Chocolate is one of the most popular goods on the planet: in 2011, global sales of chocolate products for the first time in history crossed the $ 100 billion mark, and since 1995, many countries around the world have even celebrated World Day of this delicacy on July 11.

In Russia, about 82% of citizens regularly consume chocolate, and in Europe and the USA this figure is even higher. True, not so long ago, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture scared the sweet tooth with the news that by 2050, due to climate change, chocolate could become a delicacy.

Until this happens, the manufacturers of sweets are inventing new combinations of chocolate flavors and fillings, and unusual bars from well-known manufacturers are sold at quite reasonable prices. Here are 10 chocolates with the most unusual tastes.

Camel milk chocolate

Price: on request

Camel milk is a popular product in the UAE: here you can enjoy ice cream made from it, and since spring 2012, you can also try six new flavors of camel milk, launched by leading dairy producer Al Ain Dairy.

But still, the greatest interest among consumers is caused by camel milk chocolate. An unusual delicacy is produced by the Al Nassma company, whose representatives claim that such chocolate is healthier than traditional chocolate and, due to its low fat content, is suitable even for diabetics.

Traditional oriental sweets are used as additives in Al Nassma chocolate: honey, nuts and spices. So far, you can only buy an unusual sweetness directly from the manufacturer, as well as in hotels and airports in the country, but Al Nassma is already thinking about entering the European market.

Chocolate with absinthe

Price: 197 rubles

Chocolate with the addition of alcohol is not uncommon: the Cherry in Cognac sweets were sold in Soviet stores, and later Finnish Fazer sweets with vodka appeared on the shelves.

But the Swiss company Villars, which has existed for more than a century, has launched bitter chocolate with Absinthe Villars Larmes d'Absinthe on the market and has managed to surprise even the most sophisticated sweet tooth. The taste of chocolate with absinthe is especially acute at the moment when it begins to melt in the mouth and release the bitterness of wormwood liqueur.

You will hardly be able to get drunk with this unusual delicacy, because the content of absinthe in chocolate is only 8.5%. By the way, the Villars chocolate house produces several more types of alcoholic chocolate, for example, with quince, pear and plum vodka, as well as with cognac.

Chocolate with black truffle flavor

Price: $8

Black truffles are an expensive and rare product, and chocolate with them is even more rare. Moreover, truffles do not mean well-known sweets, but valuable edible tubers, the price of which is over $ 2000 per kilogram.

The production of delicacies with an unusual filling was established by two brothers - Rick and Michael Mast, who produce chocolate under the Mast Brothers brand. Their factory is one of the few in the United States where all chocolate is handcrafted, including the processing of natural cocoa beans and packaging.

Rick and Michael come up with unusual chocolate flavors, and the Mast Brothers Chocolate Black Truffle treat fits that definition exactly. In addition to 74% chocolate and an expensive delicacy, a pinch of sea salt is added to the chocolate bar. The delicacy has an earthy taste inherent in truffle, which is revealed in a special way as soon as the chocolate begins to melt in the mouth.

Chocolate with coconut and curry

Price: $3,25

Chocolate with hot peppers is not surprising today, but a sweet treat with the addition of Indian curry is still a novelty for many. Chocolate with an unusual, spicy taste was released by the American company Theo Chocolate.

Becky Deauville, the leading chocolatier of the brand, says that by creating combinations of different flavors, she does not set limits. As a result, Theo Chocolate brand has been actively collecting prestigious awards for flavor combinations such as Fig, Fennel and Almond or Lime Coriander. Milk chocolate with toasted coconut and spicy curry was no exception.

The taste of the unusual tile turned out to be very exotic, and first of all, lovers of Indian cuisine will be able to appreciate it. Organic chocolate from Theo factory has a short shelf life, but it is made only from environmentally friendly ingredients.

Chocolate with flower petals

Price: €4,5

Every child knows about the existence of chocolate with nuts or raisins, which can be found on the shelf of any supermarket. But chocolate bars with the addition of flower petals are not yet so common.

