This is the time to give the stage to the chocolate richest in cocoa, the least sweet and the healthiest of all – the dark chocolate.
Cocoa beans by nature have a bitter taste and therefore the higher the percentage of cocoa solids in the product, the more bitter the taste of the product. Accordingly, dark chocolate is defined as such because it contains between 50%-90% cocoa solids. In contrast, milk chocolate contains between 10%-50% cocoa solids and tastes significantly sweeter than dark chocolate due to the added sugar and milk added to it.
The dark chocolate melts at body temperature so the recommendation is to keep it in a cool and dry place, but not in the refrigerator. If the dark chocolate is stored in the refrigerator, it will develop a thin white coating caused by sugar rising to the surface due to the excess humidity in the cold weather. Although the coating does not affect the taste, the appearance is less appealing.
Dark chocolate is the chocolate that can be kept for the longest of the types of chocolate, and if it is stored properly it can in specific cases also last up to two years.
Of the types of chocolate that exist, dark chocolate is considered the healthiest due to the antioxidants it contains, called flavonoids, and which can also be found in fruits, vegetables, red wine, tea, coffee and cocoa.
These antioxidants help the cardiovascular system by reducing blood pressure. Also, eating dark chocolate dilates the arteries and promotes healthy blood flow that can prevent the accumulation of plaque that can block arteries. So if someone sends you a shipment containing dark chocolate, they probably know what they're doing.
An interesting fact to conclude – dark chocolate even has its own international day, on the 10th of January each year the "International Dark Chocolate Day" is marked. Have you already stocked up on a pampering dark chocolate delivery for it?