Basically, chocolate is the awesome stuff derived from the awesome plant called Theobroma cacao, also known as the cocoa tree. As seen on the left, pods are formed after the flowers of the cocoa trees get pollinated; and from the seeds within, chocolate is extracted.
Let's start of with something half humorous. The video here is one which two guys (possibly gay, but very funny and amusing) who took upon them themselves to go on a one-day mono-diet of chocolate. I doubt anyone has tried this, let alone by 2 people in one go. Not something I'd recommend, though I'd like a chocolate liqueur drink. Any one up for a Mozart Black?
Enjoy!
Ok, did that put you off from the rest of this blog post?
No?
Good.
Now on to the good stuff.
As you all might have heard already, chocolate is a source of feel-good compounds called endorphins.
Yes and No. Chocolate is a source of Phenylethylamine (PEA) which induces endorphin release in our brains. So technically, you're eating the trigger of happiness rather than happiness itself.
Similarly, PEA is naturally produced by the brain when one is in love; thus it is more correct to say the perception of Love causes the feeling of Happiness instead of being in Love as equal to being Happy.
Lol. But seriously, the highlight of this dark drink, the main compound in chocolate is Theobromine. An alkaloid, it is a molecular cousin to the infamous caffeine. Differing by being one methyl short. Its milder than caffeine and has much less eye-opening effect, but nevertheless significant. Despite its name, it contains no bromine: from the scientific name of the plant (Theobroma) with the addition of the suffix -ine, to form the word theobromine. Fans of Group 17 be a little disappointed. There have been many instances of theobromine being used as treatment for certain ailments, acting as a vasodilator (blood vessel widener) and diuretic (urination aid)
Another important compound is of course, cousin caffeine. I'm assuming that most of you know enough about caffeine, I wouldn't be too surprised if a few of you readers are, like yours truly, caffeine addicts. Though I suppose I could write a post about caffeine, seeing that I did went through the withdrawal symptoms once. Suffice to say, I have to control my intake, lest I relapse and need coffee as a car needs petrol. Zombie days, you know..
Random fact, according to a chemistry blog, "to make a very good cocoa aroma, you need only 25 of the nearly 600 volatile compounds present in the beans" which baffles me as I think the other 575 or so compounds are equally important in fine-tuning the cocoa taste and gives it body. I haven't read the paper in question, but I would really love to. LOL. What do you remember about your chocolate experience?
The fun thing is that the flavours are released when that little piece of chocolate gets warmed (melted) in your mouth. Which is why M&Ms got it damn right when they advertised "melts in your mouth not in your hands".We need the warm and damp environment to produce that ever-unique chocolate experience. I liken this phenomena to the release of aroma during the brewing of coffee, and as those volatile compounds get boiled over (usually takes 5 minutes at 100 degrees Celsius) the coffee turns bland and sometimes rancid (but that's due to another chemical reaction altogether).
Personally, I'm a fan of unsweetened dark chocolate, the bitter-tasting block of gold is awsumz! (ooh, I sound like a junkie now, yes?) Though I wouldn't mind receiving a different sorta high with good old kinder bueno sweet hazelnut-ty creamy stuff. lol. Less frequently, of course.
Ciao! :D
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