Ah, chocolate! Sooo great!

BRUSSELS, Belgium — One of the best (and worst) things about being in Belgium is the easy access to some of the world’s finest chocolates. The Swiss or the French may think otherwise, but there is no doubt in my mind and to my tastebuds that when it comes to chocolate, the Belgians reign supreme. Belgium is home to Godiva, Neuhaus, Leonidas and other famous chocolatiers. It is difficult to walk through the cobblestone streets of Brussels and Antwerp without being seduced by the many little chocolate shops — all with mouth-watering display windows — tempting passersby with every kind of chocolate bar, praline, truffle and pastille imaginable.

It is not hard to believe that in Belgium, as in most parts of Europe, making chocolate is an artform. There are guided tours of chocolate factories, where the history of this old-world "temptress" is discussed with the same passion as the works of European masters. And why not? After all, chocolate is and has been a great mystery for the pleasures it has given and continues to give humankind.

The Truth And Myths About Chocolate

When Columbus first anchored off the island of Guanaja in 1502, the local people showered him with valuable gifts, including the cocoa bean. It would be many years however, before the Spanish conquerors learned its true value.

The story of chocolate actually begins with the Aztecs. Although cocoa to the Aztecs was, above all else, a mystical raw material — a source of nourishing and beneficial substances. They also used cocoa beans as currency to buy food and slaves. Eventually, the Spaniards caught on to the monetary value of the cocoa bean and began to ship these natural riches to Europe.

Myths about the cocoa bean spread like wildfire across Europe. At one point, the Church even denounced a certain drink formulated by Spanish monks, derived from an original Aztec invention called "Xocolatl," a dark brown bitter drink made from roasted, ground cocoa beans and natural flavorings, as a "devil’s drink," an incitement to lust and sin. There was also talk that the notorious Casanova drank chocolate rather than champagne to inflame his passions.

At one point, the Church even denounced chocolate’s role in courtship as a symbol of love and affection. And so continues the myth that has made a legend of chocolate...

The chocolate of today still comes from the original recipe developed by those Spanish monks. The Dutch refined the techniques of cocoa processing, the French developed the bonbon, the Swiss invented milk chocolate, the Belgians, the famous Belgian chocolates in the very first "Ballotin" packaging, while the Brits a "democratic" milk chocolate, priced for "commoners."

How Chocolate Is Made

The cocoa tree flourishes only in the warm, humid regions around the equator. Just as in wine vineyards, however, each region produces cocoa with a unique taste and aroma. The soil, climate, scents of flowers, and trees in the immediate environment all help to determine the aromas contained within the cocoa fruit. After harvesting, the fruits are carefully stripped off their beans, which are then fermented for days before being left to dry in the sun. Beans of different origins are carefully mixed to a specific blend, to create a rich and balanced fusion of aromas. Then they are roasted and ground to form "cocoa mass," later mixed with cocoa butter, sugar, vanilla and lecithin. After rolling into a fine paste, the chocolate can then be formed into blocks, bars or tablets.

Cocoa has the greatest impact on the price of chocolate. The more cocoa it contains, the more expensive the chocolate is. The more added ingredients, such as milk and sugar, the less expensive it is. Cadbury, for example, known historically as the brand name that "democratized" chocolate, has a particularly high milk content and, consequently, a favorable price tag. For some purists, however, chocolate must contain up to 90 percent cocoa. At the end of the day, nobody, not even so-called chocolate connoisseurs, can dictate what is the best chocolate for each one’s palette.

Some people may prefer a Hershey bar to a Godiva praline any day, but there is no denying that there is more work involved in creating a fine praline or savory truffle — artfully done by hand and individually dipped to produce just the exact chocolate coat required in every piece. Hence, it fetches a higher price tag. On the other hand, with industrial producers like Hershey, Mars and Cadbury, the production process is partly or completely automated — enabling them to sell their bars at a lower price.

So, is chocolate really just one of man’s sinful creations? The rules that apply to almost everything else in life also apply to chocolate—enjoy it, but do so in moderation. The good news is since cocoa and chocolate contain certain specific chemical substances, science surmises that they should have a beneficial effect on the human body. The so-called flava–noids, for example, may protect the body against the "free-radicals" that can cause cancer or heart disease, just as those found in red wine. There is also the positive stimulant activity of theobromine on the brain and nervous system, which leads to the speculation that chocolate may be beneficial to one’s love life, acting as some sort of aphrodisiac. This, of course, may belong to one of the myths about chocolate.

What is scientifically proven is that chocolate does not cause any increase in cholesterol levels, assuming moderate consumption, does not cause acne breakouts, or tooth decay.

With certainty, chocolate is a heavenly creation for humankind to enjoy and, fortunately, it will be around to tempt us for a very long time.