Meanwhile, the French company Bovetti has been producing a sweet delicacy with rose, jasmine, lavender and violet petals for several years. The small factory was founded in 1994 at the foot of the French Alps by Walter Bovetti, who left his native Piedmont to pursue his dream and create a new chocolate brand.

Today the company produces about 150 kinds of chocolate, among which bars with all kinds of additives occupy a special place. Flower petals become an ingredient in milk, bitter and even white chocolate. They come in dried and candied form in Bovetti tiles. The taste of the petals is barely perceptible, but they give off a pleasant aroma.

Salty chocolate

Price: $3,59

The first definition that comes to mind when the word "chocolate" is sweet. But, as it turned out, it can be salty. Moreover, many confectioners call such a combination quite natural, because salt can emphasize the sweet taste of the product and even enhance it.

One of the brands that produce dark chocolate with salt is Salazon. And to make it easier for the buyer to find a bar with an unusual additive, the American manufacturer, right on the package and even on the chocolate bar itself, depicted several workers mining salt.

Organic chocolate Salazon Salted Chocolate Bars is produced in small batches, and the sea salt contained in it is brought from deposits in South America. In addition to the single salt variety, the brand offers bars in the flavors of salt and pepper, salt and cane sugar, and salt and ground coffee.

Chocolate with bacon

Price: $7,5

Napoleon loved pork with chocolate, and Ukrainians are still not averse to eating lard in chocolate - this item is on the menu of many popular restaurants and is in constant demand.

Perhaps these facts pushed the Chicago-based company Vosges Haut-Chocolate to the idea of \u200b\u200bcombining two favorite American products - bacon and chocolate - in one Mo’s Bacon Bar. Milk and dark chocolate bars contain bits of smoked bacon as well as grains of salt.

Those who decide to taste the product will have to use all five senses - so, at least, the inscription on the package says. It should be noted that chocolate with bacon is not the first exotic product of the American brand. Vosges also offers mushroom and peanut butter, Mexican ancho, and Japanese wasabi flavored tiles. The palette of unusual chocolate flavors is said to be inspired by the travel experiences of the company's owner, Katrina Markov.

Lavender chocolate

Price: 3,45$

Lavender has long been renowned as a medicinal herb with soothing properties. Perhaps that is why she was chosen by American chocolatiers, who decided to make chocolate, the effect of which would be equal to several hours spent in the spa. This is how Dagoba lavender blueberry bitter dark chocolate appeared.

In addition to lavender, which gives the tiles a pleasant aroma, it also contains blueberries, which have antioxidant properties. In 2001, former chef Frederick Schilling decided to launch organic chocolate Dagoba, whose name is translated from Sanskrit as "temple of the gods".

For the production of tiles, he selected environmentally friendly cocoa beans, harvested by hand in Ecuador, Costa Rica and Madagascar. In addition to lavender and blueberries, raspberries, lemon zest, rosemary, cardamom and even clover are also added to Dagoba chocolate.

Hay flavored chocolate

Price: on request

After dried flower petals and rare spices, meadow herbs were added to chocolate. Especially for the Windsor five-star Coworth Park hotel, the famous English chocolatier Sir Hans Sloan invented and made a special type of chocolate from ingredients that seem incompatible at first glance - cocoa beans and hay.

The exclusive tiles are created by mixing chocolate mass with specially dried and crushed grass cut in the meadows next to the hotel. In addition to the smell of hay, Hay milk chocolate also contains notes of jasmine, rose and saffron - all this, according to the author's idea, should personify the pastoral silence of the hotel's surroundings.

True, not everyone has the opportunity to appreciate this: there is no talk of a wide sale of unusual chocolate yet, and you can try it either by becoming a guest of the Coworth Park hotel, or by purchasing chocolate in a hotel store.

