Chocolate in savory cooking

Despite being more common in sweet foods, chocolate has been used as an ingredient in savory cooking for over a thousand years.

Historically In the Americas, chocolate has been inconsistently included in savory cooking; it was used by the Mayans as early as 400 CE and essentially prohibited by the Aztecs. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, chocolate featured extensively in European cuisine, particularly in Northern Italy. Preparations included lasagna, fried liver and ragout dishes.

Today, although savory chocolate is most famously used in the Mexican sauce mole, it is still an ingredient in some European dishes. It is generally added in small quantities, to emulsify, improving texture, to add complexity, and to provide balance to acidic flavors. Some contemporary chefs have used chocolate in savory dishes, notably Heston Blumenthal in the early 2000s.