Chocolate may become the new wine

Just as the little black dress has yielded to the winds of whim, with fashionista's variously claiming that "pink", "gray" or "purple" are "the new black", it seems -- if the current buzz in certain circles of the foodie community is to be believed -- the intense interest in wine tasting of the past couple years is abating in the wake of recent shortages, with chocolate -- of all things -- all things -- purportedly poised to jump in to fill the gap.

Of the two indulgences, imbibing in a chocolate treat while waiting for the three-in-one traffic to subside after office hours might certainly be the safest; the worst side effect one might expect being an extra hour in the gym or few more laps in the pool.

Certainly, it would beat stumbling home in one's stilettos and risking a sprained ankle after an evening of sipping samples of red, white and rose wine. Also, fewer eyebrows are bound to be raised at a cup of cocoa than at a glass of wine (if that is a consideration in one's milieu or age group).

According to the grapevine -- while your friends may still be stuck in the wine or Starbucks gourmet coffee paradigm -- there is just the place to learn more about chocolate and at the same time sample a wide range of high quality chocolate in various shapes and forms.

Jose "Joy" Pelo, originally of the Philippines and more lately from teaching at one of the finest culinary schools in Australia, is holding "Chocolate Appreciation" miniseminars at Creole Chocolaterie and Patisserie on the second floor of FX Lifestyle Center on Jl. Sudirman every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday between Dec. 7, 2008, and Jan. 4, 2009.

These Chocolate Appreciation and Afternoon Tea gatherings are designed to accommodate groups of friends or organizational or corporate colleagues who want to relax and socialize while learning something of contemporary interest -- but if planning to go, remember to book in advance.

"So many people here seem to think that chocolate is a bad thing; something to feel guilty about eating, or to steer clear of. I want to better inform people about its many benefits, and to put to rest the mistaken idea that chocolate is not good for you because it is said to cause weight gain and pimples," Joy said at the recent launching of the seminars, which are strategically held at high tea time, alias weekday to avoid the three-in-one traffic jams downtime, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The energetic, slim and fit-looking chef -- with a flawless complexion -- who claims his love affair with the devilishly enticing brown confection began in his chocolate-loving mother's womb, raised his arms and spun around, while declaring, "Would you believe that I eat four to seven pieces of chocolate a day? I simply can't do without it."

He then went on to explain that it was not chocolate itself that could lead the unwary to pack on the pounds or break out with acne, but rather the less expensive ingredients, such as milk solids, sugar, peanuts and other fillers that are mixed into many chocolate dishes. Pure, dark chocolate actually fights cholesterol and reduces the risk of blood clots.

"Chocolate does not cause acne, as shown in several medical studies. Acne is usually due to an improper diet or hormone imbalance," Joy said. "It also does not make you fat; choice and moderation are the keys. It is the sugar in some chocolate products that piles on the calories."

Joy then had his staff serve steamy cups of a Belgian chocolate brew and little plates of small chunks of various kinds of chocolate to give seminar participants an idea of how to differentiate among a wide variety of chocolate flavors.

The first sample chocolate on offer was "milk chocolate" with only 12 percent cocoa mass (the element that gives chocolate its wonderful distinctive flavor). This first sample tasted very much like a typical chocolate bar one can find at grocery store checkouts; very sweet, milky and kind of boring.

"Now, chew, just let it melt on your tongue. That is the correct way to enjoy chocolate to the fullest.

"Once you have set that flavor in your mind, don't forget to cleanse your palette with water, so you can try the next sample."

The next plate set before the eager tasters offered an entirely different experience. The sampler contained 55 percent cocoa mass, with just enough sugar to cut the bitter edge that the purer, darker forms of chocolate can have. Comparatively, the second sample was light years closer to the "ambrosia" which the Greek pantheon is fabled to have imbibed in, than was the first sample.

Joy also clarified to the crowd of avid listeners that chocolate, in its purest form, helps burn fats and was full of the flavonoids that were beneficial to the heart -- meaning that it was much healthier to ingest than most people believe.

He then served up little slivers of "96 percent cocoa mass" chocolate that was black and sharp tasting, yet somehow truly delightful (that is if you like bitter things).

"Basically there are three varieties of chocolate products: Dark, milk and white. White actually shouldn't be called chocolate at all because it is has no cocoa mass and is made of cocoa butter, milk and sugar.

"Of course, dark chocolate is the healthiest," Joy said, as his waiting staff served full-sized pieces of the "75 percent cocoa mass ganache chocolates" that he offers at the Creole chocolate shop at FX.

The seminar participants were then invited to wash this down with either a cup of his warm and delightfully rich "pure blend" cocoa specialty of the house that is to chocolate what espresso is to coffee, or a wine glass of "an iced chocolate drink" with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Next followed a platter of chocolate-dominated Creole cakes with a few palette-clearing fruit-based confections.

While the seminar participants imbibed in the trays of goodies to their hearts' content, Joy demonstrated how to heat chocolate to a liquid state and then to "temper" (manipulate and cool) it to the consistency and shine expected of the finest of best chocolates.

As he went about manipulating the liquid chocolate on a slab with spatulas, Joy also provided his audience with a plethora of interesting informational tidbits (only a few of which can be shared in this limited space) -- not only about the technical aspects of producing chocolate candies, but also about the cacao bean's ancient history and its contemporary importance in international trade.

"It might surprise you to know that although Indonesia now produces 15 percent of the world's chocolate, its origin is in Central America, and that the name 'chocolate' came from a local tribal word that meant, literally, *bitter water'," explaining that chocolate was initially served as a drink.

"It was not until the 1800s that the first chocolate bars were introduced in the United Kingdom."

This master chocolate and pastry chef then closed his lively and informative tea-time talk with his trademark 1,000-watt grin and the reminder that, "A life without chocolate is a life without joy."