Food Stories

Darker, bitter, better. A sharing of deep dark secret
~ comparing the types of chocolates: dark? milk? white? ~

Most chocolate from commercial outlets is made from cocoa solids, sugar, milk solids, colourings, artificial flavourings and preservatives. Cocoa is the dried and fermented fatty seeds of the cocoa tree from which chocolate is made. The fermentation process gives the nice aroma of cocoa. 

The cocoa solids contribute to its distinctly rich brown colour. White chocolate is white is white because it contains no cocoa solids, but with cocoa butter (fat). Non-fat cocoa solids contribute to the level of cocoa antioxidant (Miller, 2006), in which the relative total antioxidant capacities is highest, followed by red wine, green tea, and black tea (Ki et al 2003). Dark chocolate is being promoted as a health product due to its higher antioxidant levels compared to milk chocolate or other chocolate-based products. In other words, white chocolate would have none at all.

Health and nutrition value of cocoa powder and unsweetened dark chocolate:

Contains antioxidant, thus neutralize free radicals; suppress cough; relieve diarrhea; mood elevation; reduce risk of chronic health problems; lowers blood pressure and slows mental decline. (Steve Yap, 2010)

However, despite the wide range of goodness, cocoa products is still a calorie-dense treat, overconsumption will inherently add a lot of unnecessary calories to one’s diet. Therefore, eat in moderation as prime chocolate does make one’s life sweeter, and probably a wee bit healthier. (Ryan Khang, 2010)