Why Add Cocoa Powder to Chili?

Cocoa powder can bring an extra dimension to your next pot of chili. Its rich, brown color and smooth, roasted flavor appeal to the senses. With natural antioxidant power that is good for the body and enough acid to tenderize meats, this powder will be your secret to an amazing bowl of chili.

Flavor

Cocoa powder can add a slow-simmered flavor to your chili. Cocoa powder is made by fermenting, drying, and roasting pods from the cacao plant. After the shell of the pod has been removed, the remaining product is ground into a pure chocolate liquor. This liquor is pressed to remove most of the cocoa butter, which leaves behind pure, unsweetened cocoa powder. This long process adds deep flavors to the powder that can be imparted to your chili.

Color

Adding cocoa powder to your chili can add a rich, brown color. When the cocoa powder mixes with the fats in your chili it will give the surface the oily brown sheen of dark chocolate. The powder tends to deepen the red color of the chilies and tomatoes resulting in an overall burgundy color. This color denotes a longer cooking time and mimics the color of a stew that has been cooked in a well-used cast-iron pot.

Antioxidants

The fruit of the cacao plant is full of antioxidants. Antioxidants are nutrients in the foods we eat that can slow or prevent the damage done by free radicals in the body. Processing the fruit into chocolate reduces some its antioxidant power. Cocoa power, which is the least-processed form of the fruit, is highest in antioxidants. Cocoa powder has almost two times the antioxidants of red wine and three times the amount found in green tea.

Secret Ingredient

In a chili cook-off, a secret ingredient like cocoa powder can be what sets your chili apart. Bring your powder to the cook-off premixed in an unmarked bag with your other spices. The cocoa will add a complexity to the chili that will be remember by the judges. When used heavily, this ingredient can win over the real chocoholics in the crowd. When used sparingly, its subtle flavors will leave them guessing and coming back for more.

Acid

Adding natural cocoa can harness the power of acid to tenderize the meat in your chili. Natural, unsweetened cocoa powder is a strong acid. There are two kinds of unsweetened cocoa: natural and dutch-processed. Dutch-processed cocoa powder has alkali added to make it a neutral substance. Natural cocoa retains its acidity and breaks down the connective tissues of meats. Adding natural cocoa will result in a more tender pot of chili.

References

• Healthy Chocolate
• Chocolate Chili