What is alkali? Alkali-free chocolate?
Posted by Beans and Greens on Apr 12, 2007 · Member since Apr 2007 · 169 posts
I've found some Scharffenberger chocolates are vegan and alkali-free but for the most part they are processed with alkali-- I googled it and couldn't find out much as to what it is except that it's a metal. And I think it's bad for you...but why? I'm not sure. I guess the chocolate is just not 100% pure/raw if it's in there....I just bought some chocolate the other night and some has it and some doesn't....oh well we'll just have to eat through it!
Please post any links or info if you have it thanks!! ;)
I think the big thing about alkali processed chocolate is it destroys the flavanoids.
I'm not sure if alkali is a heavy metal? If so, then yes, bad. But I'm not sure that it is.
http://library.thinkquest.org/J0110012/made/made.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkali
Thanks!
If alkali is referring to what I think it is referring to, it's the elements of the second to left column on the periodic table (alkali earth metals). They are not heavy metals, they are Beryllium, Magnesium, Calcium, Strontium, Barium, and Radium. I do not believe you would ever find strontium, barium, or radium in any kind of food (or anywhere else for that matter), but then again, I don't even know if that is what alkali is referring to, because milk chocolate for example would have calcium in it and that would make it high-alkali if that's the definition.
Sorry, guess I didn't help much.