CHOCOLATE

History
Chocolate is a relatively modern manifestation. For thousands of years chocolate was a rough substance that was grated, to which a liquid, usually water, was added to make a drink - and still is. The Olmecs, Mayans, Toltecs and Aztecs were particularly keen to keep their gods supplied with chocolate in the form of cocoa beans to keep them happy and healthy.
Cacao was used to treat fatigue, to alleviate fever and shortness of breath, to treat a faint heart or an ailing liver or spleen and to alleviate headaches and depression. The flamboyant Aztec emperor, Montezuma, relied on his 50 cups of foaming "xoco atl" (bitter water) a day to keep up his stamina before visiting his harem.
In many Central and South American countries, chocolate is still used regularly as a drink, according to customs and recipes passed down through generations going back 2,500 years.
This is how chocolate was until the Industrial Revolution and technology intervened, circa 1830. Since then, it has become the refined, creamy, edible substance we know and adore. And because of the nature of the cocoa butter, a natural vegetable fat, chocolate is the only edible substance that melts at just below 37¡C - that's just under blood temperature. This means that as your mouth begins to fill with a softly erupting molten liquid, the chocolate delivers its rainbow of flavours to caress and tantalise your palate.

BOXTEXT: Chocolate tastes
There is good reason to draw an analogy between wine and chocolate. Just as the variety and quality of the grapes, the soil, the climate, the fermentation and the experience and knowledge of the winemaker are crucial to the wine, so it is with chocolate.
There are many natural chemical compounds present in both grape and cocoa bean, and when you taste chocolate, especially dark varieties, it is as well to remember that the cocoa bean boasts more than 400 aroma compounds and at least 300 different flavours. Since cocoa is a fruit, fruity notes are most prevalent in top-quality chocolate - but there are also earthier flavours, too.
As a guide, you might detect any of these: melon, citrus (especially orange peel), orange flowers, cherries, berries (especially raspberries or blackcurrants), plums, raisins, honey, peaches, vanilla, butterscotch, toast, wild herbs, mint, bell peppers, freshly mown grass, hay, green olives, cloves, liquorice, cedar, almonds, hazelnuts, eucalyptus, exotic flowers, tobacco, jute, tea, coffee and wine.
What you hope not to discover is unwanted tastes such as smoked, fatty, potassium, alcohol, acid, medicinal, cardboard, astringent - or worse, stale.

BOXTEXT: THE BEANS

There are three main varieties of cocoa bean. They are:
Forastero
Meaning "foreigner" or "stranger", forastero was originally from the Amazon. Now, because it is a hardy variety, it is cultivated across the globe, from South America to Africa, Indonesia and Malaysia. It accounts for 80% of the world's crop. It has a bitter flavour and is referred to as "cocoa's robusta beans" and used in "everyday" chocolate.
Criollo
Meaning "native" or "of local origin" and probably originating from Mexico, nowadays the criollo bean is cultivated across Central and South America and in a few regions of Asia. True criollo accounts for less than 5% of the world's production - some experts say even less than 2%. It is considered to be the best cocoa, with an unusually high aromatic profile that is substantially lacking in bitterness.
It is used in the best-quality chocolate, but rarely alone, because it is scarce and expensive. It is finicky to grow and doesn't like adapting to different climates. The pure criollo is the subject of much debate among chocolate manufacturers and enthusiasts. Many say that, because of natural elements like climate, weather, insects and birds, criollo has been so cross-fertilised over the centuries that it has become an endangered species.
Trinitario
Trinitario was developed as hybrid of criollo and forastero in Trinidad as a result of the near-total destruction of the criollo plantations by a hurricane in 1727. Seeds for new plantings were brought from Venezuela and cross-fertilised, and the resulting hybrids have characteristics of both forastero and criollo. It accounts for about 10-15% of the world's total cocoa beans. It is rich in fats and has a good flavour profile - and makes exceptional chocolate.

CAPTION: The finished article: L'Artisan du Chocolat's Tropical Forest Easter egg uses a couverture based on the criollo beans grown in Venezuela, considered to be the best variety

CAPTION: "When you taste chocolate, especially dark varieties, it is as well to remember that the cocoa bean boasts more than 400 aroma compounds and at least 300 different flavours"