The official chocolatier website: www.sirhanssloane.com

Slimming chocolate

Price: from € 8

Eating sweets and losing weight became possible thanks to the invention of Spanish confectioners, who invented and launched an unusual chocolate on sale, which allows you not to gain excess weight, but, on the contrary, get rid of it.

The product from Cocoa Bio, first presented at the 2009 Madrid Chocolate Fair, was named Lola, along with a number of ingredients uncharacteristic for sweets. So, it contains special amino acids that suppress appetite.

The taste of slimming chocolate, which is produced in the form of sweets, is no different from the traditional one, but its color is unusual. The sweets have a greenish tint, which is given to them by the algae, which are rich in vitamins A and B12, coming down into the product.

Lola chocolate differs from the usual one also in that it is recommended to eat it not after, but before eating, after which the desire to eat the first, second and dessert should, in theory, disappear.

All sweet tooth loves chocolate. Not only does this delicacy cheer up and delight the taste buds, it also has very exotic tastes! We look and wonder :)

Camel milk chocolate

According to representatives of the company Al Nassma, which is engaged in its production, it is several times more useful than ordinary chocolate. It is much less fat and can be consumed even by diabetics.

Chocolate with absinthe

The Swiss company Villars is engaged in the production of chocolate with absinthe. This chocolate is able to surprise lovers of delicacies. But those who like to drink will not be able to get drunk, since the content of absinthe in chocolate is only 8.5%

Chocolate with black truffle

Chocolate with black truffle is very expensive. But it's worth it. It is mainly produced at the Mast Brothers factory in the USA. A pinch of sea salt is also added to the chocolate. All the beauty of the taste can be felt at the moment when the chocolate begins to melt in your mouth.

Chocolate with curry and coconut

The novelty from the US company Theo Chocolate is also surprising. They make chocolate with curry and coconut. True, the taste of the sweet is quite specific, but it will be appreciated by lovers of Indian cuisine.

Chocolate with dried petals of flower plants

A few years ago, a company from France started producing chocolate, which contains dried petals of flower plants. Despite the fact that while eating chocolate, the taste of the petals is almost not felt, they convey an extraordinary aroma to chocolate.

Chocolate with salt

We are used to thinking that if “chocolate” is always sweet. But there are companies that produce chocolate with salt. Confectioners assure that these two products work well together, and the salt only enhances the taste and sweetness of the chocolate.

Chocolate with bacon

Napoleon also loved to eat pork in chocolate. Who knows, maybe this fact prompted the Vosges Haut-Chocolate company to the idea of \u200b\u200bmaking chocolate bars with the addition of bacon. As the inscription on the packaging of such chocolate says, whoever decides to taste it will have to use all five senses.

Lavender chocolate

Chocolate with lavender, according to American pastry chefs, has a unique effect. After eating a tile, it seems that you have been in the spa for several hours. The first to make chocolate with lavender was the American chef Frederick Schilling.

Hay flavored chocolate

Hay-flavored chocolate was specially made for the five-star Coworth Park Hotel. It seems that hay and chocolate are incompatible, but Sir Hans Sloan created chocolate, thanks to which he manages to realize all the pastoral silence of the places that surround the hotel.

Seaweed chocolate

It would seem that chocolate and weight loss are completely opposite concepts, but confectioners from Spain have created a product that allows you to lose weight. The only thing that makes such a product different from ordinary chocolate is its color. For weight loss chocolate, it is green and contains algae.

Chocolate with corn and chili

Chocolate with corn and chili has been released only for the inhabitants of America, the secret of which is not in a hurry to reveal the producers of this type of "dessert".

Tea-flavored chocolate

In San Francisco, Japanese tea is well known, which contains brown rice and jasmine. It is offered in combination with chocolate. Another variation of this extravaganza of chocolate flavor is lemongrass and Filipino ylang-ylang.

Potato Chip Chocolate

Anyone who loves a combination of salty and sweet will love this chocolate. Chuao Chocolatier has launched a potato chip flavored milk chocolate.

