Where do our favorite dishes come from? In our ongoing series ‘Food History’ we take a look at classic dishes and their roots. 

At a few cocktail events over winter I discovered that hot chocolate was a sought after drink, set out each time complete with an array of fancy additions like cacao nibs and gourmet sprinkles. Always nice to know that the comfort drink of winter has hit a certain level of chicness.

Hot chocolate has always been the drink of cold days. A warm up after a day of skiing or a pick me up after you get stuck in a downpour. A good (and big) cup of hot chocolate can do wonders for the soul. If it’s made well – thick, creamy, full of dark chocolate – it’s a bit of happiness in a mug.

You’ll find hot chocolate in many parts of the world, and although it seems to be a drink more destined for cold weather locales, its roots actually go back to a warmer region. Archeological evidence suggests that people in Mesoamerica (otherwise known as modern-day Mexico) were cultivating and drinking chocolate as far back as 4,000 years ago. The Aztecs and Mayans both made it into a beverage known as xocolātl, a Nahuatl word meaning “bitter water.”

The Aztecs actually associated chocolate with Xochiquetzal, the goddess of fertility, so chocolate beverages were often used as sacred offerings. In fact, blood and chocolate were both very sacred liquids to the Aztecs, and cacao seeds were used in religious ceremonies to symbolize the human heart.

When Europeans came to the New World, they too were seduced by the warm, chocolatey drink. Christopher Columbus returned to Europe with the first cocoa beans. (Maybe the reason for a recipe for Moctezuma’s Hot Chocolate, a much spicier rendition of the winter classic.) Spanish conquistador Hernam Cortes was so infatuated with the drink, that he wrote a letter to Charles V of Spain calling chocolate: “The divine drink which builds up resistance & fights fatigue. A cup of this precious drink permits man to walk for a whole day without food.”

From the Americas to Spain, the Spanish began adding in sugar and making the drink their own. It eventually made its way up the continent, although at the time was more expensive than coffee, equating chocolate with more southern, Catholic and aristocratic roots, while coffee was seen as more northern, Protestant and middle class.

Even in the early days of the United States chocolate played a role. Thomas Jefferson once said, “The superiority of chocolate, both for health and nourishment, will soon give it the same preference over tea and coffee in America which it has in Spain.”

In 1828 Dutchman Coenraad Johannes van Houten developed a method for extracting the fat from the cocoa beans and in turn made powdered cocoa. This allowed for a new wave of chocolate, and the ultimate distinction between hot cocoa (made with powder) and hot chocolate (made with solid chocolate).

Today the hot chocolate trend is back, allowing for artisan chocolatiers to play with flavor combinations and rigorously sourced cocoa beans. Think small-batch, gourmet and sometimes served in the oddest of ways, like with oysters.

I prefer to go classic.

On a very cold February evening, I was walking in the Marais in Paris and freezing. My fingers were on the verge of numb, and even though in a neighborhood known for its bars and restaurants, a cocktail or a glass of wine wasn’t going to cut it. So at the sighting of a brasserie, I walked in and ordered a chocolat chaud à l’ancienne. A mug arrived, one third of the way full with melted chocolate. A small pitcher of warm milk was served on the side. I was left to mix the two as I pleased.

Now that’s how hot chocolate should be made. I am sure the Aztecs would have approved.

Image: Anna Brones

The post Food History: Hot Chocolate The Ultimate Comfort Drink Then and Now appeared first on EcoSalon.

Column Chocolate is a guilty pleasure in more ways than one.

For most people, chocolate evokes positive associations: indulgence, childhood, Valentine’s Day. But in Western Africa, the connotations are far less positive. There, an estimated 1.8 million child laborers work tirelessly to produce the cocoa that goes into our Easter bunny chocolates.

The ills of the cocoa industry first entered the public eye in the early 2000s, after a BBC documentary called “Slavery: A Global Investigation” highlighted the child labor and slavery abuses occurring on West African cocoa farms. According to the International Labor Rights Forum, child workers in the cocoa industry typically “labor for long, punishing hours, using dangerous tools and facing frequent exposure to dangerous pesticides as they travel great distances in the grueling heat.” In addition, those working as slaves “suffer frequent beatings and other cruel treatment.”

The Good

The BBC documentary sparked a loud, though short-lived, public outcry. Soon after it was released, U.S. House Representative Eliot Engel and Senator Tom Harkin sponsored the Harkin-Engel Protocol, a public-private agreement to eliminate the “worst forms of child labor” (as defined by the International Labour Organization) in the growth and processing of cocoa in the Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, where nearly 75 percent of the world’s cocoa supply is grown. Signed in September 2001, the agreement, better known as the Cocoa Protocol, outlined six actions, each with specific deadlines.

