Description of Dark chocolate
This type of chocolate is luxurious, exotic, it has a rich flavour and is widely used for candies, sauces, and gourmet treats. Dark chocolates popularity is growing rapidly and it is told to be more prominent flavor for adults.
What Dark chocolate is used for
Dark chocolate is used nearly as milk chocolate – for chips, baking bars, candy bars, frostings, fondue dips, truffles, ice cream, hot cocoa, etc. Chocolateurs use different proportions of cocoa products, milk and sugar in their dark chocolate recipes but there are two main different labels for dark chocolate – bittersweet and semisweet.
Many chocolate makers says that dark chocolate’s bitter taste mellows with age and tastes better after several months after it is manufactured. Because of the higher concentration of cocoa products, dark chocolate is slightly more expensive than milk chocolate.
The benefits of Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate has the biggest influence for health, because it has the higher concentration of cocoa products. Chocolate contains several chemicals which are associated with pleasant emotions and antioxidant chemicals known which prevents heart diseases, plant phenols from the cacao plant lowers blood pressure, and flavonoids improves blood flow and may help prevent the formation of blood clots as well as arteriosclerosis. The flavonoids in dark chocolate also help reduce insulin resistance. By increasing blood flow chocolate stimulates not only heart, but brains as well which can help improve cognitive function. Dark chocolate contains the chemical phenylethylamine which encourages brain to release endorphins – lucky hormones, which makes to feel like falling in love. As well, dark chocolate has twice antioxidants as milk chocolate. Antioxidants help free body of free radicals, which causes oxidative damage to cells. Oxidative damage implicates aging process and may cause cancer. Theobromine, which is find in dark chocolate too, hardens tooth enamel and stimulates as caffeine. But, despite, health benefits you cannot forget that dark chocolate is a highly caloric content!
More about Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate contains a higher percentage of chocolate liqueur or cocoa solids (50-80%) and it has less milk and sugar than milk chocolate. This gives dark chocolate stronger and more intense flavor.