By: Aakriti Gupta
You cannot have a richer experience than the taste of smooth, nutty hot chocolate melting on your tongue. Apart from being confectionery, do you know that chocolate was once used as a currency? You will be amazed to know about the many other uses of chocolate in the world.
Chocolate is the most versatile edible item of which we have barely scratched the surface, so many wonders we are going to discover more. Have you ever pondered over where chocolate came from and in which form?
Having its roots in history, Chocolates are 4000 old recipes that began in ancient Mesoamerica, present-day Mexico. Chocolates were once known as the ‘Drink for the Gods’ as it was used as a drinking beverage during rituals of the Olmec people, one of the earliest civilisations. Spooky right?
Look how from Latin America to this modern-day, chocolate has come a long way for us.
From a bitter ritualistic drink to the most luxurious delicacy in the world.
Whether we all can indulge in a chocolate world full of chocolate pearls or seahorses, chocolate bars, or white truffles caramelised with raspberry and roasted nuts, the world’s best chefs have not stopped their experimentation with chocolate yet.
If you are bored of eating chocolates in a mundane way, we have put a short guide on different ways you can have chocolate to have a confounding experience.
Chocolate dipping sauce
Everybody goes for the classic French onion dip with the divine taste of the salsa and roasted onion rings. But have you heard of chocolate dip?
The closest thing that comes to the chocolate dipping sauce is chocolate fondue. Winter is the time when it shines bright on people’s dining tables.
Not only, you can contrast the smooth, velvety sweet taste of it with the crunchy texture of salty pretzels but you can combine it with marshmallows, strawberries, nuts, cheesecakes, ice-cream sandwiches, and so on.
Due to the versatility of this ingredient, you can coat sweet potatoes, pancakes, french toast, and waffles with chocolate sauce. You can try the honey, chocolate, or cinnamon graham crackers with the chocolate fondue.
Alcohol and chocolate
We all have been sipping hot chocolate at night before sleeping or whenever we are in a bad mood. But have you ever heard of a chocolate mocktail?
Be it Christmas, valentine’s day, or New year, and any festive time of the year alcohol and chocolate is the new wine and cheese. After all, when life gives you lemons, add chocolate to your mocktail.
One of the famous uses of chocolate whether it is rum, bourbon, vodka, tequila, or something fancier and expensive like a martini, chocolate goes with a lot of diversity of alcohol making you experience chocolate in a very distinct way.
Chocolate beverages
Hot chocolate can be a perfect ingredient for your everyday coffee, tea, milk, and cookies. A cup of coffee to boost your energy level is not a secret, but adding hot chocolate to it is.
Imagine a cup of coffee with the addition of hot melting liquid chocolate along with the cinnamon powder and a bunch of steamy marshmallows that can be downright delish and luxurious.
Do you know that adding chocolate to milk is a fantastic post-workout recovery drink? An easy recipe can burn out all your pain, helps you in muscle recovery, and makes you more barnstorm after a rigid workout.
Garnishing the confectionary with Chocolate
If you are not in the mood to eat that heavy chocolate dessert, no matter how much finger-licking it seems you can always use chocolate as a garnish to enhance your taste buds.
A raspberry puff pastry or a berry tart will taste more piquant with chocolate tuiles on it. To give a more appealing look to your cheesecake or butterscotch sorbet, chocolate can be garnished as curls, lace, lace shards, or leaves to also enhance the flavour of the desert.
Chocolate Perfumes
What if we tell you that the aroma of your favourite desserts can be designed as your personal fragrances? Chocolate has one of the best smells that seem to weaken everyone’s knees especially when the fragrance gives you the blend of chocolate, and vanilla musk notes that can keep you ablaze all day.
When the top notes are of cocoa and coffee, the heart is of bitter orange and herbs and the final notes are of bourbon vanilla, such perfumes can not only work as mood enhancers but make you more confident while socialising.
Spa Treatment
Pure chocolate has a lot of benefits for your hair, skin, and nails as it contains a lot of antioxidants that not only reduce blood pressure, bringing anti-aging effects but also bring a glow to your skin.
Nowadays, you can find cocoa-rich treatments ranging from chocolate milk baths, ultimate chocolate facials, chocolate manicures, and pedicures to the long hours of luxurious and decadent chocolate fondue wraps.
Treat your skin while enjoying the chocolate in its melting form without the extra calories!
Conclusion
We can all relate to Katherine Hepburn when she said, “What you see before you, my friend, is the result of a lifetime of chocolate.” Due to its pliancy, chocolate has been used in many diversified ways every day; it is not only limited to confectionery and sweets.
While everyone relishes a good old chocolate bar or a white chocolate truffle, chocolate has more edible recipes to enhance your taste buds and palate and many other uses for you that you can do with ease. Also, to all those with a naughty mind, yes there are ‘many’, other uses of chocolate.