in a variety of savory dishes, as in the form of a chocolate sauce served with turkey and venison, mixed into a sauce with red wine and chili peppers, and added to meat red, as a spice or even to make fresh pasta. It also goes well as a garnish: there are those who sprinkle a little on the cacio e pepe.
Even some types of fish, such as squid, scallop and lobster, are suited to the flavor of cocoa. It seems that already in ancient times the cappuccina cod was flavored with cocoa. But chocolate also looks great on vegetables. Even the most classic aubergine can give an extra sprint: parmigiana with chocolate sauce, although purists may not agree. But chocolate goes well with everything, even with spices and drinks, wine and tea.
Currently, starred chefs offer avant-garde recipes with chocolate. The target? Create original combinations and give their dishes an exotic touch. It all comes down to finding the right combinations with chocolate and correctly dosing the ingredients. Let's see some combinations:
- Chocolate and cheese it is a great classic starting from the cocoa tagliatelle seasoned with gorgonzola. The aromatic notes of the chocolate blend perfectly with the delicacy of the milk.
- Chocolate and chilli used from the beginning by the Mayans and the Aztecs.
- White chocolate and caviar: Chef Heston Blumenthal is the father of this pairing. While Turbot in cocoa crust is the creative idea of Carlo Cracco.
- Chocolate and bacon it's another combination that, as risky as it may seem, is actually very popular in the United States. It involves grilling the bacon or frying it in its own fat and then coating it with dark chocolate melted in a double boiler. A garnish of pistachio or salt can then be added and eaten as a snack. Ernst Knam's idea? The lobster in white chocolate and vanilla sauce.
The benefits of dark chocolate
According to studies by Humanitas medical care, chocolate – that fondant – not only is it good for mood but it also has positive effects on the immune system and is a powerful anti-inflammatory. Obviously its consumption must be moderate.
Even a daily use of cocoa – provided it is limited – affects the chronic inflammation, with a reduced incidence of diseases such as, for example, atherosclerosis, tumors, degenerative diseases and inflammation of the endothelium with consequent hypertension.
Furthermore, dark chocolate – always in small quantities – is able to stimulate the memory e concentration, as well as playing an important role in improving the muscular performance of athletes subjected to great oxidative stress. And finally, it is a powerful aphrodisiac.
