Hot Chocolate

Althea Chang

	Dagoba Organic Chocolate

While chocolatiers usually have their sights set on Valentine's Day -- the single biggest sales day of the year -- melt-in-your-mouth chocolates could bring in more sales from high-end shoppers during the winter holidays this time around.

And not just with a traditional mug of hot chocolate, as I found at the ninth annual New York Chocolate Show in November.

Makers of bittersweet and semisweet confections have increasingly been spicing up their offerings, making for a hot, invigorating experience on the tongue.

At the show, sticky fingers grabbed at trays stacked with traditional chocolate truffles and brownies, and glass shelves were lined with rows of caramels and ganaches.

But peppered among the 70 vendors represented were chocolates with a kick: chili for a sharp spark on your tongue, ginger for a slow burn in your throat, and even wasabi for a little tingle in your nose.

The Science of Delicious

Plain old cocoa, which is derived from dried and fermented cacao tree beans, is shown to boost energy and mood. It also kicks up levels of endorphins, the body's stress-relieving hormones, and the mood-regulating neurotransmitter serotonin.

In addition, some of the roughly 380 different chemicals found in chocolate even benefit the digestive system, researchers claim.

Phytosterols -- found in chocolate as well as a number of plants -- help reduce cholesterol absorption in the intestines. And according to the National Institutes of Health, other ingredients in dark chocolate can lower blood pressure in the elderly and may even reduce insulin sensitivity.

Recent studies have also showed that flavonoids (which are found in dark chocolate as well as red wine, tea, fruits and vegetables) support cardiovascular health by keeping cholesterol from gathering in blood vessels, reducing overall levels of bad cholesterol associated with hardening of the arteries; and lower the risk of blood clots that can lead to a heart attack or stroke, according to researchers at the University of California in San Francisco.

Add to cocoa the warming effects and other health benefits of spices, and you come up with an surprisingly healthy ancient brew.

Food for the Seasonings

Central and South Americans began adding chiles to liquid chocolate thousands of years ago, when the so-called "food of the gods" was reserved for warriors, nobility and priests to promote vitality and wisdom, and for use as an aphrodisiac.

And recent research seems to uphold these old beliefs. Capsaicin, the chemical in chiles that makes them spicy, also acts as a pain reliever by increasing the production of endorphins and even boosts metabolism, according a July article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Ginger, which can be found in crystallized form in dark or white chocolate, is also used to get blood pumping.

The root, which is often used in herbal preparations for digestive aids and cold treatments, may also have blood-thinning and cholesterol-lowering properties, as well as antibacterial, analgesic and sedative effects.

Wasabi, hailing from Japanese horseradish, kills ulcer-causing stomach bacteria and may even prevent tooth decay, according to a South Korean study.

However, while studies tout the benefits of chocolate -- a press release from the Chocolate Show even claims that chocolate is a vegetable, since it hails from beans -- nutritionists wouldn't encourage scarfing down every piece you can get your hands on.

Gourmet chocolates may seem better for you than mass-produced chocolates from large companies like Hershey(HSY), Cadbury Schweppes(CSG) and Nestle, but most chocolates, regardless of price, contain sugar and fat.

"There is some evidence to suggest that dark chocolate may have short-term beneficial effects on circulation," British Heart Foundation spokeswoman Dr. Charmaine Griffiths told the BBC.

"But it is important to remember that chocolate is far more often part of the problem for heart health than the solution. Eating five portions of fruits and vegetables a day is a better way to get the heart-protective antioxidants without having to worry so much about the fats and sugars packed into chocolate," Griffiths continued.

A Potent Gift

If you're planning on buying some chocolate for the holidays, however, regardless of the benefits or risks, why not kick it up a notch?

Organic chocolate company Dagoba offers a spicy bar called Xocolatl, named after the ancient Aztec spiced hot chocolate.

However, the Dagoba offering adds a fruity flavor to chiles, as well as nutmeg, vanilla and small chunks of cocoa bean called cacao nibs.

Building on the citrus taste, Danish chocolatier Fritz Knipschildt has soft and spicy tangerine and red chili ganaches wrapped in a hot pepper-shaped outer coating.

Both companies sell their goodies online and at select Whole Foods Markets(WFMI).

For ginger lovers, "'Sexy' is chocolate in stilettos," says confectioner NewTree, which offers a dark bar by that name to warm up your winter. Sexy also contains stimulating guarana extract, which "adds an extra perk for a seductive treat," the company says.

And Tokyo-based Mary's Chocolate offers wasabi-dusted ganaches with flavor that starts out sweet, then reveals a slow and smooth heat with a pleasantly sharp finish.

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