Let's Talk Pro-Chocolate: Real Kinds We Like, How We Eat/Use Them
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The cocoa/cacao in savory foods is of course a sort of branch off the idea of things like the dark mole sauces, where chocolate is typically added near the end of sauce prep. The cocoa powder needs a bit more cooking, IMO, for best flavor. I think of this (cocoa in sauces) as a sort of vegetarian trick to add a bit of umami and . . . I don't know, almost a slight quasi-metallic tang (?) that some meats have to vegetarian dishes where appropriate, while not actually tasting like meat (a thing I mostly never liked all that much, even in my youth when I ate it).
Isn't it really amazing? A food we associate with sweetness actually can also be used to create an entirely different one of the five tastes. And while we're at it, when it's not sweetened, it's actually just a little bitter. Three of five flavors from one plant product. I veritable trifecta of flavor. Adding salt and vinegar for the "quintafecta." Is there actually a word to describe a run of FIVE wins?2 -
The cocoa/cacao in savory foods is of course a sort of branch off the idea of things like the dark mole sauces, where chocolate is typically added near the end of sauce prep. The cocoa powder needs a bit more cooking, IMO, for best flavor. I think of this (cocoa in sauces) as a sort of vegetarian trick to add a bit of umami and . . . I don't know, almost a slight quasi-metallic tang (?) that some meats have to vegetarian dishes where appropriate, while not actually tasting like meat (a thing I mostly never liked all that much, even in my youth when I ate it).
Isn't it really amazing? A food we associate with sweetness actually can also be used to create an entirely different one of the five tastes. And while we're at it, when it's not sweetened, it's actually just a little bitter. Three of five flavors from one plant product. I veritable trifecta of flavor. Adding salt and vinegar for the "quintafecta." Is there actually a word to describe a run of FIVE wins?
It's amazing actually when I add chocolate to my mole and how it transforms it into a totally different product. I adjust the amounts depending on which entree I'm preparing for my menu. cheers2 -
The cocoa/cacao in savory foods is of course a sort of branch off the idea of things like the dark mole sauces, where chocolate is typically added near the end of sauce prep. The cocoa powder needs a bit more cooking, IMO, for best flavor. I think of this (cocoa in sauces) as a sort of vegetarian trick to add a bit of umami and . . . I don't know, almost a slight quasi-metallic tang (?) that some meats have to vegetarian dishes where appropriate, while not actually tasting like meat (a thing I mostly never liked all that much, even in my youth when I ate it).
Isn't it really amazing? A food we associate with sweetness actually can also be used to create an entirely different one of the five tastes. And while we're at it, when it's not sweetened, it's actually just a little bitter. Three of five flavors from one plant product. I veritable trifecta of flavor. Adding salt and vinegar for the "quintafecta." Is there actually a word to describe a run of FIVE wins?
Yeah! Also, good chocolate/cocoa/cacao is a nicely complex blend of flavors. I think that's why we humans like it so much (well, probably that and in most chocolate the fats and some sugar (negligible in cocoa powder)! ).
Cocoa powder also has some fiber, and a surprising amount of protein (EAA incomplete, though - low on methionine**
). The cacao powder I usually use claims 26% of calories from protein, and per 8g (a bit over a tablespoon) almost 3 grams of fiber, 160mg of potassium, around 57 mg magnesium (18% DV), over 5% of daily iron . . . whoo-hoo, it's a superfood! 
Maybe it's the bitterness that led me to say "quasi-metallic".
** source (of unclear authority): https://www.soupersage.com/complete-protein-pairings/cocoa-powder1 -
Whaattt !!! There is no such thing Sprinlering !!springlering62 wrote: »Even better than Belgian. (Sorry, Belgian friends).springlering62 wrote: »However, there is one place our Benelux friends excel.
That's Dutch, ow the blasphemy !!
(although I might slightly agree with you - but I wouldn't say it out loud)
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Antiopelle wrote: »
Whaattt !!! There is no such thing Sprinlering !!springlering62 wrote: »Even better than Belgian. (Sorry, Belgian friends).springlering62 wrote: »However, there is one place our Benelux friends excel.
That's Dutch, ow the blasphemy !!
