Chocolate alkalization

Commercial cocoa powders are produced for various specific uses and many cocoas are alkaH treated, or Dutched, to produce distinctive colors and flavors. The alkaH process can involve the treatment of nibs, chocolate Hquor, or cocoa with a wide variety of alkalizing agents (9). 

While you re working toward alkalizing your body, you can still eat your favorite foods—steak, burgers, pasta, chocolate—on occasion. You ll simply be making a few small changes to your lifestyle and the way you eat. You ll find, as many others have found, that these changes are easy to make and, with minimal effort, fit into virtually any lifestyle. 

Healthy fatty acids like those found in avocados help protect the brain and nervous system from damage. Our brains are 60 percent fat, which needs to be replenished to build healthy brain cells. Avocados also contain more usable protein than an 8-ounce steak. They are alkalizing in the body and help regulate your blood s biochemistry. They make a great addition to salads, can be used to garnish chili or wraps, and can even be the key ingredient in chocolate or berry mousse. See chapter 8 for more recipe ideas. 

Dutching, or alkalizing, is carried out to modify the color and flavor of cocoa. Depending on the degree of alkalization, the color becomes darker and the flavor milder and much less harsh. This process involves the addition of alkali to the milled chocolate liquor accompanied by efficient mixing and the removal of water by heating. 

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