Welcome to a world where nature's sweetness meets the indulgence of chocolate! At our chocolate factory, we have discovered a truly magical combination - honey and chocolate. These two delightful ingredients come together in perfect harmony to create a symphony of flavours that are sure to delight your taste buds.
Our chocolate makes a thoughtful addition to a chocolate gift hamper as a treasure trove of treats. Join us on a mouth-watering journey as we explore the wonders of this all-natural sweetener and the artistry of our chocolate creations. Get ready to savour the sweetness of nature and the richness of chocolate in a truly divine experience!
Tasting the Delights of Ambrosia
We might be familiar with the exquisite taste of honey, but we certainly aren’t the first generation to revere this natural delight. In fact, you’d have to travel as far back as Ancient Greece to find the first proponents of this exquisite sweetener.
According to Greek mythology, ambrosia was a food of the gods and often consumed alongside nectar, which was believed to be a drink of the gods. Served upon Mount Olympus at the feasts of the gods, this treasured fare was commonly associated with immortality, wisdom, and strength.
While the exact composition of ambrosia remains unknown, it is commonly believed to be the ancient equivalent of honey, although some lore maintains ambrosia was actually eight or nine times sweeter than the honey we consume today.
Honey and Chocolate: A Match Made in Heaven
Chocolate purists might maintain that cocoa beans need no accompaniment to deliver a sublime experience, yet chocolatiers have been delighting chocolate lovers with new flavour pairings for decades.
So, what makes honey the perfect addition to chocolate? When consumed in its most natural form, chocolate isn’t as sweet as we’re familiar with. In fact, the oldest chocolate concoctions were noticeably bitter, and it wasn’t until sugar was added much later that chocolate took on its distinct sweet flavour.
When chocolate was first discovered in Mesoamerica as early as 1400 BC, it was consumed as a drink. Different cultures added various ingredients to enhance its flavour, with Mayans frequently using vanilla pods and chilli and Aztecs adding spices to the bitter drink known as ‘Xocolatl’.
As chocolate made its way to Europe, however, its bitter flavour was not universally beloved, and honey was used to give it a sweeter taste. While we may think of the chocolate and honey concoctions in chocolate hampers and chocolate gifts as a modern invention, honey has actually been a popular pairing as far back as the 16th century!
Commonly associated with luxury, chocolate was mainly consumed by royalty and aristocrats and was recognised as a valuable commodity, which may be one of the reasons we gift chocolates to people today.
Heath-Boosting Benefits of Honey and Chocolate
Honey and chocolate sometimes get a bad rap as it’s assumed that their high sugar content is bad for your health. However, it’s only mass-produced chocolate that contains an inflated amount of sugar, whilst honey’s sweetness derives from natural sugars. What’s more – both of these spectacular ingredients offer a wide range of health benefits, including:
Prevent Cell Damage
If you want to prevent cell damage, you’ll need a diet rich in antioxidants. Fortunately, the flavonoids in both honey and chocolate give these ingredients antioxidant properties, which can help prevent free radicals from wreaking havoc on your health.
Stablise Blood Sugar
Refined sugar can quickly increase your blood sugar levels and lead to a subsequent drop in blood sugar, which can leave you feeling fatigued and foggy. For people with specific health issues, such as Type 2 diabetes, blood sugar needs to be carefully managed to ensure that it remains within a safe range.
While honey’s natural sugars should be consumed in moderation, some studies have shown that it is more effective in regulating blood sugar than regular, refined sugar. So, if you’re going to consume any type of sweetener, honey could be the healthiest option.
Lower Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is a health risk in itself but it’s also associated with a host of dangerous conditions, such as heart disease and strokes. However, a moderate intake of honey has been associated with lower blood pressure and the propolis that’s present in raw honey may improve cholesterol levels too.
Similarly, studies have shown that dark chocolate reduces both blood pressure and LDL cholesterol, which means a chocolate gift hamper could be the ideal present for health-conscious family and friends!
Wound Healing
Although honey has plenty of health properties that can be derived from consuming it, honey has also been used topically for centuries due to its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. While the practice was popular in Ancient Greece, honey is still used for wound healing today and frequently delivers remarkable results (although getting medical advice first is always recommended!)
With so many health benefits associated with honey and chocolate, it’s easy to see why both of these natural delights have been revered throughout the centuries. While today’s science helps us to understand how honey and chocolate can enhance our well-being, it’s not surprising that ambrosia and cocoa beans were commonly associated with mystical and magical properties in ancient societies.
Sampling the Delights of Chocolate and Honey
Eager to sample this food from the gods and transform Ancient Greek culture into modern flavours, we made honey a central ingredient in our aptly named Ambrosia chapter.
Containing just five ingredients, our Ambrosia bean-to-bar chocolate allows natural flavours to flourish and gives you the opportunity to savour the flavours that have been delighting societies for centuries. Whether you’re looking for a chocolate box gift, planning the ultimate corporate gifting experience, or you simply want to treat yourself to something divine, our Ambrosia chapter is the perfect choice.
While the Ancient Greeks maintained white doves delivered ambrosia to Mount Olympus every morning, we haven’t built up our own fleet of delivery doves just yet. However, our same-day dispatch and worldwide delivery options mean you never have to wait long for our chocolate chapters to arrive on your doorstep!