All types of chocolate: classification by shape and consistency, method of processing ingredients, content of cocoa products. Brands, manufacturers and brands of chocolate.

Chocolate products are as multifaceted as precious stones. And the production of a noble product is almost a piece of jewelry. The multicolored wrappers that smile at us from the store shelves are used to expose chocolate products of different composition, shape and taste. A detailed classification of chocolate and an acquaintance with its best brands and trade marks will help to navigate this variety.

So, what are the types of chocolate

Let's start with the fact that chocolate is a product based on cocoa butter and grains of the cocoa tree growing in the tropics - cocoa beans. The fruits of the cocoa tree deserve a separate classification.

Types of cocoa beans by origin

• American;
• Asian;
• African.

Types of cocoa beans by quality

• Varietal or noble - have a pleasant delicate aroma and delicate taste.
• Ordinary or consumer - have a pungent aroma and a tart, bitter-sour taste.

Classification of chocolate

Types of chocolate according to the content of cocoa products

• Bitter - contains at least 55% cocoa products.
• Classic or ordinary - consists of 35-60% cocoa products.
• Dairy - contains less than 35% cocoa products.

Types of chocolate according to the ingredients and the method of their processing

1. Ordinary - contains 63% sugar and 35% cocoa mass. It is made, as a rule, from consumer varieties of cocoa beans.
2. Dessert - unlike ordinary ones, it is produced only from noble varieties of cocoa beans, consists of a more finely ground mass, and also contains less sugar and more cocoa mass (from 45%), respectively, has a better quality and aroma.
3. Porous - made from dessert chocolate using a special technology: it undergoes special processing at variable pressure, due to which it acquires a porous structure.
4. Chocolate with filling - nutty, creamy, fruit-marmalade, jelly, fondant, creamy, etc. The proportion of the filling should not exceed 50% of the total mass of the product.
5. Specialty chocolate (dietary, for patients with diabetes mellitus).

The first three types of chocolate - ordinary, porous and dessert, are produced with and without additives.

It is interesting! The composition of dark dark chocolate without additives is considered a reference. It is a product made from cocoa butter, grated roasted cocoa beans and powdered sugar, with a bright aroma and pleasant bitterness. This type of chocolate is considered the most respected in the world.

A bar that contains any additives is inferior in value to pure chocolate, in which there is more cocoa, which is the main quality criterion. Kernels of nuts, candied fruits, coffee, waffles, dried fruits are used as additives.

Types of chocolate with additives

1. Milk - with cream, condensed milk or milk powder.
2. White - confectionery mass without the addition of grated cocoa.
3. Nutty - with roasted nuts: crushed or chopped.
4. Coffee - with coffee extract or ground coffee.
5. With roasted nuts - chopped nuts and caramel.
6. With large additions: whole nuts, dried fruits, candied fruits.
7. With waffle crumbs.

Types of chocolate in shape and consistency

1. Chocolate bars (porous or monolithic) - usually rectangular.
2. Patterned - in the form of figures, hollow, solid or stuffed (eggs, animals, shells, etc.).
3. Curly - in the form of flat relief figures like coins.
4. Bars (porous or monolithic), with or without filling.
5. Glaze is melted chocolate, which is mainly used to decorate confectionery: cakes, ice cream, glazed curds.

The largest chocolate makers, famous brands and the best brands

Today, a huge number of brands of chocolate products are available to us, which, thanks to the efforts of thousands of masters, are constantly acquiring new forms and tastes. At the same time, there are companies, as well as individual brands that occupy leading positions in the chocolate production.

The most famous chocolate companies

• Maestrani (Italy);
• Valor (Spain);
• Stollwerck (Germany);
• Hershey (USA);
• Craft Foods (USA);
• Valrhona (France);
• Godiva Chocolatier (Belgium);
• Nestle (Switzerland);
• Barry Callebaut (Switzerland);
• DeLafee (Switzerland).

