What Is Decadent Chocolate? Why Is It Called “Decadent”?
Virtually everybody feels being decadent once in a while. That’s when you have an urge to indulge in something “sinful.” Chocolate, with its rich cocoa liquor and butter, is high on the list of decadent indulgences. It’s a guilty pleasure that both children and adults enjoy. But what does it mean for chocolate to be described as decadent?
Decadent chocolate is a metaphor and a bit of exaggeration. The idea is that chocolate is so pleasurable that it is wicked to eat it. Besides, chocolate is so rich in flavor, so it implies that it’s decadent to enjoy any cake due to its effects.
Whether referring to a wild all-night party or a simple cake for breakfast, decadent means luxury, extravagance, and self-indulgence associated with a sense of moral decline. You still don’t get how chocolate and food can be decadent? Read on! Trust me, the topic gets crazy interesting.
What Is Decadent Dessert?
The defining characteristics of decadent dessert might depend on your taste and preferences, how often you indulge in desserts, and your capacity to eat rich desserts. But one is sure – a decadent dessert is a dessert that might be fancy, rich, or sweet in flavor and taste and pairs with virtually everything—something like chocolate mousse or a fancy cake with lots of marzipan decorations.
A bar of decadent chocolate is so irresistible and exceptional that its taste feels too good to be morally right. Hence, you’ll feel like you’re participating in an immoral pleasure savoring every bite. And as the chocolate nears its end with every bit, you fall into despair for more.
Be careful because chocolate stored for a long time can dry out, become spoiled, or bloom due to excessive moist storage conditions and fluctuating temperatures. However, when you cannot throw away this chocolate and are tempted to eat it anyway, that can be valid to describe such chocolates as decadent.
You may have heard of a decadent treat; it’s an irresistible treat with a mildly guilty pleasure. Sometimes decadence is used as a selling point, particularly for treats such as decadent cakes, cookies, or a candy cookie with buttery and crispy crust with a fudgy and chewy fudge that’s completely indulgent.
One example can be German chocolate cupcakes. 🙂
Why Do People Use Decadent to Describe Chocolate and Other Food?
So why is food called decadent? After all, the decadent definition implies decay or decline or “to fall,” and that doesn’t sound very tasty. However, an appealing rich movement began in the 19th century in France, which could have led to the emergence of decadent food.
From this movement, decadent is characterized by or appeals to irresistible, pleasure-seeking things. Hence, decadent food is food that can extravagantly and heedlessly appeal to your self-indulgence. Sometimes, it can mean the delicacies were prepared with rich ingredients such as chocolate-flavored flour or chocolate-flavored coffee beans.
What Foods Are Considered Decadent?
When applied to food, decadent can imply rich, high caloric, fat-filled, containing high butter, sugar, or cream levels. Essentially, they are those foods that are finger-licking good.
For instance, macaroni and cheese made with extra-rich cheese and handcrafted pasta grilled chocolate sandwiches with caramel sauce or fried chicken. Churros also top the decadent food list. The fried-dough pastries are made by dipping in cinnamon and sugar and then a thick hot chocolate drink, making it a sugar-filled delicacy.
Another high-calorie decadent is the poutine. It consists of French fries smothered in brown gravy and cheddar cheese curds. The dish contains a whopping 530 calories and 29 grams of fat. [1]
Decadent foods can also mean luxurious, insanely expensive foods that are usually eaten for prestige. For instance, Kobe is the most heavily marbled beef and costly beef in the world. It’s incredibly tender and flavorful, but an ounce of steak costs an astronomical amount.
Edible gold leaf can be deemed to be the height of conspicuous, luxurious eating. To be edible, pure gold is ground into tissue-thin sheets and molded around sweets. It may have some crunch effect.
Furthermore, decadent can also mean risky foods. For instance, Fugu is a delicious type of pufferfish known for its poisonous tetrodotoxin. However, dining on it can be decadent as it’s seen as an act of bravado and taking a deliberate risk as a minute drop of the poison is deemed fatal.
