Chocolate is part of the herb world. Or so I’ve decided after doing a little reading and research. In fact,
Herb Society of America’s own education coordinator Karen Kennedy says,
“I’m sure it depends on who you talk to. It seems to me that chocolate itself is not because it is a product made from several different ingredients. Cacao, from the tree Theobroma cacao, fits our definition of an herb. Cacao, derived from this tree has both flavoring and medicinal properties, including as a stimulant, diuretic, lowers blood pressure, etc. Cocoa butter is used for damaged and sore skin. If you look up this tree and perhaps the ethnobotany of it, you will find both historical and modern day uses. Chocolate is both a flavor and a food, so in a sense–it is an herb!”
Her answer is enough for me.
And just when I thought I knew a lot about this herb, along comes a brand new type of chocolate. Move over dark, milk and white. Make room for ruby chocolate, just introduced by international chocolate-maker Barry Callebaut. The company describes the chocolate as “an intense sensorial delight. A tension between berry-fruitiness and luscious smoothness.”
Turns out ruby chocolate is made from the ruby cocoa bean and gets its color and flavor from it. No berry flavor or color is added. The beans come from different places in the world and the chocolate company has created an innovative process to capitalize on its unique properties.
Introduced to the world on September 5, 2017, ruby chocolate is purported to have different flavor profiles from its siblings, something I’m longing to test. I’m continuing to watch for more information as it becomes available.