The most famous chocolate brands

• [email protected] (Switzerland);
• Toblerone (Switzerland);
• KitKat (Nestlé, Switzerland);
• Cadbury (UK);
• Guylian (Belgium);
• Patchi (Lebanon);
• Mars (USA);
• Galaxy (Mars, USA);
• Ghirardelli (USA);
• Ferrero Rocher (Italy).

It should be noted that Russia has also succeeded in producing a noble product. Domestic chocolate is known all over the world. You can safely buy a product with a TU mark on its packaging: GOST 6534-89 "Chocolate" or TU "Chocolate": this is a high-quality chocolate that meets all Russian GOST standards.

The best confectionery factories in Russia

• "Sweetheart";
• "Russian Chocolate";
• "Victory of Taste";
• Confectionery Concern Babaevsky;
• "Russia";
• "Bogatyr";
• JSC "Red October";
• "Loyalty to quality";
• Rot Front OJSC;
• LLC "Odintsovskaya Confectionery Factory".

The most popular brands of slab chocolate in Russia

• Ritter Sport;
• Alenka;
• Nestle;
• Fruit
• Alpen Gold;
• A.Korkunov;
• Milka;
• Nesquik;
• Russian chocolate;
• Spartacus.

Love for a noble product, especially for the beautiful half of humanity, inspires chocolate masters to new feats every day. This is how real masterpieces are born - exquisite types of chocolate, designed to delight those who know a lot about products from cocoa beans.

Our food would be gray and mundane if sweets did not exist. One of the most popular foods on the planet is. In 2011 alone, it sold over $ 100 billion. In many countries of the world, July 11 is celebrated as World Chocolate Day, such a tradition was laid down in 1995.

According to statistics, in Russia, this sweetness is regularly consumed by 82% of residents, while in America and Europe this figure is even higher. Not so long ago, predictions were made that global climate change may lead to the fact that chocolate will become a delicacy. Until this happens, fans of sweets are experimenting with it, coming up with more and more new fillings.

I must say that unusual chocolate can often be purchased at a very humane price, which cannot but delight gourmets. The most unusual sweets sometimes surprise with the courage of experiments with taste, let's talk about them in more detail.

Camel milk chocolate. The exact price of this delicacy is unknown. In the United Arab Emirates, camel milk is a fairly popular product. The country even produces ice cream on its basis. Since the spring of 2012, Al Ain Dairy has offered consumers 6 new flavors of camel milk at once. But the most popular is another product with such a favorite filling - chocolate. This delicacy is produced by Al Nassma. Its representatives report that their chocolate is more beneficial than traditional counterparts, and the low fat content makes the treat accessible even to diabetics. In chocolate, sweets, usual for the East, are used as an additive - nuts, honey and spices. So far, a product based on camel milk can only be purchased directly from the manufacturer, at airports and hotels. However, Al Nassma is also thinking about conquering European markets.

Chocolate with absinthe. Adding alcohol to chocolate is a fairly common practice. You can remember at least "Cherry in Cognac", sold in Soviet stores. Later, our compatriots got to know the Finnish Fazer sweets containing vodka. The Swiss company Villars, which has a century of experience in chocolate production, has launched a unique tasteful product on the market. Villars Larmes d'Absinthe costs about $ 6 and is able to surprise even sophisticated gourmets. An especially acute unusual taste makes itself felt when the chocolate melts in the mouth, then the bitterness of the famous wormwood tincture becomes noticeable. You will not be able to get drunk with such a portion of absinthe, because its content in sweetness is only 8.5%. It should be noted that this famous chocolate house produces several more varieties of unusual alcoholic chocolate. It meets with pear, plum and quince vodka and traditional cognac.

