Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, people who are stressed out at home are seeking comfort from food. Compared to other junk food, dark chocolate may very well be a healthier alternative at a time when you need to maintain your immune system.

According to clinical nutritionist Fiastuti Witjaksono, dark chocolate contains less sugar than milk chocolate. So it may be more ideal to consume dark chocolate as other sweets with too much sugar could compromise your immune system during the pandemic.

A Journal of Nutritional Science article from December 2016 says that dark chocolate contains phytonutrients called flavonoids, plant chemicals acting as antioxidants and a compound called theobromine, which has anti-inflammatory properties.

Dark chocolate can also be a mood booster in times like these. A systemic review published in Nutrition Reviews says that out of eight studies on chocolate and mood, five showed improvements in mood while three showed clear evidence of cognitive enhancements. Eating dark chocolate might as well be a less “sinful” (meaning: sugary) way of boosting the level of the feel-good chemical dopamine in your brain.

This is probably why some people are hooked on dark chocolate. Ervin Desemiato, a 31-year-old entrepreneur in Surabaya, East Java, says he regularly allocates money to buy dark chocolates manufactured locally by Krakakoa from online stores.

Local chocolate makers have been touting the health benefits of dark chocolate while also embracing innovations inspired by the bountiful boons of Indonesian herbs to help their businesses stay afloat amid the devastating impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

Tissa Aunilla, the co-founder of Pipiltin Cocoa, which is known for single-origin Indonesian chocolates, said that, since February 2020, her sales figures, which relied heavily on brick-and-mortar stores, declined by 90 percent. Thus, her team quickly boosted the brand’s online presence with attractive health-themed content.

“We have collaborated with Herbilogy, an Indonesian wellness company based in Bogor, West Java, to launch a choco red ginger product, a hot chocolate powder, since red ginger is also a great immune booster,” Tissa told The Jakarta Post over the phone.

The darker, the better: Pipiltin Cocoa, known for its products made from single-origin Indonesian cacao, offers beverages made from dark chocolate as well as chocolate-herbal drinks that it claims to have immune-boosting properties. (Courtesy of Instagram/pipiltincocoa)

According to medical research, red ginger contains gingerol, which has several medicinal properties.

Similarly, inspired by the health properties of the Indonesian jamu (traditional herbal drink), Sabrina Mustopo, the founder and chief executive officer of Krakakoa Chocolate, a “farmer-to-bar” social enterprise working directly with smallholder cocoa farmers in Lampung, Sumatra, said the brand would soon launch a jamu hot chocolate.

Sabrina mentioned that since the COVID-19 pandemic started to hit the tourism industry in about February 2020, its revenue had declined by 20 to 50 percent, buffered by its already-strong digital marketing strategies.

Different from Tissa, who conducted meticulous research and development studies to come up with the herbal-inspired innovation, Sabrina said her jamu hot chocolate discovery was somewhat “accidental”.

“I tried making jamu for the first time at home and just for the fun of it. I tried mixing it with hot chocolate, it was experimental, until I found the most delicious blend. Two months after, I started making the beverage recipe and serving them to my team and we have agreed to formally launch a new beverage online soon as part of [our] products,” Sabrina said.

Local chocolate makers have also been making Idul Fitri gift packages to survive, attracting online orders from people who want to keep social ties strong with their family members with the time-honored tradition of sending gifts, especially at a time when they cannot go on mudik (exodus).

Pipiltin Cocoa is offering gift baskets and so does Pod Chocolate, a Bali-based chocolate brand.

As per May 5, Pod Chocolate has processed 39 orders for gift baskets – comprising not just dark chocolate bars but also chocolate and crunchy spreads – from across the country, mostly from Jakarta, according to Pod Chocolate co-founder and chief executive officer Toby Garritt.

One of these orders came from Yani Alvina, 22, who lives in West Jakarta. Yani, who likes Pod Chocolate’s vegan-friendly products, ordered three gift baskets for her mother in Medan, North Sumatra, and her sibling in Batam, Riau Islands, both of whom like chocolates.

This Idul Fitri, to keep you socially connected with your loved ones while staying healthy and happy, what about sending a non-conventional gift basket of dark chocolates instead?