This isn't just chocolate; gourmet chocolate is an artisanal product that takes skill and patience to produce. Gourmet chocolates are often produced by hand using only the purest quality ingredients.
This type of chocolate is usually has a stronger flavor, richer texture, and better appearance. Gourmet chocolates are also considered to be healthier for you to eat. They have less sugar content because they use natural sweeteners instead of artificial ones.
Gourmet chocolate has been described as an "audacious reinterpretation of the finest cooking."
Chocolates
Chocolate is made from cacao beans with a combination of cocoa butter and milk or sugar, which can be turned into a tasty treat.
Cacao beans are dried, cleaned, and roasted. Cacao beans can also be processed into cacao nibs or cocoa nibs. These small pieces of grated cacao beans are grounded for hours or days to make the chocolates. Then other natural ingredients are added to make the chocolate liquid.
The chocolate liquid is then tempered and poured into molds of different sizes and cooled. Then the final chocolates are wrapped and packed.
For the most part, chocolate is created to be either dark or milk chocolate. Dark chocolate contains between 75% and 100% cocoa, giving it a bitter taste. Milk chocolate usually has about 25-35% cocoa solids with at least 12% milk weight in skimmed milk powder which gives milk chocolate its unique taste.
Chocolate is one of the world's most popular flavors. The chocolate industry makes over $50 billion in annual sales.
What is Gourmet Chocolate
Gourmet chocolate is a delicacy that you can only find in a few select places. Most chocolates are mass-produced and processed to ensure consistency in flavor, but gourmet chocolates are not made this way. Each piece of gourmet chocolate is unique and tastes different from the last one.
Gourmet chocolate is a term used to describe high-quality chocolate, often made from the most desirable cocoa beans.
The word "gourmet" denotes the best quality products such as fine wines or cheeses that most people don't normally buy or consume on a regular basis.
History of Gourmet Chocolate
Chocolate has been a part of the human diet for about 4000 years. Evidence was found on Mayan pottery that depicted people drinking a cocoa-bean drink from tall cups around 1100AD. Read more about history of chocolates.
The Aztecs enjoyed this drink as early as 1900 BC. It was presented as a drink that could give the person energy.
The history of gourmet chocolate begins with the Aztecs, who drank chocolate as a spicy beverage known as "xocolatl" which was thick and bitter.
In 1519, Hernando Cortez had his men roast, crush cocoa beans into powder, mix it with water and add vanilla and spices.
When Cortez brought back cocoa seeds to Europe in 1528, chocolatiers quickly turned these seeds into solid bars by adding sugar to make an even tastier drink. Gourmet chocolate grew more popular in Europe in the 1700s and 1800s.
By 1828, a method of making powdered cocoa by removing most of the fat from chocolate liquor had been developed, giving us the more familiar solid chocolate we eat today.
Today, gourmet chocolate is made all around the world and can be found easily on store shelves or online retailers that sell the high-quality gourmet chocolates.
What makes Gourmet Chocolate a special treat?
Gourmet chocolates are special because they take a lot of time and effort to produce. Each piece of gourmet chocolate is shaped by hand, molded into beautiful designs, and rolled.
As far as taste goes, you'll have the best luck finding gourmet chocolates made with premium ingredients like organic dark chocolate, fresh dairy cream, real vanilla beans, and aromatic spices.
All these varieties have their own unique flavors that you can only get from the finest cacao beans which give the chocolate its distinct flavor after being harvested.
Gourmet Chocolate is chocolate that has been made using high-quality ingredients to make it taste delicious. Gourmet chocolate usually contains cocoa butter instead of vegetable fat because this will ensure that the chocolate melts in your mouth.
When eaten, these chocolates should melt in your mouth immediately so that you enjoy them as soon as possible.
Uniqueness of Gourmet Chocolates
The following is the list of unique features of gourmet chocolates and this is what differentiates it from factory-made chocolate.
Limited Quantity:
Gourmet chocolates are not mass-produced and it is only made in limited quantities. On the other hand, factory-made chocolates are produced in bulk and of a very large number.
Gourmet chocolates are unique because they are limited in quantity. They are made using high-quality ingredients that require more time to make, therefore limiting their supply.
Unique Flavor:
Gourmet chocolates have a unique flavor of their own because of the cocoa beans used which give each variety a different flavor from all the others. Unlike these gourmet varieties, factory-made chocolate has a uniform taste throughout.
Most of it is made from single-origin cacao beans, which give unique flavors.
Premium Ingredients:
In order to make premium gourmet chocolates, only high-quality ingredients are used such as cocoa butter, no artificial flavors, imported cocoa beans, etc.
On the other hand, mass-produced chocolates use low quality.
High-Quality Process:
When making gourmet chocolates, high-quality steps are adhered to to ensure that they are made successfully. Most chocolatiers make gourmet chocolate by using the bean-to-bar approach.
Another important feature about this particular type of chocolate is that the process used to make them involves a lot of expertise. This will be done by people who have studied this for many years and therefore understand how best these should be.
