Global Confectioneries Market
January 11, 2011
According to industry analysts as reported on www.prweb.com, the global confectioneries market could reach $186.3 Billion US dollars by 2015.
The confectionery products category contains market data for chocolate, candy, and gum. The emerging confectionery markets are China, India, Indonesia, and the Middle East.
In the future, analysts say that the global confectionery market will be looking for growth in areas of sugarless, low fat and functional confectionery. It is assumed that the consumption of dark chocolate will continue to increase due to the interest in health benefits of dark chocolate.
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Chocolove Cherries & Almonds
January 10, 2011
I really like this 55% cocoa content dark chocolate with chewy, tart dried cherries and crunchy, roasted almonds. The chocolate complements the fruity and nutty notes from the cherries and almonds without overpowering them with sweetness or bitterness.
The flavor combination blends slowly at first, allowing you to gradually realize the rich and complex flavor profile.
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Look for New Chocolate Products
January 7, 2011
It's a new year and there are new chocolate products on their way to your neighborhood. Here are just a few brand new chocolate sensations introduced as 2011 arrived...
Nestle: Cherry Raisinets made with Dark Chocolate
Nestle’s Raisinets has a new variety, dark chocolate covered whole dried cherries. They are available in the candy aisle of supermarkets at a little over $3 for a 4 oz. re-sealable bag.
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Chocolate Pictures
January 6, 2011
A picture is worth a thousand words. I'm thinking a chocolate picture, that is a picture made of chocolate, must be worth even more.
I came across this article, and want to share it with you all. It’s hard to believe you can eat these incredible creations!
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Chocolatey Chocolate Tea
January 5, 2011
Tea, like chocolate, is known for its many health benefits such as lowering blood cholesterol levels and providing antioxidant protection against cancer and heart disease. Tea can also boost metabolism which may help control weight.
Americans are drinking more tea. I suspect it started as a result of wanting to consume something healthy, but in the process we have grown to appreciate the aroma and delicate flavors tea has to offer.
Sometimes the bitter, astringent taste of tea is a turn off. The bitterness comes from the antioxidants and flavonols that are so beneficial, so what can we do to soften the bitter while keeping the antioxidants intact?
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Chocolate Price Going Up?
December 31, 2010
Here we are on the last day of 2010. (Where does the time go?)
And I just saw something that breaks my heart. I read a list from dealnews that predicts the top 20 things that will be more expensive in 2011...
... Chocolate was in the number two spot!
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Lost Cacao Rediscovered in Peru
December 30, 2010
A rare variety of cacao called Pure Nacional thought lost or extinct has been rediscovered in Peru.
Pure Nacional, once famous for its fruity and floral flavor notes, was wiped out by disease within a three year time period in Ecuador and Peru. At least 95% of the cacao trees died out during that plague.
However, some unusual cacao trees growing pods containing white beans were discovered in a remote canyon in Peru’s Maranon Canyon. Samples were sent to the United States Department of Agriculture for testing. The USDA recently confirmed these were Pure Nacional variety of cacao.
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Chocolate Covered Peppermint Patties
December 29, 2010
These peppermint patties may be the perfect ending to a holiday meal! Be sure to temper the chocolate to give a finish and snap to your creation.
| Chocolate Covered Peppermint Patties • 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk • 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract • 4 cups powdered sugar • 3 cups semisweet chocolate, chopped Read more |
Disturbing Cacao News
December 28, 2010
The instability of the government has fostered an active smuggling operation of cacao out of Ivory Coast and into neighboring Ghana.
It is being speculated that many thousands of metric tons of cocoa beans have been smuggled to Ghana from Ivory Coast since the harvest began in October.
I recently read a Bloomberg article updating the situation in the Ivory Coast. To jog your memory, a recent blog post of mine titled, Two Presidents of Ivory Coast, introduced the political situation in the largest cacao producing African country of Ivory Coast.
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Dark Chocolate Covered Bavarian Pretzel
December 27, 2010
In my opinion, pretzels and chocolate make a stellar combination. The salty, slightly nutty flavor of the pretzel blended with the chocolatey bitterness of the dark coating taste oh-so-good together!
The Rocky Mountain Dark Chocolate Covered Bavarian pretzel is a fine example of this great combination and even beats my expectations. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory did a superb job in finding the right dark chocolate coating so that with its intense, bold flavor, the pretzel does not overpower the chocolate, rather the flavors merge into a fine taste treat.
As I was tasting my mind wandered to the pretzel part, as I have hardly given pretzels a second thought through the years. Digging into it a little bit I uncovered some basic pretzel info and then tried to find a definition of a "Bavarian" pretzel.
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