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an edible holiday!
bittersweet chocolate
by erin thursby    scopes1925@msn.com

      Bittersweet Chocolate Day is January 10th. Take a moment to celebrate and buy some dark chocolate to tide you over till February. I’m sure you’ve heard that chocolate can actually be healthy for you. Any woman (or man, for that matter) who loves chocolate will immediately seize upon this news, using it as an excuse for their addiction to the lovely stuff.
      The bad news is that some or all of these benefits can be cancelled out by the processing, sugars and fat present in most milk chocolate bars. The healthier choice is darker chocolates, which often cut out much of the sugar and some of the fat.
      Benefits include a lower blood pressure and more antioxidants. The antioxidants present in the more concentrated dark chocolate can be interfered with if you consume them with milk. So, even if you choose dark over milk, you’ll have to remember not drink milk with it, for the maximum benefit. (Dark chocolate connoisseurs actually prefer cold water to clean the palate between different chocolate blends). You’ll also want to make sure you’re not adding extra calories to your diet.
      Dark chocolate and its health benefits have become so popular that it is now fairly easy to find a bar of 80% cacao or higher, if you visit the candy aisle at the grocery store. Aside from the health benefits, dark chocolate can have a much more complex flavor than milk chocolate. A dark chocolate, tasted slowly can reveal layers of flavor, not unlike a fine wine.
      For an adventure in dark chocolate flavors and pairings, you might want to visit the fabulous and new Etiquette of Chocolate (1988 Kingsley Ave. Orange Park 904-298-3098) out in Orange Park. They have some really intriguing dark chocolate combos, such as their Humility bonbon, infused with lapsong souchong tea or Love, made of pure dark chocolate goodness.
      If you don’t like dark chocolate, but you love milk chocolate, you don’t have to give up your passion. Just start with some of the “lighter” dark chocolates, with a 45-50% cacao ratio. Once you get used to that, you can graduate to a darker chocolate.

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