Chocolate｜The truth behind deliciousness.

Mar 133 min read

Chocolate is a food loved by many, and the wide variety of chocolates on the market makes you want to take a bite. Its smooth, rich texture, delicious flavor, and ability to relieve tension and relax the body bring a sense of joy and happiness.

However, do you know that the chocolate everyone loves to indulge in might not actually be made of chocolate?

The Hidden Cancer Risk in Chocolate

Many chocolates on the market are primarily made from sugar and palm oil. The smoke point of crude palm oil is 232°C, and because palm oil undergoes repeated high-temperature pressing, the temperature during the deodorizing and decolorizing process exceeds the smoke point, reaching up to 250°C, which causes the oil to deteriorate.

Additionally, palm oil contains a substance called "glycidyl esters," which the European Union has classified as a Group 2A "probable carcinogen." This substance forms when exposed to temperatures above 200°C, with palm oil being particularly prone to this due to its high heat tolerance.

Chocolate, surprisingly, harbors cancer risks. How can we determine if the chocolate we consume is a carcinogen or true chocolate?

The secret code of chocolate ingredients

According to the current regulations in our country, chocolate fillings and processed products must use "dark chocolate," "white chocolate," or "milk chocolate" as raw materials, and the chocolate content must be at least 25%.

In addition, dark chocolate must contain more than 35% cocoa solids, which means that in 100 grams, at least 35 grams must be cocoa solids. Cocoa powder, cocoa mass, and cocoa butter are considered cocoa solids. Milk chocolate must have cocoa solids content higher than 25%, while white chocolate must contain at least 20% cocoa butter.

This means that we can find out the chocolate content through the product's packaging label. However, most of the chocolate we consume is made mostly from sugar and palm oil, and if it is sold in bulk or without labeling, we cannot know for sure. Can we eat healthily and confidently under these conditions?

For your own health, ensure the quality of what you consume

The presence of chocolate ingredients can actually be identified by its "taste." For example, the cocoa beans carefully selected by Vela Ethan, grown in the Amazon rainforest, come from the Huñin district in Cusco and are of the Criollo variety. They grow at an altitude of 300-900m with a moisture content of about 7.5%. Their taste is delicate and varied, with flavors and aromas of caramel, nuts, vanilla, and tobacco, often used to make refined chocolate.

We can first roast the whole beans, including the shell, in an oven at 45°C to preserve the nutrients. After roasting, the shell is cracked, and the chocolate nibs are extracted and pressed into pure chocolate paste using a grinder, without the need for high-temperature processing, allowing the cocoa's nutrients and delicious flavor to be preserved. Then, the bitter cocoa aroma will fill the air. The chocolate paste is then shaped into molds and placed in a room with a constant temperature of 18°C, where it will gradually solidify. Once completely cooled, it is placed in the refrigerator, and this results in 100% pure chocolate.

By making it ourselves, we can understand the source and production process of the ingredients. This way, whether for personal consumption or sale, we can eat with peace of mind and buy with confidence.