We all love chocolate

WE are a nation of chocoholics. Each of us munches through 10kg (22lbs) of the confectionery each year, spending an average of £1.33 a week.

It doesn't take a brain of Einstein proportion to work out that chocolate is a multi-million pound industry. What's more, it's an industry in the grips of a revolution.

The popularity of gourmet chocolate has grown. Independent chocolatiers are commonplace, selling exquisite handmade chocolates made from the finest of ingredients. Typically, these chocolates contain more cocoa solids and are darker, richer and less sweet than mainstream British milk chocolate, which contains vegetable fat and more sugar.

While we still enjoy a Kit Kat for elevenses, more of us are opting for something more sophisticated after hours.

A plate of handmade chocolates is an acceptable way to finish a dinner party - much in the way hosts used to present a cheese platter or a round of After Eight mints.

Chocolate tasting societies are springing up, following wine groups, where the emphasis is on trying different products and educating the palate.

Chloe Doutre-Roussel is well placed to comment on these trends. A former chocolate buyer for Fortum And Mason in London, she runs a chocolate appreciation society and chocolate-tasting courses. She describes chocolate as her "best friend" and spends much of her time tracking down the world's finest examples.

In her new book, The Chocolate Connoisseur, she tackles some of the hang-ups we all have about chocolate.

Firstly, she argues that we have to move on from our childhood addiction to sweet, milk, chocolate. Instead, she urges us to eat dark chocolate and learn to appreciate its array of flavours.

In doing so, she believes we will break our mindset that tells us eating chocolate is bad for us.

Chloe says: "Back in the 16th century, the Spanish regarded chocolate as a health food." Top quality, dark, chocolate, contains "good fat", as is found in olive oil, she argues. It is also packed with vitamins and minerals and is an excellent anti-oxidant, helping to combat anti-ageing and halt the destruction of the body's cells.

It doesn't have to be fattening, she adds. Chloe has eaten more than a pound of chocolate a day for 15 years but is still slim. The key, she says, is to eat chocolate by itself, so you get more pleasure from it and are less likely to over eat. It is also important to keep active to burn off calories.

There is another big myth that Chloe sets out to smash: that chocolate is an aphrodisiac. While it promotes the "feelgood factor", it doesn't make you want to have sex.

"The chocolate aphrodisiac myth is one that people like to maintain," said Chloe.

It stems from Aztec emperor Moctezuma who is thought to have drunk 50 goblets of chocolate a day allegedly to enhance his sexual prowess. Casanova was also credited with consuming chocolate before frolicking with his conquests.

Chloe is not convinced. "I've just told you how much chocolate I get through on a daily basis, how could I manage to hold down my job if all that chocolate was firing up my sex drive?"

But is it the same for men? North Yorkshire chocolatier Gareth East is another self-confessed chocoholic. He runs The Chocolate Factory with his brother, Chris. They set up the company three years ago and now have a factory and shop in Hutton-le-Hole and a stand-alone shop at Thornton-le-Dale.

They sell a range of hand-made chocolates, including the best-seller Bailey's Cream, and their speciality is chocolate figures such as clowns, cats and steam trains. For Christmas they are selling two-and-a-half feet tall Santas for £30,

"I always liked chocolate, but now I eat more of it," said Gareth.

Any side effects?

"No. In fact, everyone who works here is pretty slim," he said. Like Chloe, he argues that good-quality dark chocolate, is better for you than its mainstream milky counterparts because "it doesn't contain any vegetable oil and has less sugar".

But is it an aphrodisiac?

Gareth laughs. "No, that is not true!"

So what have we to make of Orgasmic Chocolates, a new range of luxury bars launched today? Made from Swiss chocolate using Fairtrade cocoa beans, they include a subtle blend of Chinese herbs which the manufacturers claim will "produce a mellowing effect, promote a feeling of euphoria, and heighten the sensory experience of eating chocolate".

Unfortunately, we were unable to put these claims to the test before going to press, but we did ask Victoria Tinkler, a representative for Orgasmic Chocolates, to give her verdict.

"Every person who tries it has their own experience," she said. "There is no telling how you will feel. One person felt giggly while another person felt mellow."

So, did anyone feel sexy?

Victoria giggled. "No, I don't think so," she said.

So there we have it: sex and chocolate - a lot of hot Aero.

Chloe Doutre-Roussel's book, The Chocolate Connoisseur, is published by Piatkus, priced £9.99.

The Chocolate Factory's website is www.the-chocolate-factory.co.uk

To find out more about Orgasmic Chocolates visit www.orgasmicchocolates.com

Updated: 08:40 Tuesday, November 01, 2005