There are two gifts in the world, which will always please and never disappoint: chocolates and flowers. They are like two sisters, who never argue with each other and don’t envy a success. Both of them have the same value and none of them want to bury another. On the contrary – they complete each other and bring a double pleasure. They will not even disappoint separately and one will excellently substitute the other. They have the same effect for the donee, but each of them in an own way.
The flower will caress his mind and hearth by its perfect shape and aroma. The chocolate box Emoti with filled chocolates will attract him by its elegant appearance. Just by its name it reveals, what it will bring him – Emoti, a chocolate box, which generates a positive emotion. He will open it, unpack the first bonbon and feel a sweet aroma and delicious taste at the moment in which he will put it in the mouth and leave it slowly melt on the tongue. The flower and chocolate delicacy will call up the smile on the face of the donee and tune his heart into a condition of sweet leisureliness. They prepare him for receiving and sending positive signals, to open him to positive feelings and to reciprocate them. They will bring pleasure for all his senses even for the ear, because congratulations in combination with them sound more sincerely and have a force to warm. The combination of a flower and chocolate delicacy is a wonderful gift, suitable for every occasion, because it is able to raise the happy occasion and grind down painful edges of an unfunny occasion.
History of chocolate
As early as 3,000 Years Ago
The first mentions of cocoa can be found as early as 3,000 years ago. The cacao tree comes from the South and Middle American forests. The Mayas, who practiced a number of rituals related to the cacao tree, were supposedly the first ones to cook a bitter liquid from cocoa beans.
Chocalatl
Chocolatl was created from dried, stone-crushed cocoa beans, mixed with honey, vanilla and other spices. The thick cocoa drink was far from tasty, but it was very precious, and only chosen people were allowed to drink it. Cocoa beans themselves were very expensive and served also as a means of payment. In the mid-17th century, for example, one kilogram of cocoa beans cost up to three quarters of a kg of gold.
Cocoa Conquered Europe
Cocoa came to Europe through overseas discoveries. In the middle of the 16th century, sugar was added to cocoa, and before long the drink spread to all aristocratic residences in Europe.
The Birth of Chocolate
The first chocolate factory was founded by the van Houten company in Holland in 1815. The first chocolate bar was produced in England in 1847, but at the beginning, it was only available as a medicine in pharmacies. After evaporated milk was invented in Switzerland in 1867, the currently most popular type of chocolate was developed - milk chocolate was born.
How to Store Chocolate Products:
Chocolate products must be stored in dry, clean, dark and well-ventilated rooms that are not infested with pests and are protected from any distinct smells. Chocolate is sensitive to any fluctuations in temperature or humidity, therefore it is necessary to keep the temperature constantly up to 18 degrees Celsius and relative humidity up to 75%, without any significant fluctuations. It is not possible to store chocolate products close to a heater, water or sewer pipes (there must be at least a one-meter distance and a 0.7 m and 0.1 m distance from walls).
How to Prevent Chocolate from Becoming Grey:
While being stored, chocolate should not be brought to any warm or wet rooms. Water vapour from the air quickly condenses on the cold chocolate surface, and part of the sugar melts. As chocolate gradually reaches the same temperature as in the room, the moisture evaporates, and sugar crystalizes on the chocolate surface in the form of a white coating or stains or tiny microscopic crystals (sugar greying). In addition, moisture can cause the quick creation of mould and the degradation of products.
It is also not advisable to store chocolate in a warm room (over +25°С) under the influence of direct sunshine. Increased temperature causes fat greying: the surface of chocolate is covered with a grey coating, which looks like mould. The quality of the chocolate mass stays intact, but nevertheless the greying of chocolate products is not acceptable, because it significantly worsens their appearance.