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Gourmet, from the word itself, stands in relation to food and means "of high-quality". This is also known to be sophisticated, rare, meticulously prepared and sometimes expensive. With this definition, gourmet chocolates are regarded fine chocolate confectioneries.

Chocolate is made from both raw as well as processed foods from the cacao seeds. This seed is known to be cultivated in Central America almost 3,000 years ago. Cacao seeds are usually used in make chocolate beverages in those times.

To make chocolate, the cacao seeds must be fermented. After that, the seeds are dried and roasted. This is with the shell being taken out. This produces cacao nibs. These nibs are grounded until they turn into liquid, which subsequently becomes pure liquid chocolate. This is known as chocolate liquor. Thus, Cocoa solids and butter are created when this cocoa liquor is processed.

There are different kinds of chocolates. Unsweetened pure chocolates only have Cocoa solids and butter in it. Milk chocolates are the sweet type due to the fact that it contains condensed milk or milk powder. As for white chocolate, they do not have cocoa solids but they contain cocoa butter, milk and sugar.

Most people all over the world have become chocolate lovers whether it is in the form of food or beverage. With the advancement of technology, the production of mass chocolate candies is now made easier to make and sell. In addition, some chefs make use of chocolates as a part of their food delicacies, such as in specialty dishes, desserts as well as beverages.

At present, a popular type of chocolate has come out. This is known as gourmet chocolates. What does gourmet chocolate mean? Gourmet, from the word itself, stands in relation to food and means "of high-quality". This is also known to be sophisticated, rare, meticulously prepared and sometimes expensive. With this definition, gourmet chocolates are regarded fine chocolate confectioneries. However, there are no regulations in terms of the standards of chocolate being classified as gourmet.

With this, how can one know if he or she is buying a gourmet kind of chocolate? From the definition in itself, you need to assess the total package of the chocolate being bought. To start with, the ingredients of the chocolate should be made from its purest form. The usage of pure cocoa butter as well as solids will make the gourmet chocolate delicately flavorful instead of having the usual vegetable fat flavouring. Moreover, these ingredients should be placed early on the list of other ingredients. In addition, if one is planning to buy truffle chocolates, one must look for unique as well as fresh ingredients. There must be no preservatives.

Furthermore, the presentation is also the key for making gourmet chocolates. Being an art in itself, the packaging and presentation would show how the maker carefully and intricately designed his craft. To serve at its best, gourmet chocolates should be made with a big heart and passion for chocolates. With taste and quality masterfully interwoven together, this makes gourmet chocolates the most expensive and delectable treat.

Listed below are the top five gourmet chocolate makers:

1. Christopher Norman Chocolates

Christopher Norman chocolates are beautifully crafted chocolates that were created with utmost perfection. Each piece has been hand made, thus creating a sensual luscious treat with extraordinary provoking taste. One of the finest in New York City!

2. MarieBelle New York

Created by Maribel Lieberman, her fine chocolates are a combination of art and electic ingredients. A taste would bring you poignant emotions of delight and contentment. Just like the beautiful gems delicately placed in their stylish Italian boxes, MarieBelle New York gourmet chocolate is sure worth the treasure hunt!

3. Lake Champlain Chocolate

Native delicacies such as these bring traditions to ultimate experience. Especially made from Vermont, this craftsmanship has been passed from generation to generation, bringing with them the classical flavours of the original Vermont pride. It sure makes you feel like home.

4. Romanicos Chocolates

Owned by Alejandra Bigai, her mastery would account to her presentation of the chocolate, according to its own nature: luxurious, sultry, and most of all mouth wateringly delicious. Hand rolled to its perfection, these gourmet chocolates exude delectable flavours such as passion caramel, and holy berry, heavenly vanilla, wild coconut, and a whole lot more! The Piccolo Art Collection also showcases chocolates that are hand painted wand are filled with nuts like hazelnuts, almonds, as well as pistachios. These are even beautifully and wonderfully packaged! You will never go wrong with Romanicos Chocolates.

5. L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolates

This company makes gourmet chocolates at its most natural! This is aside from being fresh, delicious and original. This is due to the fact that each chocolate being made is uniquely designed. They are handmade can be ordered beforehand. This is what L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolates are known for.

Aside from this, in Hershey, Pennsylvania, you will find the home of Hershey's chocolate itself. It is also regarded as the sweetest place in the globe. Aside from the Hershey Park, it also has the Chocolate Spa and the Hershey's Chocolate World. This area is definitely a chocolate lover's paradise. Aside from experiencing their Chocolate Tour, they also have the Kitkat Cafe and the Hershey's Factory Works among others. Not only will you be able to view the entire Hershey's Chocolate Factory, you can also take part in an interactive chocolate making project. You will have the chance to design your own chocolate cupcake and chocolate flavoured ice cream. Thus, Every July is the anniversary of Hershey Kisses.

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Do You Love Chocolate?

Of course you do. Here are five ways to pick the heart-healthy kind.

