Can chocolate be good for you? The Honest Truth about the sweet treat

ALASTAIR GOWER is a chocolate maker and co-founder of Chocolate Tree, which pioneers craft chocolate in Scotland.

The company has a shop in Edinburgh and sells online at choctree.co.uk. Here, Alastair tells Tracey Bryce the Honest Truth about the sweet treat.

Where does the word chocolate come from?

The Aztec word chocoltl which means bitter water.

Tell us about the history of chocolate.

The seeds of theobroma cacao were used to make a medicinal and ritual drink by the indigenous people of South and Central America.

Theobroma in Greek means “god food” or food of the gods. The Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes brought cacao seeds back to Spain, which then made their way through Europe. Sugar was then added for the European taste, along with other manufacturing innovations that finally led us to solid chocolate bars.

How many cocoa beans does it take to make chocolate?

Based on a 70% cocoa content chocolate bar, about 100g of beans will equal 100g of chocolate.

How long does it take to make a single-serve chocolate bar?

From when the pod is harvested from the tree, it can take around six months before the bar is in someone’s hand.

The best-before dates on dark chocolate are mostly arbitrary. Don’t be put off by a dark chocolate bar that’s past its best-before date. Other than losing its fat stability it will last for years.

Does chocolate contain caffeine? If so, how much?

While cacao has small amounts of caffeine, it does contain large amounts of theobromine.

This often causes confusion and people attribute the uplifting effect of chocolate to caffeine. Chocolate also contains anandamide, which is taken from the Sanskrit word for Ananda, meaning joy and bliss.

Why does the smell of chocolate trigger relaxation?

This may be due to childhood memories or association of chocolate as a food that gives pleasure. Apparently the aroma increases theta brain-waves which triggers relaxation.

Small quantities of premium chocolate are good for you because they give you the right kind of pleasure. There are numerous studies to show that chocolate is good for us – blood pressure, antioxidants, brain stimulation, the research is there.

But enjoying a really nice piece of chocolate is good for us because of the intense pleasure if provides. I’m not talking about cheap confectionery here, which will mostly make you feel guilty.

Are there really insect parts in chocolate?

You would be shocked at what turns up in bulk bags of cocoa beans.

I’ve heard of everything from insects and cigarette butts to someone’s prosthetic leg!

In a premium bag of cocoa beans, all the sorting is done hygienically on raised tables and, although we get the odd stone or insect, they are sorted out and typically the beans are very clean compared to bulk-grade cacao.

Tell us a few things about chocolate that we probably wouldn’t know.

Most chocolatiers don’t make chocolate, they buy it in and melt it down, mostly from the same big companies who use bulk uncertified cacao from West Africa.

Cocoa is very good for your gums, so dark chocolate with little sugar can be said to be good for your teeth.

Dark chocolate shouldn’t be bitter – bitterness is a sign of bad chocolate. Good dark chocolate can be very fruity and complex in flavour. Think of it like wine.

Why does chocolate melt in your mouth?

Cocoa butter, the fat in chocolate, melts at body temperature giving it that wonderful melt in the mouth sensation.