Chocolate with black truffle flavor. Black truffles are a rather rare and therefore expensive product in themselves. Chocolate with them is of great value. At the same time, in this case, we are not talking about truffles-sweets, but about those very famous edible tubers, the price of which fluctuates around 2 thousand dollars per kilogram. Brothers Michael and Rick Mast began to produce special chocolate under the brand “Mast Brothers”. This factory in the United States is one of the few where sweet products are created exclusively by hand, including even the initial processing of the cocoa beans themselves and the final packaging of the finished chocolate. The brothers come up with a variety of unusual flavors for their creations. They are particularly proud of the $ 8 Mast Brothers Chocolate Black Truffle treat. The cocoa content in the product is 74%, and in addition to the delicacy, the original taste is achieved by adding a pinch of sea salt. As a result, such elite chocolate received an earthy taste from the truffle, which is fully revealed when the sweetness begins to melt in the mouth.

Chocolate with coconut and curry. No one is surprised by chocolate with the addition of hot pepper. But the sweetness that hides the Indian curry inside is a novelty. This unusual spicy chocolate, worth $ 3.25, was produced by the American company "Theo Chocolate". Its leading expert Becky Deauville sees no limits to experimentation, boldly trying different flavors. As a result, the brand has received many prestigious awards for its unusual flavor combinations. Critics have noted flavors such as "Fig, Fennel and Almond" or "Lime Coriander." Milk chocolate with spicy curry and toasted coconut is worth highlighting. The tile has received an unusual taste that will surely appeal to connoisseurs of Indian cuisine. At the same time, organic chocolate has a short shelf life, which is due to the use of exclusively environmentally friendly and natural ingredients.

Chocolate with flower petals. Each of us knows that adding raisins or nuts to chocolate is already a classic in the world of sweets. But the use of flower petals in this product is not yet so widespread. But the French company Bovetti has been producing chocolate for several years, which includes violet, lavender, jasmine or rose petals. This small factory has been operating since 1994 at the foot of the French Alps. For this production, Walter Bovetti left his native Piedmont to fulfill his dream and give birth to a new chocolate brand. Today, his company produces one and a half hundred varieties of chocolate, a special place among which belongs to the bars with the addition of colors. These natural ingredients are found in milk, white and bitter chocolate. In Bovetti tiles, which cost 4.5 euros, the leaves can be found candied and dried. Although the taste of the petals is practically not realized, they give the product a pleasant floral aroma.

Salted chocolate. Everyone knows that chocolate should be sweet. But some don't think so. Experiments of pastry chefs gave birth to salted chocolate. At the same time, gourmets believe that such a combination looks quite natural. The fact is that salt just emphasizes the sweetness of the product and enhances the sensations. You can buy dark salty chocolate from Salazon for as little as $ 3.59. To help the buyer looking for just such an unusual taste, right on the packaging, and on the tile itself, several workers are depicted mining salt. This organic product is produced in small batches. Sea salt for him is transported from afar, from South America. It should be noted that in addition to the Salazon Salted Chocolate Bars, the manufacturer offers chocolate with the taste of salt and pepper, salt and cane sugar, as well as salt and ground coffee.

Chocolate with bacon. They say that Napoleon also adored pork with chocolate. And in Ukraine there is such a delicacy as lard in chocolate. It can be found on the menus of some restaurants and is a popular dish. Perhaps these facts pushed the company Vosges Haut-Chocolate from Chicago to the idea of \u200b\u200bcombining two favorite American foods - chocolate and bacon. This is how the Mo's Bacon Bar tile was born, costing $ 7.5. Milk and dark chocolate, in addition to pieces of smoked pork, also contain grains of salt. The inscription on the package says that it will be possible to fully appreciate the full depth of the taste of such a product only by using all five senses. For an American manufacturer, this is not the first daring experience with chocolate. Vosges offers sweetness with flavors of peanut butter and mushrooms, Japanese wasabi and Mexican ancho. It is possible that the manufacturer owes such a rich palette of taste to its owner Katrina Markov, who loves to travel.