Unusual Flavors:
The flavors of a good quality gourmet chocolate tend to be more unusual than those found in regular chocolate, but this doesn't mean they taste bad – quite the opposite!
Although some flavors may sound strange, gourmet chocolates usually go down well no matter what kind of palette you have.
Handcrafted Techniques:
Quality ingredients and hand-crafted techniques ensure that no two pieces of gourmet chocolate will ever be the same - just like every snowflake!
It may sound contradicting for such a commonly consumed item, but gourmet chocolate is actually very rare and difficult to find.
No Additives
Gourmet chocolate will have no extra additives or fillers and has been created by talented Indian chocolatiers who want to produce something innovative for connoisseurs of fine food.
For example, gourmet chocolate may be flavored with local extracts like palm sugar or coconut sugar that are found in our country rather than the usual sweet bars we know and love.
Preservative Free:
Unlike regular chocolates, gourmet chocolates are preservatives free so they don't contain any harmful chemicals or additives.
Not only do they taste better, but the ingredients used to make them have very positive health benefits as well!
Quality Sugar:
Gourmet chocolate contains quality sugars like coconut sugar or palm sugar which is healthier than white refined sugar.
This is the type of chocolate that is consumed by health conscious people who are conscious about their health and love to experiment with different flavors.
Benefits of Gourmet Chocolates
A few of the health benefits of gourmet chocolates are that they are high in minerals like magnesium, which helps your body function properly.
Some of the benefits of gourmet chocolate include, but are not limited to:
More Nutrients
Gourmet chocolates are usually made with pure cocoa butter, organic sugar, and premium chocolate liquor.
For this reason, there are more nutrients in them than regular chocolates which use vegetable fat or other types of fillers.
Good for Heart
A study has shown that people who have eaten gourmet dark chocolate have had lower blood pressure levels as opposed to those who didn't eat it.
Moreover, another study showed that eating gourmet chocolate several times a week increases the good cholesterol by 10% which is great for your heart health.
Diabetes-Friendly
Although they are high in calories because they contain cocoa butter, gourmet chocolates are also high in antioxidants which can help fight off illness.
In addition, this type of chocolate is low in sugar and doesn't contain any hydrogenated fat which means your insulin levels won't spike up and down all day.
Rich in Antioxidant
Gourmet chocolate is made from cocoa beans which are a superfood because they contain antioxidants that fight against illnesses and support a healthy immune system.
A study published in 2012 by the Journal of Proteome Research showed that cocoa beans have antioxidant properties that are more effective than those found in green tea, blackberry or blueberry.
Nervous System Boosting Properties
Neurotransmitters in the brain need magnesium to function properly and this nutrient can be found in high quantities in gourmet chocolates.
In fact, studies have shown that people who have low levels of magnesium tend to have major problems with depression, stress, and anger.
Mood Enhancing
Although this might sound crazy, studies have shown that gourmet chocolate enhances your mood and makes you happier.
According to a study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, women who ate dark chocolate felt less stressed and anxious than those who didn't.
Cravings Curb
By eating just one piece of gourmet chocolate every day your cravings will be reduced drastically, thus helping you cut back on how much junk food you eat during the week.
Gourmet chocolate is therefore a healthier alternative to other types of junk food like ice cream or French fries.
Better Sleep Quality
In addition, it also has been found to help people sleep better at night because it regulates their cortisol levels which are responsible for stress management.
Since stress can have a negative effect on your sleep, it's important to always include this type of chocolate in your diet.
Improved Circulation
Gourmet chocolates are high in flavonoids which are great for blood circulation and they also contain ingredients that help prevent the build up of plaque inside of your arteries.
Gourmet chocolates are also great because they don't contain any hydrogenated fat or cholesterol which is unhealthy for you heart.
Go Go Gourmet Chocolates
All in all, gourmet chocolate might just be a luxury item but it's also a necessity for those who lead a healthy lifestyle and want to live a long and happy life.
When looking to buy gourmet chocolate, you should always look at the ingredients first then compare them with other brands that have fewer or no additives or fillers.
At the end of the day, if you want to get or stay healthy then gourmet chocolate should be one of your go-to treats.
That's why we encourage you to find a high-quality store that sells gourmet chocolates and give them a try today.
Now you know everything about gourmet chocolates so what are you waiting for? Go out there and treat yourself to something delicious!
About BeeTee's Melt Chocolates
BeeTee's Melt Chocolates are a bean to bar artisan chocolates proudly made in India, which is the home of gourmet chocolate.
Every piece of BeeTee's Melt Chocolate contains high-quality all-natural ingredients and is made from single origin cacao bean at an affordable price so you can have your cake and eat it too! It makes 72% Dark Chocolate with Palm Sugar, 54% Coconutmilk Chocolate with Coconut Sugar, and 48% Milk Chocolate.
All these chocolates are 100% preservatives-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free, and gluten-free.
To find out more about our product please visit our website at https://www.beeteesmelt.in/