Chocolates seem like the world’s most self-explanatory gift: Open box, pop candy in mouth, repeat.
But this Valentine’s Day, some makers are including a surprise in your box of bonbons: detailed instructions
If you’re given Hershey’s Valentine tower of truffles and bars from its 5-month-old Cacao Reserve line, for instance, you’ll also get a study guide with tasting notes and tips such as, “Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth and swirl the melting chocolate all over.”
The VIPs at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Switzerland two weeks ago got a similar lesson. About 2,000 of the attendees received gift boxes from Nestle that held 83 pieces of chocolate, each with a different ratio of cacao bean to sugar and other ingredients. An instructional leaflet, titled “Experimental Sampling Selection Box with Increasing Cacao Concentrations,” explained how to eat the candy.
It’s all part of an industry push, with some of the biggest corporate players leading the charge, to get consumers to pay extra for premium chocolate that targets a particular lifestyle.
For the health-conscious, there’s now chocolate positioned as good for you; for epicures, there are region-specific bars that are compared to fine wine; and for those who want to eat well while doing good, there are chocolates that promise to make the world a better place.
So if you celebrate the day of lovers with the new Cocoavia Milk Chocolate Bars from Mars, you can read about romantic notions like flavanol levels and LDL cholesterol.
French chocolatier Valrhona’s gift box of plantation-specific bars includes a 24-page booklet about cacao-bean farming. (Cocoa and chocolate are made from cacao beans).
Coming next month: Antioxidant Milk Chocolate bars from Hershey’s with a graph printed on the wrapper comparing “total antioxidant capacity” of the product to red wine, blueberries and green tea.
Mass-market players are going after the specialty chocolate business because, while overall chocolate sales have gone up only 1 percent to 3 percent annually over the last 20 years, premium chocolate sales grew 28 percent between 2003 and 2005, according to analyst Mintel International. Dark chocolate was a $1.62 billion business in 2006, up 29 percent from 2003.
Some premium chocolate makers want consumers to understand the complexity of the product.
“We think of chocolate the same way people would think of wine,” says Pierre Cantrel, an executive at Valrhona. “Specific weather conditions and soil affect the final taste.”
This terroir argument is the hook for brands like Hershey’s Cacao Reserve and Michel Cluizel as well as Valrhona, which goes so far as to identify the plantation where the beans were grown.
And just as winemakers often tell consumers how much of what kind of grape is in each bottle, so chocolatiers are providing information about the cacao-bean percentage in their candy.
Other companies highlight how their products help cacao farmers in developing nations.
Divine Chocolate, a British brand partly owned by Ghanaian cacao farmers, opened a U.S. company in late October. Green & Black’s and Dagoba both sell Fair Trade products, which means that farmers receive premium prices.
These initiatives are especially important for corporate players who have been accused by activists of ignoring the plight of laborers–particularly child workers–on cacao plantations.
Another new notion about chocolate requires an even bigger mental leap: the idea that chocolate is good for you.
Mars, the maker of M&M’s and Milky Way, says it has invested 17 years of research into flavanols, a nutrient present in chocolate. Two years ago, Mars started selling in stores nationwide Cocoavia, which it says is rich in flavanols that “promote healthy circulation.” Hershey’s coming Antioxidant Milk Chocolate is its version of healthy chocolate.
The medical community has mixed feelings about chocolate as a health food.
Stephen Siegel, a cardiologist at NYU Medical Center in New York, says he is a fan of Cocoavia–he likes the taste and says it does contain cholesterol-lowering nutrients. But he’s not convinced that peoples’ health will be improved if they eat chocolate, even flavanol-rich varieties.
Dietitian Cathy Nonas, director of obesity and diabetes programs at New York’s North General Hospital, says if people are going to eat chocolate anyway, they may as well choose one with higher flavanol levels. But she adds that they need to be aware that chocolate is high in calories.
Even those convinced about the benefits of flavanols recommend moderation.
Chicago dietitian David Grotto calls the science “very impressive,” but not a license to pig out on chocolate: He recommends that his patients eat about an ounce a day–about two-thirds of a vending-machine Hershey bar.
CHOCOLATE’S HIDDEN MEANING
Chocolate on Valentine’s Day: It’s so simple, so traditional, so delectable. In fact, as a gift, it seems almost too easy. How can a well-meaning person know if he or she has picked the right heart-shaped box for that special someone? What does the chocolate you buy say about you? Here’s a cheat sheet.
— St. Petersburg Times, RedEye
Godiva
What it is: The gold standard for chocolate that’s pricey, yet smooth as silk and not hard to find. A box of 14 foil-wrapped hearts is $12.50, but a large box may cost 10 times that. Available at Godiva stores, 845 N. Michigan Ave. (Water Tower Place) and 10 S. LaSalle St.
Ideal recipient: Your fiance
What it says: “I love you this many dollars’ worth. Also, I drive a Lexus.”
Would go great with: Something that sparkles.
Whitman’s Candies
What it is: Your basic all-American heart-shaped box of nougats, nut clusters and chews. Whitman’s also makes Russell Stover candies. Available at drugstores.
Ideal recipient: Grandma
What it says: “You like chocolate, right? Here’s some chocolate. Enjoy.”
Would go great with: A Hallmark card and a frame with your picture in it.
Ghirardelli Chocolate Squares
What it is: Creamy chocolate squares filled with thin layers of mint, raspberry or caramel. A Valentine’s tin costs $10 at Ghirardelli, 830 N. Michigan Ave.
Ideal recipient: Your mom
What it says: “Hey, at least you didn’t get the Whitman’s mix.”
Would go great with: The new Rod Stewart CD, assuming she didn’t camp out for it the day it was released.
Lindt Lindor Truffles
What it is: Individually wrapped Swiss chocolate balls in hazelnut, peanut butter, amaretto and other flavors. Available at the Lindt retail store at Water Tower Place, 845 N. Michigan Ave.
Ideal recipient: Your roommate or anyone else within arm’s reach
What it says: “You gonna eat all of those?”
Would go great with: A DVD of “The Office,” so you can both veg out on the couch and eat truffles together.
Vosges Haut-Chocolat
What it is: This Chicago company creates truffles with exotic or offbeat ingredients, including paprika, curry and coconut, wasabi and ginger and balsamic vinegar. A 16-piece “collection” in a purple heart-shaped box is $42 at Vosges stores, 520 N. Michigan Ave. and 951 W. Armitage Ave.
Ideal recipient: The foodie you’re desperately trying to impress
What it says: “I’m sophisticated and just a little bit whimsical. What a catch.”
Would go great with: A good bottle of wine and a gift certificate to Alinea.
Ethel’s CocktailCollection
What it is: Creme liqueur chocolates flavored like spiced rum, brandy, champagne and more (with a touch of alcohol). Available at various Ethel’s Chocolate Lounges throughout the city from $14 for a box of 12 to $42 for a box of 48.
Ideal recipient: Your single friend
What it says: “I hate being single on Valentine’s Day as much as you do, so let’s drown our sorrows in cocktail-flavored chocolate.”
What it would go great with: Margaritas and “Sex and the City” reruns.
