I discovered chocolate sorbet at an ice cream parlor on Sunset Boulevard a few years ago. At that time I already knew two things: that I can’t tolerate dairy and that I love chocolate ice cream. As a rule, there is no chocolate ice cream without (some kind of) dairy. Except for chocolate sorbet, which is made on a water basis and has that incomparably intense chocolate taste. At that time I was very enthusiastic about this sorbet and made a detour to the said ice cream parlor as often as possible to test it again – only for research purposes, of course.

Today I still have the wonderful taste on my tongue. And since it’s usually hard to find chocolate sorbet in a regular ice cream shop, I make it myself. To make things really easy, I prepare it in form of a granita, which gets by with a minimum of ingredients and equipment. With just 2 ingredients (plus water and a pinch of salt), a flat mold and a fork, you can create a sensational dessert that will be remembered for a long time.

The healing properties of chocolate

When you make your own chocolate sorbet, you can leave out all the things that normally make chocolate unhealthy, such as white sugar or preservatives. Because without the things that are unhealthy, chocolate is really good for you. Cocoa has a variety of healing effects that have been known for thousands of years. That’s why until a 100 years ago chocolate was prescribed by the doctor and available in pharmacies only. By the way, its main mode of action was to strengthen the nervous system.

Chocolate for the mood

The Aztecs already knew that chocolate lifts your spirits. Today it can be scientifically proven that it actually has antidepressant properties. Chocolate stimulates the release of the happiness hormones serotonin and dopamine. It’s content of theobromine has a mood-enhancing effect, stimulates the heart and dilates the blood vessels. Theobromine comes from the Greek “Theobroma”, which means “food of the gods”.

Chocolate rejuvenates blood vessels

An American study found that the antioxidant flavanols in cocoa keep the blood vessels flexible and prevent deposits on the vessel walls. In this way, cocoa prevents both high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis. In addition, chocolate keeps the cardiovascular system healthy in an interesting detour: certain parts of the cocoa feed our beneficial intestinal bacteria, whose metabolic residues have an anti-inflammatory effect and thus prevent deposits on the vessel walls, among other things. And if the blood vessels are healthy, the cardiovascular system is also doing well.

Chocolate activates the brain

Scientists at Harvard Medical School published a study examining the effects of chocolate on brain performance. The 60 participants drank 2 cups of hot chocolate a day for a period of 30 days. Thereafter, neurological tests and ultrasound could prove that a significant improvement in certain areas of the brain had taken place and that the people’s memory had improved.

Chocolate is magical

The South American civilizations have ascribed magical qualities to cocoa for over 4,000 years. When mankind strays too far from nature, so it is said in the old legends, cocoa comes and reconciles the world. Perhaps it is therefore no coincidence that the cocoa ceremony has started its triumphal march through the western world in recent years. Whether in New York, Berlin, London or Mallorca: people meet everywhere to share cocoa in a ceremony. The inventor of these modern cocoa ceremonies, Keith Wilson, says: “Cocoa is the medicine of our time”. Incidentally, the cocoa for the ceremony is prepared in a very similar way to my chocolate granita: without white sugar, without milk and completely pure with water.

And now my question for you: how do you prefer to eat your chocolate? And have you already tried chocolate sorbet? Let me know and leave a comment below!