Lavender chocolate. The herb lavender has long been known for its healing and soothing properties. It is no coincidence that American chocolatiers drew attention to her. As a result, a product appeared that, in theory, gives an effect equal to several hours of relaxation in a spa. Dagoba lavender blueberry bitter dark chocolate costs $ 3.5. It is lavender that gives the tiles a pleasant aroma. And for the antioxidant properties of the delicacy, the blueberry included in its composition is responsible. The name of this organic product is translated from Sanskrit as "temple of the gods". Lavender-infused chocolate was created by former chef Frederick Schilling in 2001. For the production of such a product, exclusively environmentally friendly cocoa beans were selected, which were manually harvested in Costa Rica, Madagascar and Ecuador. At the same time, not only blueberries and lavender are added to Dagoba, but also raspberries, rosemary, cardamom, lemon zest and clover.

Hay flavored chocolate. In addition to rare spices of flowers and flowers, they have already learned to add meadow herbs to chocolate. The famous English chocolatier Sir Hans Sloan came up with a special type of chocolate especially for the Windsor five-star Coworth Park hotel. It included seemingly incompatible ingredients such as hay and cocoa beans. To obtain an exclusive chocolate, the chocolate mass is mixed with specially chopped and dried grass growing in the meadows near the elite hotel. As a result, an unusual smell of hay is born. But besides it, in Hay milk chocolate you can also catch notes of rose, jasmine and saffron. The creator of such a product believes that such a combination will make you feel the pastoral silence that reigns in these places. Not everyone was able to appreciate the taste of such chocolate. After all, you can't find it in regular sales, you can taste the unique sweet only at the Coworth Park Hotel or in a special store inside it.

Slimming chocolate. Everyone knows that it is impossible to lose weight and eat sweets. But the Spanish confectioners decided to correct the injustice. They launched an unusual chocolate on sale, which not only prevents you from gaining excess weight, but, on the contrary, helps you lose weight. True, for a double pleasure you will have to pay about 8 euros. Cocoa Bio created such an unusual product in 2009, showing it at a chocolate exhibition in Madrid. The sweetness was named Lola, and it included several ingredients unusual for such a meal. Among them are special amino acids that suppress appetite. In their taste, chocolate sweets for weight loss are no different from traditional counterparts, except that their color is unusual. This product has an original greenish tint, which is given to it by the algae with vitamins A and B12. The difference between Lola chocolate and traditional products is that it should be eaten not after a meal, but before it. Then the desire to taste the first, second and sweet will significantly decrease.

Chocolate tastes can be varied and quite unusual. As a result of research, it was revealed what is most beneficial. It can normalize blood pressure, raise antioxidants, and neutralize free radicals. The product provides the prevention of cancerous tumors. It should be noted that dairy has no such properties. How is the quality of chocolate determined? First of all, the quality of the raw materials from which it is made is revealed, the origin of cocoa beans, the peculiarities of their cultivation, and processing technology are taken into account.

Consumer properties of dark chocolate

The product is usually classified in accordance with GOST R 528212007.

The cocoa solids content in dark chocolate must be at least 55%, and the amount of cocoa butter must be at least 33%. For the manufacture of dark chocolate, it is allowed to use vegetable equivalents of cocoa butter not more than 5% of the total weight. The ideal dark chocolate has a pleasant, pronounced aroma and rich taste, its color is uniform, and its surface is shiny. The sweetness is firm and melts in the mouth. According to the state standard, tiles should not have many "bubbles", deformations are also not allowed.

The organoleptic characteristics of chocolate (shape, consistency, appearance) also determine the quality. A detailed description of the composition can be seen on the back of the tile.

Chocolate is a treat that improves mood and energizes. True gourmets can spend a lot of money in order to enjoy a unique, unforgettable taste. On July 11, 1995, chocolate began to celebrate its official birthday. Experts have made one curious discovery that did not delight anyone. Scientists have suggested that by 2050, chocolate may disappear altogether, this will be associated with climate change. Most of the inhabitants of our planet do not believe this statement.