You could practically hear women cheering in the streets when recent studies linked compounds in chocolate to heart health. But before you raid the candy aisle in the name of wellness, be aware that not all chocolate is rich in flavonols, the antioxidantlike superstars that earn the treat its good-for-you reputation. All chocolate foods, including cocoa powder and bars, are made from cacao beans. (Yes, cacao is spelled correctly.) However, "the way the beans in a product are processed makes or breaks its flavonol content," says Robyn Flipse, R.D., of Bradley Beach, New Jersey. Beans can lose flavonols when exposed to the extreme heat of production methods often used to render chocolate less bitter. Manufacturers aren't required to list flavonol content on their labels, so there's no easy way of knowing how much a nibble might contain. Follow these guidelines to up the odds that your next chocolate fix is beneficial for your ticker:

Scan for key words. Choose chocolate snacks that don't list alkali orDutch-processed cocoa among the ingredients. These terms are signs the beans were prepared using a process known as Dutching, which reduces the flavonols, Flipse says.

Opt for dark chocolate over milk. "Milk chocolate is more diluted with milk and sugar than dark, which, in many cases, can mean fewer flavonols per ounce," says Gaile Moe, Ph.D., professor of dietetics at Seattle Pacific University.

Buy flavonol-friendly brands. The Mars corporation, for example, patented a process that it claims protects flavonoids. (Flavonoids include flavonols and other compounds.) Products made through this process are stamped with a "Cocoapro" seal. (The government doesn't regulate the seal.) That's not to say other brands don't have flavonols. "You just don't know either way," Flipse says.

Make real hot cocoa. Because cocoa is likely more concentrated than dark or milk chocolate, a cup of cocoa made from natural, unsweetened cocoa is probably higher in flavonols than bars.

Go to the source. Work cacao beans, the root of all chocolate, into your diet for a flavonol dose. The beans are often sold as "nibs," the shelled form. Try this Cacao Bean Smoothie from chef David Wolfe of San Diego: Grind a handful of cacao nibs in a coffee grinder. In a blender, mix 1 tbsp ground nibs, 1 cup vanilla frozen yogurt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 cup skim milk.

History of Chocolate:

• The short, sweet history of chocolate
  Chocolate. We love it, you love it and every day, millions of people enjoy it in all its delicious forms. But where does it come from and how did it get to be so popular? In this short history of chocolate, we'll look at how a simple, rather bitter-tasting little bean was transformed into one of the best loved foods in the world.

  Now, if you're sitting comfortably, preferably with a big bag of your favourite Thorntons, we'll begin...

  The amazing Aztecs…
  Our journey starts around 4,000 years ago in the Americas. Ancient tribes like the Aztecs and Mayans revered cacao (or cocoa) beans, eating them before going into battle because they were thought to give strength. The Aztecs also believed that cacao actually came from paradise itself and whoever ate the beans would be blessed with wisdom, energy and, ahem, enhanced sexual powers.

  Hang on, we've got an idea!
  The Aztecs are thought to have been the first people to turn the cacao beans into a more edible form. They roasted the beans, ground them into a paste and dissolved the paste in water with a few spices and chillies. It might not sound particularly yummy, but there it was, the very first drinking chocolate. They called it chocolate, which means bitter drink, and it was lapped up in sacred rituals and quaffed by elite tribesmen for the next few hundred years, until...

  Invasion!
  In the 1500s the Europeans decided to go exploring and stick their noses in. We're all familiar with Chris Columbus, the Spanish conquistadors' ‘discovery' of America and just how badly that turned out for the native people. But at first the Spanish didn't realise the potential for cacao, preferring other wonders like gold.

  Welcome to Spain
  In 1519, the Spanish conqueror Hernando Cortez visited the court of Emperor Montezuma in Mexico, where he was presented with a golden goblet of chocolate. Realising he'd stumbled across something pretty amazing, Cortez took some cacao beans back to Spain, where monks perfected a technique for roasting and grinding them. They also had the brilliant idea of replacing the chilli with cane sugar to improve the taste.

  Just for posh people?
  With the Aztecs conquered, the Spanish were able to establish their own huge plantations and export large amounts of cacao back to Europe. By the 17th century, chocolate had become something of a luxury item among Europe's aristocracy.

  In the 17th century, diarist Samuel Pepys swore by chocolate's energising properties and Napoleon carried it with him into battle to give him a quick boost. Parisians were using it to treat problems like indigestion and nervous conditions.

  But with the advent of the industrial revolution and mass production in the late 18th and early 19th century, delicious chocolate, now in a solid form, began to take off in a big way.

  We love chocolate!
  Today, chocolate has become one of the most versatile and beloved foods in the world. And yet it's become so much more – we have an emotional, sensual connection with chocolate that we have with few other foods. It comforts us, delights us, draws us in and gives us a taste experience unlike any other. Simply put, we love it. And the humble beans it comes from have had a heck of a journey over the past 4,000 years.

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