I’ll say it here and now, I love chocolate. Not just some casual affair or a one night stand, my love of chocolate is the stuff of legend.
Now, when I say chocolate, I am thinking of what is more commonly known as milk chocolate. I have sampled many different varieties of dark chocolate. And I’ve even sampled a number of “white chocolate” offerings.
Right now, and without any further debate, I am discarding white chocolate from consideration. It’s just a phantom of the chocolate experience. It is made without the essence of chocolate (i.e. the cocoa beans) and is more just sweet than chocolate.
Dark chocolate (also called semi-sweet) is everthing about the chocolate experience except for the enjoyment. The only way to appreciate dark chocolate is to pair it with something that it can reflect off of such as almonds. I believe dark chocolate is enjoyed, on its own, by people too uptight to enjoy the true hedonistic experience that is milk chocolate and they feel they must dull down the experience or at least make sure they cannot enjoy it fully by stimulating the bitter part of the palate while leaving the sweet portion thereof wonting.
I imagine, in the minds of alleged dark chocolate afficionados, the same process is going on as in the minds of cloistered monks who, in trying to atone for their sins (aka existing) self-flagellate so they can go on living, but since they are not really enjoying it, they are somehow exhibiting the righteousness necessary to eventually pass into their heaven.
There is almost no purer pleasure on this green earth than that of the taste of a wonderful milk chocolate morsel when it first makes its presence known to your taste buds. It is a rapturous experience to be enjoyed without moderation or guilt. It is the greatest favor that you can do for yourself.
I thought it was just a myth that too much milk chocolate rotted the brain, but the above would certainly confirm it for Adam and Jamie.
Hmmm… Logical question needs to be, “Who are Adam & Jamie?”. 🙂
The Mythbusters. I thought you watched that show.
BTW, have you seen Eurka (spelling may vary)? Space will start showing it this fall, Sci Fi has had it for a few weeks now, and it’s premis looks like it has potential.
Man, it was way too late for me to employ lateral thinking!
I’ve watched the first 3 or 4 Eureka episodes. It’s gotten off to a rocky start. The premise is interesting but the characters are all kind of trying to figure themselves out. I figure I’ll give it a good 6 or 7 episodes before I render a verdict. I’ve been hasty on other shows (B5 for instance) so I thought I’d give it a biiig chance.
too late, or perhaps just more evidence that you should be eating dark chocolate.
The legend of Marc & chocolate does indeed exist, and his blog entry is an eloquent treatise on the subject. I do not have a legendary love of chocolate, nor do I have the gift that enables me to write such a passionate article. Those who know me know that I do enjoy the occasional taste, but that is all I need. A box of chocolate in my house lasts a long time.
But I’ve given it some time (for thought and web site stability) and I feel that a bit more needs to be said.
No argument about white chocolate – that’s just a fact.
I must take issue with the dark chocolate comments however. You will not find me waxing poetic over the subject, just giving my own opinion. First, dark chocolate is not synonymous with semi-sweet, that is merely the one step in the scale of increasing bitterness and decreasing sweetness.
Second, having almonds covered with dark chocolate is just an insult to the taste of both items. More enjoyment can be had from the melting sweetness of milk chocolate over an almond.
I find semi-sweet to mildly dark to be the best taste experience. Milk chocolate is just too sweet without as much chocolate flavour. The semi-sweet chocolate does not melt as easily in your mouth, but if you are patient you will be rewarded. The best of all is a creamier chocolate such as that found in a Lindt dark chocolate truffle. I have some I bought a couple of months ago if you want to try…. 🙂