A High Percentage of Dark Cocoa or Cacao Means Lower Sugar Content
Valentine’s Day is one week away. So it is at this time of year that gifts of chocolate are given as a gesture of love. I drank a cup of hot chocolate or cocoa today after I finished shoveling the snow that the snow plow had pushed back into my driveway overnight. I was watching TV yesterday and I saw Olympic speed skater, Apollo Ohno in a vat of chocolate with Shawn Johnson, gold medal gymnast. He and she were engaged in a wrestling match of sorts for Nestle’s chocolate,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Well these two Olympic heroes were slinging liquid chocolate all over each other as a promotion for the candy company. It was quite a bizarre promotion of chocolate. It can be found on You Tube. Anyway, this bizarre display of chocolate gave me the idea to write about cocoa 
(or cacao) today.
Remember that the higher percentage of pure cacao means a lower sugar content. One of the most intense chocolates on the planet is Sharffen Berger. It is 99% cacao and it is meant to be used for baking; not snacking. This is an extremly dark chocolate. Guittard chocolate is 72% cacao, so it has a low sugar content and no added butter.
Remember, cocoa or cacao is very healthy for us because the anandamide in it attaches to certain neuro transmitters in our brains to help elongate that happy feeling we get when we feel content, loved and consumed with laughter. So, enjoy your red wine and chocolate on Valentine’s Day. Be healthy and savor that warm cup of cocoa.