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Chocolate suppliers and chocolate lovers across the country have discovered that chocolate doesn’t have to be just sweet, it can be, tangy and spicy all at the same time. For centuries, perhaps even millennia, chocolate has been cultivated and used across South America. In Mexico, there is a long tradition of their own, special blend of chocolate. Made from the cocoa bean, Mexican chocolate is often produced with a whole range of spices that we used to consider to be strange to the pallet. Some of the spices often added to Mexican chocolate include cinnamon, nutmeg allspice, ginger, black pepper and even hot chilies. The Odd Couple That’s Taking the Country by Storm For the past few years, there has been an increasing demand by British chocolate lovers (and that must be close to 100% of the population) for more variety and new taste experiences in chocolate. Chocolate manufactures and chocolate suppliers have risen to the challenge and have been providing us with many new and exciting taste sensations. Chocolate manufacturers have been adding a pinch of salt to their products for years because they know that it intensifies the flavour of the chocolate. Now, just as herbs and spices are used to bring out the flavour of the Sunday roast, manufacturers are increasingly incorporating herb and spice combinations into an ever increasing variety of chocolate products to produce chocolates with a bite! It’s More Than Just the Flavour It’s a known fact that apart from a taste experience, many herbs and spices also have great medical benefits for the human body. They contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and essential oils and, as an “added extra” have an almost zero calorific value. This makes the addition of spices to chocolate even more attractive and beneficial. Here are just a few examples of spices and their benefits that we find in the products offered by chocolate suppliers. Let’s start of with cinnamon. This has always been a great favourite in the kitchen and is often associated with apple pie. Cinnamon has a wide variety of medicinal attributes. It is often used for heartburn, indigestion and other digestive problems such as nausea; it lowers levels of blood sugar and cholesterol and helps fight infections. Nutmeg is a popular spice with many health benefits. These include pain relief and healthier skin. It can help to detoxify the body, reduce insomnia and is also said to increase the functioning of our immune system. The smell and taste of allspice reminds us of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg (hence its name). It has excellent anti-inflammatory qualities making it ideal for alleviating the effects of arthritis, gout, muscle pain and more. Chillies contain large amounts of vitamin A and are strong antioxidants that help protect the body from free radicals. They also have excellent anti-bacteriological properties. Some chillies, and especially hot, red chillies are said to reduce the risk of death from cancer, heart disease and diabetes. So, there you have it in a “nutshell”. It’s a very simple explanation for spicy chocolate’s position as favourite amongst chocolate lovers and for why chocolate suppliers are encouraging manufactures to produce even more unique “spicy – sweet” combinations to excite our pallets. Angelina Moufftard works for HF Chocolates, high quality chocolate suppliers to the retail trade and others who wish to purchase wholesale quantities of chocolate and confectionery. Renowned since 1957, we've sourced the best suppliers from France, Spain, Germany, Holland, Belgium, the USA and UK. Our great tasting and beautifully packaged products also represent excellent value for money.
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