Sweets with camel milk and absinthe

There are a huge number of confectionery factories in the world. Year after year, they develop new flavors of chocolate, thereby surprising consumers. Some manufacturers are shocking when they come up with the most unusual fillings. Chocolate containing camel milk is very unusual. The product is very popular in the United Arab Emirates, but it evokes conflicting emotions in Russians. In some countries, camel milk is sold in stores and is often added to ice cream. Factory employees claim that such a delicacy is more useful: it does not contain so much fat and sugar, therefore, it can be eaten by diabetics.

Chocolate with the addition of absinthe is no less original. Sweets go well with some alcoholic beverages. The well-known Cherry in Cognac sweets are in great demand, they can often be seen on the festive table. The Finnish factory came up with a recipe for sweets with vodka, and the Swiss company Villars surprised even more. Villars confectioners have been working for many years, their trademark is chocolate with alcohol. Confectioners can boast of sweets with pear and plum vodka. Recently, the whole world drew attention to Villars: its masters started making chocolate with absinthe. The proportion of absinthe in the product is small (only 8.5%), so you won't get drunk from the sweetness.

Unusual gourmet tastes

One of the most delicious and at the same time rare sweets is the black truffle, which is very expensive. American brothers Mast decided to experiment and released chocolate with this delicacy. In their production, sweets are prepared by hand, the processing of beans and packaging are also carried out by people. The aroma of Black Truffle chocolate is very intense. Craftsmen put a pinch of sea salt in each tile. Chocolate has a specific taste. Theo Chocolate has released unusual sweets with a spicy flavor. They decided to add coconut and curry to the composition, such chocolate may be liked by lovers of Indian cuisine.

There are several other interesting types, for example, chocolate with flower petals. The famous French factory called Bovetti decided to start producing sweets with the addition of rose petals, jasmine, lavender and violet. Today it produces over 140 types of sweets. In order for flower petals to take root well inside the tile, they must be dried and candied, then added to the product. As for the taste, the flowers are almost not felt, but the tile smells just divine. The aroma of chocolate beckons and bewitches, but how do you feel about a treat with added salt? Such a product will undoubtedly cause a lot of controversy, but experts believe that with the help of salt, you can emphasize the true taste of chocolate. Salazo is one of the salted chocolate companies. To make it immediately recognizable to the customer, the label depicts workers diligently extracting salt.

In Ukraine, lard in chocolate is considered a delicacy, while Americans, in turn, are very fond of bacon. Vosges Haut-Chocolate is a famous confectionery factory that started making chocolate with bacon. In addition to such sweets, the manufacturer offers many others. One of the most unusual is chocolate with mushrooms. Sweets with the addition of lavender are no less original; they have an amazing aroma. Lavender is considered a medicinal herb, and many books have been written about its properties. Skillful craftsmen were able to add the plant to the composition of dark chocolate, such a product was released in America. In addition to lavender, chocolate contains blueberries, which have antioxidant effects, raspberries, lemon zest, cardamom, and rosemary.

Hay-flavored chocolate is quite unusual. For most people, these products are incompatible, but the specialists of the English factory managed to surprise with such an unusual delicacy. They first decided to develop a recipe, then a type of chocolate. To create an extraordinary tile, the grass must be dried and shredded. Having tasted it, you can feel light notes of rose and jasmine, and, of course, the smell of hay. No less exotic of all varieties is with the addition of algae. The delicacy was invented by Spanish craftsmen. They argue that if you eat it, you can quickly lose excess weight. The Cocoa Bio company presented its product in 2009 in Madrid, it was named Lola. The product contains a certain amount of amino acids that can suppress appetite. The delicacy is made in the form of small candies that have a greenish color. Lola contains a large amount of vitamins that have a beneficial effect on the entire body.

Chocolate is a treat that will always be popular. Every year new confectionery factories open, offering to taste non-standard sweets. Such products are undoubtedly of interest.