Chocolate: It Should Never Be Missing

Let's talk about chocolate, is your mouth watering yet?

Perhaps you will be reminded of the film with Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche where the two fell in love in a French town between one praline and another. Or the last chocolate cake you gave up due to its high calorie intake. I'm sure no one has thought about the benefits that chocolate gives to the body and mind, you just need to know how to choose the right one.

Chocolate landed in Europe in 1502 and became a medical remedy, in fact it was thought to be a medicine for digestion, the proper functioning of the body and even cured depression. Back then there were beliefs that cocoa mass has superlative properties, today we are certain of it.

A fundamental requirement for a quality product is cocoa mass as the first ingredient, so pay attention to the labels.

Always check that cocoa mass is the first ingredient, because it is a basic requirement for making any quality product.
A great way to make sure you are getting your money's worth when purchasing chocolate is by looking at what ingredients are listed on package labels. Make sure there is nothing that might be on this list: refined sugar (cane or beet), high fructose corn syrup/corn culture, artificial sweeteners like Aspartame and Saccharin - these things should never touch our delicious snacks!

Bad news for lovers of the white and milk variants, our health's ally is the dark, which should contain at least 70% cocoa; the higher the percentage the better.

Cocoa, in fact, contains flavonoids, powerful antioxidants that we also find in berries, red wine and citrus fruits. But why are they so important for our health?

• Prevent cardiovascular diseases
• Protect the arteries
• Improve memory. immune

The positive effects are many and are worth taking into consideration, however we must not overlook the fact that chocolate is a very caloric food, 100 grams of product provide approximately 500 kcal, but if introduced into a healthy and balanced diet, a few squares can be enjoyed without senses of guilt.

CHOCOLATE PARTY

An unmissable event for chocolate lovers, this year too Perugia hosts the Eurochocolate, in its twenty-fifth edition. The event, which has been held since 1982 in the capital of Italian culture (Perugia), returns! Celebrate with over 100 countries from across Europe participating by showcasing their finest chocolates which are perfect for any occasion: celebrations such as birthdays or anniversaries; special holidays like Halloween Eve every October 31st when these European delicacies can impress children while also satisfying adults' cravings during "Un Colle del Fondente".

From 19 to 28 October the Umbrian capital will be invaded by thousands of greedy people. For the occasion, three "tourist" packages have been created, which will allow you to take part in the most prestigious chocolate festival on the peninsula.Below you will find descriptions of the travel offers and their prices:

• Day trip, return trip by bus + day at Eurochocolate 49 euros
• Weekend trip, return trip by bus + 2 days at Eurochocolate + one night in hotel (half board) + guided tour of Assisi 129 euros
•  Deluxe trip, return trip by bus + 2 days at the Eurochocolate + 2 nights in a hotel (half board) + guided tour of Assisi 219 euro

And if you are an art lover, you can't miss the open-air gallery that offers Eurochocolate every year; the most admired are the sculptors, who manage to shape enormous blocks of chocolate, creating works worthy of a museum.

MUD CAKE RECIPE

We couldn't conclude an article on chocolate without giving you a recipe, we present to you the Mud Cake, or as it is called in its country of origin "Mississippi Mud Cake". It literally means mud cake but don't be fooled, it was named this way due to its soft and creamy consistency, which is reminiscent of the banks of the Mississippi River.

In the United States this dessert is present in every family's recipe books. The absolute protagonist can only be him, the CioccoRe, which makes this cake very substantial and therefore unsuitable for frequent consumption. For special occasions, it is a indulgence that can be indulged in. A delight for the palate that will take your taste buds on a entrantial journey.

INGREDIENTS: 

• 250 grams of butter
• 250 grams of extra dark chocolate (minimum 70%)
• 250 grams of sugar
• 130 grams of milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 sachet of vanillin
• 1 cup of coffee (optional)
• 50 grams of cocoa in powder
• 200 grams of flour
• 1 sachet of cake yeast
• 150 grams of extra dark chocolate
• 60 grams of cream fresh
• grained hazelnuts and pistachios

PROCEDURE: 

The first thing to do is melt the chocolate in a bain-marie with the butter and sugar, mix all the ingredients and add the milk and the cup of coffee, continuing to mix on a medium-low heat.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients, then the flour, the yeast, the cocoa powder and the vanilla sachet. Mix the ingredients and delicately add the mixture previously melted in a bain-marie.

Take another container, break the eggs and after adding a pinch of salt, use the whisk or electric mixer for a few minutes at medium speed, until they are light and frothy.

Add them to the mixture and mix with a spatula from bottom to top, this step is very important to avoid dismantling the mixture.

That's it; take a cake pan with a diameter of 22 cm, butter it and flour it and finally pour the mixture.

Static oven at 150 degrees for an hour and a half.

Now comes the easy and fun part, preparing the chocolate ganache; Melt the remaining chocolate (150 g) with the liquid cream once again in a bain-marie, stirring occasionally. When it has reached a smooth and shiny consistency and the kitchen is flooded with the dense scent of chocolate, you can pour it onto the mud cake. To decorate you can add chopped hazelnuts and pistachios or alternatively a small pile of red fruits in the centre. Bon appetit!

"There is not as much metaphysics on earth as in a chocolate"
(Fernando Pessoa)