(although I might slightly agree with you - but I wouldn't say it out loud)
Jacques has great 'hagelslag' as well!
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Antiopelle wrote: »springlering62 wrote: »However, there is one place our Benelux friends excel.
That's Dutch, ow the blasphemy !!
To us, Benelux is Belgium-Netherlands-Luxembourg. 😚0 -
I picked up some organic Cacao Nibs today to add to yogurt. Mmmm.
In a moment of weakness, I also grabbed a bar of Theo 85% dark chocolate with salted cashews.
What the heck am I even thinking? I bet it will be good. That's what I'm thinking.5 -
As I see it, the problem with nuts in chocolate is that they leave less room for more chocolate. 🤔4
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springlering62 wrote: »As I see it, the problem with nuts in chocolate is that they leave less room for more chocolate. 🤔
Yeah, there's that. But I wanted the salt, and I have had almonds before. This will be a new flavor combination.
I have no idea how I manged to NOT open the package yesterday.3 -
springlering62 wrote: »As I see it, the problem with nuts in chocolate is that they leave less room for more chocolate. 🤔
Amen. Peanut butter, on the other hand, is great.1 -
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GigiAgape1981 wrote: »
What really surprises me is that last night was the second night that treat has been inside my house, and it's still in the original wrapper. I wonder if there's something wrong with me.5 -
I'm not much for sweets in general, but there are many benefits to a small bit of dark chocolate, so it is common for me have a couple squares as the last part of my dinner - generally I go for 70-85% cacao, so pretty minimal carbs in there. I do enjoy it, and it doesn't mess up my diet, keeps me from desiring other sweets (like ice cream) most of the time.
I've been getting mine at Lidl, their store brand, and love it, even more than some Lindt my bf picked up for me once. Trader Joe's store brand was fine too.1 -
springlering62 wrote: »As I see it, the problem with nuts in chocolate is that they leave less room for more chocolate. 🤔
So ya buy 2 bars. I don't see a problem. Plus there's that thing about not metabolizing all the calories in nuts, and they do taste pretty good, IMO.
I like almonds (especially salted ones) in chocolate, not sure how I'd like the salted cashews mtaratoot mentioned. I have mixed feelings about cashews in some other contexts, too.
Here's a minority report: I don't like hazelnuts in chocolate at. all. Nutella is just gross. Way too many of the "imported" "Belgian" chocolates have hazelnuts, too. Uck. (I like hazelnuts OK in some other contexts.)
Additional nostalgic digression: Years back, I once invented a cookie recipe that had a not-too-sweet but pretty plain slightly-risen cookie base (between crisp and cake-y) topped with sliced brazil nuts, and - when they came out of the oven and cooled a little - a heavy drizzle of chocolate ganache. Yum.
Brazil nuts are excellent with chocolate, but I could easily eat enough of them to selenium-overdose myself.2 -
Here's a minority report: I don't like hazelnuts in chocolate at. all. Nutella is just gross. Way too many of the "imported" "Belgian" chocolates have hazelnuts, too. Uck. (I like hazelnuts OK in some other contexts.)
Oh my! Don't conflate Nutella with chocolate and hazelnuts! Nutella is mostly sugar and palm oil. It's only 13% hazelnuts. It's a sugary spread.
We grow hazelnuts where I live. They are really tasty. We tend to grow the smaller varieties that are ideal for cordials and chocolates. Fresh hazelnuts are really delicious, especially roasted. If you simply have them after they are dipped/coated in dark chocolate, you might find they are nothing at all like Nutella. But best not to try that because you'll be hooked and it will be yet another temptation.
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Here's a minority report: I don't like hazelnuts in chocolate at. all. Nutella is just gross. Way too many of the "imported" "Belgian" chocolates have hazelnuts, too. Uck. (I like hazelnuts OK in some other contexts.)
Oh my! Don't conflate Nutella with chocolate and hazelnuts! Nutella is mostly sugar and palm oil. It's only 13% hazelnuts. It's a sugary spread.
We grow hazelnuts where I live. They are really tasty. We tend to grow the smaller varieties that are ideal for cordials and chocolates. Fresh hazelnuts are really delicious, especially roasted. If you simply have them after they are dipped/coated in dark chocolate, you might find they are nothing at all like Nutella. But best not to try that because you'll be hooked and it will be yet another temptation.
