Chocolate

Chocolate works very well with the spicy heat of chillies, something which the Mayans, Aztecs and Incas already knew.

Chili chocolate – not a new invention

Around 3000 years ago the Olmec people, the first major civilisation in America, lived on the Gulf of Mexico. They were the first people in the history of mankind to start cultivating cocoa trees and it is highly likely that they were able to make chocolate from these trees. Unfortunately, there is no written evidence of this. The Mayans (height of civilisation 250 – 900 A.D.) were the first to leave written evidence on tree bark, detailing the production of chocolate. However, this historic chocolate had little in common with chocolate as we know it today; it was rather a bitter, unsweetened drink made with cocoa beans and water. The Spanish were the first to sweeten chocolate with cane sugar in the sixteenth century. Usually, the Mayans would add spices to this bitter chocolate drink such as chili. So you can see that spicy chili chocolate is actually a very old invention.

Are all chili chocolates equal?

Industrial production mostly uses a very small dosage of chili extract to manufacture chili chocolate. Artificial flavourings usually serve to create the small hint of chili flavour, if this can be tasted at all. Our chili chocolate is spiced with very fine bhut jolokia chili powder, as this chili not only has an extreme spicy heat, but also a very fruity, almost perfumed flavour. Brought together in our chili chocolate, the rich, complex flavours of the high-quality dark chocolate complement those of the bhut jolokia chili.

How should chili chocolate be eaten?

We recommend only eaten one or two pieces of our chili chocolate at a time. You should not chew the chocolate, but rather let it melt away slowly in your mouth. Enjoy with an espresso and a glass of water. Sometimes less is more. Chili Food’s chocolate creations are designed for connoisseurs who love to take their time enjoying a good bar of chocolate.