Ways of eating idlis

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 During my trip down South, I had the opportunity to watch common people enjoy traditional southern foods. Idlis are one such popular food items that can be consumed anytime of the day. They can be had during breakfast, lunch, or dinner or anytime in between.  Idlis are traditionally South Indian delicacies. They are rice and lentil cakes that are steamed. They are usually salty but in Mauritius, you will find sweet varities as well in small shops and restaurants there.  Idlis are healthy food items and are a good source of carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats. They have minerals and vitamins and have the goodness of fermented foods too. They are served with sambhar (curry made of dal) and chutney (coconut, tomato or the like). Some also savour them with yoghurt, ghee (clarified butter) or spice mix (podi).  Idli pizza A modern twist to idli dish has been as idli masala (idlis usually small-sized covered with spices), idli fry (idlis usually small-sized that are...
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Ruby Chocolate, the fourth chocolate: Origin, methodology, taste, and benefits!

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 Ruby Chocolate is the fourth type of chocolate after dark, white, and milk chocolate. It has a pinkish hue and fruity taste! Read on to know all about this wonderful novel chocolate type!

RUBY CHOCOLATE: THE FOURTH CHOCOLATE AND ITS ORIGIN

Ruby Chocolate is a newly discovered confection. The development was in progress since 2005 but it came out only in late 2017. The Belgian-Swiss chocolate manufacturers Barry Callebaut Group have the credit of originating this novel-colored confection. They use the ruby cocoa bean that is grown in Ecuador, Ivory Coast, and Brazil in the manufacture of this special chocolate variety.

Ruby Chocolate [Source: Wikipedia]

The cocoa beans are the same except that before the fermentation process of the beans, an acid is added to it for 24 hours that gives it the pink color. Thus, it has this part different but there are no other added colors or flavors to it.

MORE ON THE MAKING OF THE CHOCOLATES

The company had filed for a patent of this product in 2009 and hence would not disclose much about how the cocoa gets the pink color. But the officials state that a ‘particular mix of compounds’ provides the pink color but will not elaborate more on this matter. There are high levels of pigmented polyphenols in it and besides this the company has a unique processing technique. Both these give the chocolate the pink color and hence the difference.

Pink chocolate [Source: Cacao magazine]

The patent has explained that the fermentation process of the cocoa beans is halted 3 days or more before the completion and this is treated with an acid. Petroleum ether is used to remove the fatty acids and the color is preserved.

TASTE OF THE PINK CHOCOLATE

The ruby chocolate taste is different. The firm describes it thus:

"The flavor is neither bitter, milky, or sweet. It's rather a tension of fresh berry fruitiness and luscious smoothness."

Ruby chocolate [Source: Forbes]

Others have commented on the flavor and said that it tastes cour, yogurt-like, tart or tangy. Isabel Maples is the spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and she opines:

"Ruby chocolate is quite sweet and tastes like raspberry-flavored white chocolate with some milk chocolate added,"

RUBY CHOCOLATE IS NOT A CHOCOLATE BY THE US FDA

Though it is called chocolate, the USA FDA has not put it in that category. Lauren Bergen from the company states:

"The FDA has a code of federal regulations that define food categories based on what ingredients can or need to be in there, the maximum or minimum amount of certain ingredients, and the percentage of ingredient compositions,"

She continued:

"Ruby technically has all of those ingredients that appear in regular chocolate: cocoa butter, sugar, milk powder, and unsweetened chocolate," 

The four varieties of chocolates-dark, milk, ruby, and white [Source: Barry Callebaut]

Though the chocolate ingredients are there, the percentages of each are different. Hence it does not qualify for that term. For the USA FDA, chocolates should have:

1)      Milk chocolate must have 10% chocolate liqor and at least 12% milk solids. There must be no fats in it other than milk solids and cocoa butter.

2)    The semi-sweet chocolate must have at least 35% cocoa butter

3)     Sweet chocolate must have at least 15% chocolate liqor and may contain sugar.

4)    White chocolate is not true chocolate because it has no chocolate liqor in it.

RUBY CHOCOLATES AND NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS

Ruby chocolate has flavanols in it and these are a type of phytonutrients and hence beneficial. Besides, like the other chocolates, it has stearic acid that is a saturated fat but does not raise the blood cholesterol. These cocoa products have an anti-oxidant in them. But more research is needed in ruby chocolate product. Isabel said:

"I'm not aware of any testing to verify the phytonutrient content of ruby chocolate and to verify that the acid used to treat the cocoa beans doesn't affect the flavanol activity,"

Ruby chocolate [Source: Barry Callebaut]

One can buy these products in the USA from some retail stores as well as online.  

Read here on how chocolates are now a guilt-free indulgence

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