• Public statement of the need for and terms of an action plan.
• Formation of multi-sectoral advisory groups. (By December 1, 2001)  
• Signed joint statement on child labor to be witnessed at the ILO. (By December 1, 2001)
• Memorandum of cooperation. (By May 1, 2002)
• Establish a joint foundation. (By July 1, 2002)
• Building toward credible standards. (By July 1, 2005)

The agreement was signed by multiple stakeholders, from the heads of the Chocolate Manufacturers Association and World Cocoa Foundation, to the coordinator of the Child Labor Coalition, to the presidents of the world’s top eight chocolate manufacturers at the time. It was a significant commitment to ending child labor in the cocoa industry, from the people in positions to effect that change.

The Bad

The Cocoa Protocol was first lauded as a success, but its long-term results have been less than impressive. By the first protocol deadline in 2005, the industry had still failed to implement an industry-wide certification program. An amendment gave the stakeholders three more years, but by 2008, the objectives were still not met. In 2010, the parties signed yet another document – commonly referred to as the 2010 Joint Declaration – that reaffirmed their commitment and added the goal of reducing the worst forms of child labor by 70 percent by 2020.

It’s evident that the Cocoa Protocol still has a long way to go. A 2011 report from the Tulane University Payson Center revealed that about 1.8 million children continue to work in cocoa agriculture in the Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana alone. In the Côte d’Ivoire, about five percent work for pay, and in Ghana, about 10 percent do. In the 12 years since the Cocoa Protocol was signed, only about five percent of child laborers have been exposed to its related initiatives.

In early 2012, the issue was again brought to the public eye thanks to a CNN Freedom Project documentary called Chocolate’s Child Slaves. While exploring cocoa farms in the Côte d’Ivoire,  filmmakers found that not only were child labor and slavery still very prevalent, but many of the employers they encountered hadn’t even been informed of the need to change their practices.

So What Now?

Educate yourself further.

This column just scratches the surface of the abuses and ills of the cocoa industry. To learn more, I recommend watching Mika Mistrati and U. Roberto Romano’s 2010 documentary, “The Dark Side of Chocolate,” and checking out the “Chocolate’s Child Slaves” content from the CNN Freedom Project.

Sign the petition.

Oxfam recently launched a “Women and Chocolate” petition as part of its larger “Behind the Brands” campaign, which seeks to change the way big brands do business. The petition calls on the top three chocolate manufacturers — Nestle, Mars, and Mondelez International (formerly Kraft) — to reduce gender inequality in their industry. While a separate issue from child labor, it’s still an important one.

Indulge responsibly.

Relax — no one is asking you to boycott chocolate now that you know its darker side. But you might want to consider switching your loyalties to Fair Trade brands that work directly with certified slave-free cocoa producers. And beware of Fair Trade brands that are actually owned by troublesome corporations, like Green & Blacks, owned by Mondelez, or Dagoba, owned by Hershey. My personal Fair Trade favorites are Equal Exchange, Kopali Organics, and Divine Chocolate.

Images: Kirti Poddar, Peter DiCampo/Oxfam America, Clive Dara

The post Behind The Label: The Unsweet Dark Side of the Chocolate Industry appeared first on EcoSalon.

The easiest and most enjoyable Fika food you may ever try.

Take a trip to Sweden, and seas of Chokladbollar (chocolate balls) will likely surround you. They fill the glass cases of bakeries, ine the shelves of shops, speckle department store cafes as a welcome Fika break from shoe shopping and even sit in grocery store aisles. It’s next to sinful and downright outlandish to visit this regal land without gobbling up a chocolate ball (or two, or six). But, like most fare in Sweden, chocolate balls fall far from being vegan.

But, make them yourself at home (in 30 minutes or less!), and you’ll discover it’s the easiest vegan dessert you’ve ever made—and gluten-free to boot. All it takes is a simple butter switch. As I whipped these up in Stockholm last week (not kidding), I played around with different proportions of ingredients until it tasted just right—mixing coconut butter with a Swedish vegan butter that the grocery store clerk warned was not made for baking. Yet it worked all the same. So much so that a Swedish friend declared them among the best he’d ever had.

And, while chocolate balls can be made in an endless variety of ways—kid friendly with just chocolate; adult friendly with liqueur or rich espresso—I love the blend of unsweetened cocoa powder, mixed with a couple squares of dark (70%) chocolate and a shot or two of espresso. Plus, espresso (in smaller doses, as in these chocolate balls), has been reported to help protect against type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, liver cancer, and liver cirrhosis, and dark chocolate boasts a host of phyto antixoidants for heart health and overall happiness.

So whip up some chocolate balls for a feel good Fika that makes every day a celebration.

The Original – Swedish Chocolate Balls
from All Recipes

Ingredients

• 4 cups rolled oats
• 1 ¼ cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 tablespoon strong coffee
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2, 1 oz squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
• 1/3 cup coconut flakes

The Vegan & Gluten-Free Version – Swedish Chocolate Balls
Makes 24-48 balls, depending upon the size

Ingredients

• 4 cups rolled oats
• 1 ¼ cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup coconut butter and ½ cup vegan butter (may need to add about ½ cup more, as I did, to ensure a sticky dough)
• 1 tablespoon espresso
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2, 1 oz squares dark or unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
• 1/3 cup coconut flakes (or more as needed)

Directions

1. Mix the oats, sugar and cocoa powder together in a bowl. Add the “butter” and use your hands to mix the ingredients together until a thick dough is formed.

