Chocolate For some it's an aphrodisiac, for others an addiction. It's Britain's favourite comfort food and one of the most commonly given presents. Chocolate has many forms and uses, and a long association with pleasure - and guilt.

In this article

Where it comes from The gift of chocolate

Chocolate, love and sex Types of chocolate

Even-tempered chocolate Recipe

The Aztecs made cocoa beans into a bitter-tasting hot drink flavoured with chilli

When the Spanish conquered the Aztec civilisation in South America at the beginning of the 16th century, they discovered cocoa beans being used as a form of currency. The Aztecs made cocoa beans into a bitter-tasting hot drink flavoured with chilli, nothing like the hot chocolate we're used to now.

When chocolate arrived in Spain, the drink was sweetened with sugar and vanilla and eventually the chocolate craze spread to the rest of Europe and America. Solid chocolate was developed in England in the 19th century, but it was the Swiss who refined it, inventing milk chocolate in 1875, and then the technique of 'conching' or rolling chocolate to make it soft and smooth.

Legend has it that chocolate was a gift of the gods

Legend has it that chocolate was a gift of the gods. The cacao tree was supposedly brought to mankind by Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec god who taught mortals how to make a drink from it.

Giving someone chocolates still carries a wealth of meaning. The custom even has royal approval, ever since 1900 when Queen Victoria sent special tins of chocolate to soldiers in the Boer War to wish them a happy New Year. And of course chocolate often sends a message of love, whether it's a gift-wrapped box for Mother's Day or a Valentine's present of heart-shaped truffles.

French doctors prescribed chocolate to women patients for a broken heart

Chocolate has long been associated with love. At one time, nuns were forbidden to eat it because of its sexual reputation. Casanova is believed to have thought of hot chocolate as the "elixir of love". And in the 18th century, French doctors prescribed chocolate to women patients for a broken heart.

Science may hold a clue - chocolate contains a substance called phenylethylamine, a naturally occurring chemical in the brain which promotes feelings of euphoria associated with being in love. It also contains a variety of other substances which may help create a feeling of well-being - see the Science of chocolate for more information.

Did you know?

Chocolate is poisonous to dogs and other pets, and can even be lethal. It contains theobromine which affects their heart and nervous system.

Chocolate is made from roasting and grinding up cocoa beans to yield chocolate 'liquor' . This comprises around 50 per cent cocoa solids and 50 per cent cocoa butter (the fat from the beans).

• Cocoa is chocolate liquor with the cocoa butter removed, creating a fine, bitter-tasting powder.
• Dark or plain chocolate contains a high percentage of cocoa solids with little or no sugar added. The higher the percentage of cocoa solids, the better the quality. Good quality dark chocolate contains at least 60 per cent to 70 per cent cocoa solids. It is often used in dessert-making but can also be found in many savoury recipes eg. Griddled venison steak . The dark variety is the healthiest choice for chocolate lovers.
• Milk chocolate is the most popular choice for sweets and chocolate bars. It contains 30 per cent to 40 per cent cocoa solids, sugar and of course, milk.
• White chocolate contains cocoa butter which has a mild chocolatey flavour. It contains milk, sugar, and vanilla extract and is usually very sweet. . Although it has a similar texture to chocolate and can be used in chocolate recipes, purists don't consider it to be chocolate because it does not contain cocoa solids.

Storage

Store chocolate in a cool place such as a larder. If you keep it in the fridge, it will develop a harmless but unattractive "bloom" - a dull white layer caused by the cocoa butter separating out. Ideally, keep it in an airtight container because it absorbs surrounding odours.

You don't need to worry about tempering chocolate if you're using it in baking or mixing it with another liquid such as cream. But if you're melting chocolate as a decoration or for dipping and you want it to stay hard and glossy, you'll need to temper it first. This involves melting, cooling and reheating chocolate before using it in order to stabilise the cocoa butter crystals.

If you miss out the tempering process the end result will look streaky and dull, with a disappointing texture. It might be worth investing in a special chocolate thermometer to ensure you control its temperature exactly.

This recipe is from the Chocolate Society.

Equal quantities of good quality dark chocolate and double or whipping cream
A small amount of unsalted butter (optional) which gives the truffles a longer shelf life
Cocoa powder to finish

1. Finely chop your chocolate, trying to get all pieces the same size. Leave them to come to room temperature (around 20C/68F) before you start; the smaller the pieces, the more quickly this will happen.
2. If using it, cut butter into hazelnut-sized pieces and again let it come to room temperature, but without allowing it to melt.
3. Warm a mixing bowl to about 37C/98F or a little higher.
4. Heat whipping or double cream gently until just boiling.
5. Immediately drizzle a quarter of the cream into the centre of your chocolate and mix it firmly.
6. Add a little more cream at a time, gradually working outwards.
7. Blend in softened butter when the mixture reaches about 37C/98F, until it reaches the consistency of mayonnaise.
8. Cool the mixture, known as ganache, at 15C/59F - overnight is best.
9. Form ganache into small balls, then roll in cocoa powder. If you want to keep the truffles for more than two days, you can dip them in liquid tempered chocolate before rolling in cocoa powder.