Chocolate, Sweetheart...

Just a year ago I started my blog, with for Valentine's Day an article about my solo wedding in Santorini.

To celebrate this anniversary, a new magazine cover with a 2-page article in the February special issue Take a Break UK! (Check here Media).

​So after talking to you a lot, in 2018, about my declaration of love to myself (Article Life Changer), I then told you my longest love story with coffee (Reread Coffee Addict), but I must admit that the true love of my life is chocolate!

Not a day without eating chocolate. And at certain times of the year it even becomes my main meal hahaha.

I think I was born covered with chocolate. My mom worked for a chocolate maker when she was pregnant, so all these chocolate vapours must have influenced my metabolism!

But let’s talk about its origin:
The first traces of chocolate drinks date back to 1900 BC, the word chocolate comes from the word 'nahuati xoxolati' which means bitter water. Europeans will discover it in the 16th century thanks to Christopher Columbus.

Chocolate was considered as one of the first medicine and the first chocolate makers like Nestlé were chemists.

Chocolate as we know it today appeared at the end of the 19th century after the discovery of new techniques invented by Coenraad Van Houten, Henri Nestlé and Rudolphe Lindt. The major brands we know today were born at this time: Lindt (1845), Nestle (1866), Cadbury (1868), Hershey (1893).

Some figures for your general knowledge:
The annual world consumption of cocoa represents more than 4 million tons per year, ie 127 kilos per second!

Six multinationals, including Nestlé, Mars and Cadbury, account for 80% of the global chocolate market.

Europeans alone consume about 50% of the world's cocoa, 85% of which is imported from West Africa. Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and the United Kingdom are the biggest consumers (between 10 and 11kg per year per inhabitant). France arrives then with a little more than 7kg per year per inhabitant, then the USA with 6kg. And far behind, the Greeks consume about 2kg.

Brazil is the only country that produces and consumes chocolate.
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Some 50 million people around the world depend on cocoa for their livelihoods.

​​But how do we make chocolate?

​There are 3 varieties of chocolate: black, milk and white.

I love them all, it depends on my mood, the weather, my hormones, and there are so many choices that I don’t get tired of enjoying this wonderful pleasure wherever I go.

Besides, I visited the Valrhona factory in Tain l'Hermitage (France). The paradise of chocoholics since in addition to the museum / manufacturing that retrace all the steps, you can enjoy as much chocolate as you want! Be careful of indigestion, it requires some training ...
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The greatest chocolate makers, pastry chefs and chefs around the world use Valrhona chocolate for their creations. And connoisseurs are not mistaken because even the owner of my favourite café in Crete, Crumb (Heraklion), uses chocolate Valrhona for the chocolate truffles!

My cousin recently reminded me how good chocolate is for health and she’s perfectly right!
It’s good for the heart:

•  In 2012, an Australian report showed that daily consumption of dark chocolate (70% minimum cocoa) reduces the risk of heart attack. Eating 2 pieces of dark chocolate a day would reduce the risk by 39%.
  
•  Dark chocolate improves blood circulation and can help prevent blood clots.
•  It can also prevent arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
•  It helps reduce blood pressure.

It's good for the brain:

• Dark chocolate helps reduce the risk of stroke.
• It encourages your brain to release endorphins so that you feel happier

Chocolate is a great source of antioxidants which are 4 to 5 times more effective than in black tea, there are 2 to 3 times more than in green tea and 2 times more than in red wine .
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As you know antioxidants can protect many types of cancer, they slow down the signs of aging, strengthen the skin's resistance to UV, increase good cholesterol (HDL) and reduce bad (LDL) (with butter cocoa only because palm oil gives the opposite effect).

​I therefore recommend deliciously to offer chocolates for Valentine's Day! Think of all the people you love and especially yourself! You deserve it, spoil yourself!!

Happy Valentine's Day to all!
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Love & Chocolate,
L.