Celebration of Taste

Italy salutes the delicacies of chocolate with wide range of food

Rich, velvety and delicious, chocolate is just about everyone's favourite treat. And Italy, which has given the world famous dishes like lasagna and tiramisu, can also take credit for memorable recipes that feature beloved cioccolato.
In fact, Perugia, a town in northern Italy, is recognized as a chocolate lover's paradise. The town exports its chocolate and hazelnuts delicacies throughout the world, and every year it hosts an annual chocolate festival known throughout Italy and the rest of Europe. For eight days, the town features exhibitions and workshops that celebrate the world's favourite treat.
So how did chocolate reach the boot-shaped country in the first place? Well, there are various legends. One story suggests it was Florentine merchant Antonio Carletti who brought chocolate back to Italy after he had discovered it while traveling the world in search of new products to sell. Another theory states that it was the convents and monasteries that brought the sweet to Italy to use as a medicinal aide. Yet another story points to exiled Duke Emmanuel-Philibert who returned to power and brought along a special sweet he had discovered while in exile in Spain.
But the story of chocolate is much older. While conquering Mexico, Cortez learned about chocolate from the Aztec Indians. In 1519, Aztec Emperor Montezuma, served chocolate to his Spanish guests as a drink. The Spaniards decided to improve on the rather bitter substance by sweetening it with cane sugar. Spain became hooked and kept the art of the cocoa industry a secret from the rest of Europe for almost 100 years, until Spanish monks divulged all. Soon, Europe wanted a taste of the dark delight. And soon the world improved on an already good thing. In 1876, the Swiss devised a way of adding milk to the chocolate, thereby creating milk chocolate.
And to think that a pleasure like eating chocolate owes everything to the lowly cocoa bean. Cocoa beans are the product of the cacao tree, which is native to Central America. While cocoa is made by removing some of the cocoa butter, chocolate (whether dark, bittersweet or milk chocolate) is made by adding it.
Chocolate is now regarded as an aphrodisiac - a link that originated with the Aztecs. And the associations between sex, love, romance and chocolate got stronger all the time. In 1643, Spanish princess Maria Theresa was betrothed to Louis XIV of France, and she gave her fiancé an engagement gift of chocolate. Madame du Barry encouraged her lovers to drink chocolate in order to keep up with her in the bedroom. And even Casanova was reputed to get a little help from the sweet when he used it in combination with champagne as a seducing technique.
But this isn't all hearsay. Scientists have found evidence that proves that chocolate is indeed a stimulant. Chocolate contains phenylethylamine. Even a very small amount of this chemical is released at moments of emotional euphoria, which raises your blood pressure and heart rate.
But that's not all the good news. Chocolate (when eaten in moderation) is also quite healthy for you. It contains essential iron, calcium and potassium, and vitamins A, B1, C, D, and E.
For a tasty treat for the holiday season, try Salame di cioccolato (chocolate salami). This treat is made from sugar, unsweetened cocoa, rum, butter and biscuits and served up like a salami, hence its name.
Another great recipe for the upcoming holiday season is Chocolate Biscotti. Semi-sweet chocolate is combined with slivered almonds, dried cranberries and a host of other delights.
Fonduta di cioccolato is a great party-pleaser. You'll need bananas, ripe strawberries, pears, dark, melting chocolate (chopped), heavy cream and some rum. Wash all the fruit and slice. Melt the chocolate in a double broiler, remove from heat and add the rum and heavy cream. Serve the chocolate sauce in a bowl and arrange the fruit around it.
For a modern recipe, try combining amaretto liquor with chocolate in a cheesecake that will make quite a presentation for dessert at your upcoming holiday dinner. Semi-sweet chocolate and almond paste and cream cheese are mixed to heavenly perfection. The filling is completed by sugar, eggs and whipped cream. Top with toasted walnuts.

Publication Date: 2004-12-05
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=4684