2. In a separate, stove top pan, mix together the espresso, vanilla and dark chocolate. Mix together over low heat until the chocolate is melted. Pour over the chocolate dough mixture and combine until thoroughly blended.

3. Place the coconut flakes in a bowl or on a plate. Roll small pieces of dough between your hands to make small balls (or make any size that you wish). Roll the balls in the coconut flakes and eat immediately. For a firmer texture, refrigerate for 2 hours, and enjoy!

Note: This recipe is just the beginning. Create other varieties by adding in a tablespoon (or two) of arrak extract, a Swedish liqueur. Or, roll the chocolate balls in toasted almonds, sugar or another topping of your choice.

Images: Jennifer Barckley

The post Vegan This: Make Your Own Swedish Chocolate Balls appeared first on EcoSalon.

Since its introduction in 1912, NaBisCo’s Oreo cookie has becoming the best selling cookie of the 20th century in the U.S. This classic snack – crème smeared between two chocolate discs – is a childhood classic. But despite its popularity in numbers – more than 362 billion Oreos have been sold since 1912 – the cookie isn’t winning friends among health enthusiasts.

The first listed ingredient in Oreos is sugar. Other offenders include enriched flour, high-fructose corn syrup and artificial flavoring. One serving of Oreos equates to three cookies, which together contain 7 grams of fat, 2 of which are saturated, 25 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 14 grams of sugar, 1 gram of protein, 160 milligrams of sodium, and traces of calcium and iron.

Overall, the cookie is devoid of any significant nutrition and packed with empty calories and low-quality carbohydrates that only spike blood-sugar levels rather than add digestion-friendly fiber. The solution is to get as simple and pure as possible. The following recipe is an almost-raw, vegan version of Oreos, without the sugar and flour. Coconut butter is a rich and decadent alternative to the vanilla crème, while a walnut and date mixture become the ultimate power couple for the discs. The result is a denser, more satisfying treat that fills you up with enzymes, nutrients, and taste!

Pair with a glass of warm vanilla almond milk if you’re feeling the occasion!

Vegan Oreo Cookies

Makes 10-15 cookies

Ingredients:

For the chocolate wafers

• 1 cup walnuts
• 8 Medjool dates, pitted
• 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder
• Dash of sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

For the vanilla crème filling

• 1/2 cup coconut butter

Directions:

For the filling, process all ingredients until the mixture forms a ball.

Roll out the walnut mixture so that it is about 1/2-inch thick. Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes, or until hardened and easier to work with.

Use a 2-inch diameter cookie cutter to form discs.

Place 1 teaspoon of coconut butter between two discs and press both sides of the cookie together so the cream flattens and resembles an Oreo.

Enjoy the healthy fats of the walnuts and coconut butter as well as the fiber and potassium founds in the dates. This is a much healthier and more satisfying alternative to the virtually nutritionally-devoid Oreo cookie.

Store these in a refrigerator to prevent the coconut cream from getting too soft or melting.

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

Photograph source: So Good Blog

The post Nutritional Breakdown: The Oreo Goes Gluten-Free appeared first on EcoSalon.

Do you enjoy hot chocolate? Is the world round? (Apologies to Flat Earth theorists).

A well-made hot chocolate is a powerful thing. It can heal a really horrible day at work. It can inflame the stoniest heart. If you’ve read Kim’s post a few times and you’re ready to stoke the fires of passion in a potential partner…homemade hot chocolate’s the way and then some. Done right, it’s pure ambrosia. At the very least they’ll be licking the spoon.

First and foremost, get the chocolate right. Organic chocolate is the ethical choice – and as with most organic produce, the better-tasting option as well. The chocolate should be dark, smooth and bittersweet, with a high cocoa solid content. I’m an abiding fan of Green & Black‘s, but if you’re looking for alternatives, here’s a good source of chocolate reviews.

Melt it slowly. Don’t scorch it – it’ll start tasting acidic, like bonfire smoke. Place the pieces in a metal bowl resting over a smaller pan of boiling water. (The bowl mustn’t touch the water).

Creamy or not creamy? Well, it depends on how you like your beverages. I’m a black coffee drinker, so I like my hot chocolate with lots of raw power, sans milk but with sugar to blunt the bitter edge. If you need cream, just ensure it’s organic (a few reasons for doing so here).

Experiment with flavors – a drip of this, a splash of that. Vanilla’s always a safe bet: Neilson Massey offer a range of vanilla extracts including a 100% organic variety – but why not go straight to the pod? Experiment! Try finely grated orange zest. Or a chili! (Great for winter – it makes your lips glow). And, of course, a drop of your favorite poison.

Image: Chor Ip

The post Ecosalon Recipes: How to Make the Perfect Hot Chocolate appeared first on EcoSalon.