No. I've tried good hazelnuts. I like them in some contexts. I don't like them in chocolate. Not in good chocolate, not in bad chocolate: To my very individual personal palate chocolate and hazelnuts are not a good combination.
Chocolate with some other nuts? Yummy to me. Hazelnuts in some other foods? Yummy to me. The two together? A big NO. To me.
Nutella's just an easy target. One of those weird so-called hyperpalatable things that just don't taste good. To me. Many people bring it up when chocolate and hazelnuts are discussed, think it's yum (so I mentioned it, too).
Good (not too dried-out) candied ginger coated in good chocolate, though . . . I can go for that.2 -
They just gotta get the lead out.
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springlering62 wrote: »As I see it, the problem with nuts in chocolate is that they leave less room for more chocolate. 🤔
So ya buy 2 bars. I don't see a problem. Plus there's that thing about not metabolizing all the calories in nuts, and they do taste pretty good, IMO.
I like almonds (especially salted ones) in chocolate, not sure how I'd like the salted cashews mtaratoot mentioned. I have mixed feelings about cashews in some other contexts, too.
Here's a minority report: I don't like hazelnuts in chocolate at. all. Nutella is just gross. Way too many of the "imported" "Belgian" chocolates have hazelnuts, too. Uck. (I like hazelnuts OK in some other contexts.)
Additional nostalgic digression: Years back, I once invented a cookie recipe that had a not-too-sweet but pretty plain slightly-risen cookie base (between crisp and cake-y) topped with sliced brazil nuts, and - when they came out of the oven and cooled a little - a heavy drizzle of chocolate ganache. Yum.
Brazil nuts are excellent with chocolate, but I could easily eat enough of them to selenium-overdose myself.
...and apparently one only needs one Brazil nut to fill that need (nutrition wise...not psychologically speaking though😉).1 -
springlering62 wrote: »As I see it, the problem with nuts in chocolate is that they leave less room for more chocolate. 🤔
So ya buy 2 bars. I don't see a problem. Plus there's that thing about not metabolizing all the calories in nuts, and they do taste pretty good, IMO.
I like almonds (especially salted ones) in chocolate, not sure how I'd like the salted cashews mtaratoot mentioned. I have mixed feelings about cashews in some other contexts, too.
Here's a minority report: I don't like hazelnuts in chocolate at. all. Nutella is just gross. Way too many of the "imported" "Belgian" chocolates have hazelnuts, too. Uck. (I like hazelnuts OK in some other contexts.)
Additional nostalgic digression: Years back, I once invented a cookie recipe that had a not-too-sweet but pretty plain slightly-risen cookie base (between crisp and cake-y) topped with sliced brazil nuts, and - when they came out of the oven and cooled a little - a heavy drizzle of chocolate ganache. Yum.
Brazil nuts are excellent with chocolate, but I could easily eat enough of them to selenium-overdose myself.
...and apparently one only needs one Brazil nut to fill that need (nutrition wise...not psychologically speaking though😉).
I knoooooow. It's so sad, because I love them - my favorite nut. I've pointed that risk out on various threads where people recommend eating brazil nuts as a snack for healthy fats or whatever during weight loss. Super small handful of those babies a day, we're well over the documented tolerable upper limit.
Once in a while, with chocolate, though? Mmmm. (Even without chocolate, but that would be off topic. .).
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That cashew chocolate bar? I thought it would be larger chunks of cashews. They were tiny tiny specs all throughout. Not a whole lot of salt either.
I had to shake my head because one serving is 1/3 of a bar. The bar has eight squares. Someone at Theo has bad math. Or more likely, the bar used to be four ounces, not three, and the serving size might have been a quarter of a bar. Same serving size - one ounce. It just would be actually possible to make one or two servings. As the bar is built, if you really want to be ~accurate~ with your servings, because no way could even an expert like me break up the remaining two squares into three equal parts, is to eat all three servings.
I will try some other bar next time. Might be a while. The cacao nibs were a nice addition to my yogurt and oats this morning.3
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