Chocolate class

I took a chocolate class today. Totally awesome, right? It was, let me reassure you. I have taken a chocolate class at home, but that class focused more on how to temper chocolate and different decorating techniques.

This class focused more on the different origins of chocolate and got much more in depth with the processing of the cacao bean into our beloved chocolate bars. 

Most of the world's chocolate is from Africa, but this chocolate is much more bitter and requires more sugar and other ingredients to make it palatable. Venezuelan chocolate is sweeter and therefore requires less ingredients to make it tasty. I'm not a huge dark chocolate fan, I'm trying since its much better for you than milk. Turns out, I actually like Venezuelan dark chocolate more than milk chocolate! It really is sweeter with an almost fruity after taste. Naturally, this chocolate is much more expensive than African chocolate and is used less frequently. There's a third type of chocolate that is a mixture of the first two types.

What's the lesson here? Buy more Venezuelan chocolate! It's good for you so eat up! 

The place where we took the chocolate class has this amazing chocolate tea. It's made from boiling the cacao shells in water and a bit of sugar. It tastes just like hot chocolate, but without the calories! Hello, genius! And to make it even better its wicked good for you, filled with antioxidants, anti-cancer properties, and anti-aging properties. Did I mention that it also tastes like hot chocolate? These Peruvians are on to something here. 

We got to sample several different types of chocolate drinks and finally, make our very own chocolates mixed with all kinds of yummy ingredients like chili, cinnamon, and coconut. 

It was a great class, well worth an afternoon the next time you're in Cusco.