Luxury Chocolates in Developed Markets
February 8, 2013
Considering the chocolate-lovers phenomenon, it's no wonder why chocolate gift boxes make the perfect present for almost anybody. Experts have expressed that chocolate makers have to invest in luxury and premium chocolates in order to help sales boom in well-developed markets.
The global chocolate market is estimated to be around US$107 billion for 2012 according to Euromonitor data.
A senior foods analyst from Euromonitor International, Francisco Redruello, has stated that manufacturers in the developed markets have to focus on quality while increasing investment and innovation. The only possible exception to the quality focus would be in the U.S. and Germany where there's much greater price consciousness.
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Cheese Fudge
February 6, 2013
Some people crave chocolate treats every once in a while, while others won’t last a day without their chocolate fix. Chocolate today is getting more and more interesting by the minute. Chocolate lovers seem to be constantly on the hunt for a new twist to their favorite treat that would tickle their fancy.
A lot of chocolate pairings have been surfacing recently. Different types of chocolate have different ingredients combined with them, like nuts, mint, caramel, nougat, and fruits, among others. If you truly are the chocoholic that you claim you are, you know that there are still a lot of chocolate pairings out there you have yet to try.
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Shots, Shots, Shots, Truffle Shots, Everybody!
February 1, 2013
When Sherri Athay was in a chocolate-making class, she remembered intricately making chocolate truffles only to discard the shell and eat the centers.
"I thought there must be a better way to get to the best part of the truffle, without all that work," she said. It was a light bulb moment after seeing a set of tall shot glasses while shopping with her daughter. Truffle shots!
After some years, they made the idea tangible. They came up with unique confections from a storefront in Essex, Connecticut, and worldwide from their website. Truffle Shots display what Sherri Athay considered as "good stuff" in a truffle, layered in a two-ounce shot glass.
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Mini Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Ball
January 30, 2013
Nothing beats a homemade treat. The thought of the person you love going through all the effort just to please you on a once-in-a-year event is heavenly enough, the scrumptiousness of the gift is just a bonus.
I don't know about you, but Valentine's Day is a big deal to me. Every 14th of February, I always make it a point to do something worth remembering, worth seeing on photos. No, actually, just worth remembering. It doesn't have to be grandiose, though, just memorable.
However, my Valentine's Day always comes with a treat, be it food, flowers, or sweet treats. Yes, this year, I will be big on sweet treats! While I have a couple weeks left to wait, it's good to have it planned by now. I'm not big on spontaneity, I like planning, so here goes a recipe which I might have to include in my Valentine's Day "plan". 🙂
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Chocolate Flavored Envelopes… Yum?
January 25, 2013
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and we all know that Valentine’s would be so bland without chocolate, well, at least to me.
Valentine cards also happen to be a big part of the celebration of love, but we’re not exactly thrilled about licking the envelopes we put those cards in. Imagine the horror of having to lick envelopes for a living, so my heart goes out to those who have to mail out sales letters for days on end. However, I believe the advent of Chocolate Flavored Envelopes will make things much more bearable for them.
Imagine, how much of a help this would be during the holidays when you put tons of cards into envelopes and have to taste the glue. It’s not exactly delightful. Too bad they’re only releasing them now, but who cares, right. All the ladies will dig it for sure, and of course, their male significant halves who have to do all the licking.
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Coconut Pecan Brownies
January 23, 2013
Let me feed your brain first, OK? The term “coconut,” is of Spanish and Portuguese origin. The term was derived from the word “coco,” meaning “monkey face.” This is allegedly because Portuguese and Spanish explorers found a resemblance between a monkey’s face and the base of a coconut.
Coconuts are the fruit of the coconut palm, scientifically known as cocos nucifera, and the word nucifera means "nut-bearing." The fruit-bearing palms are native to Malaysia, Polynesia, and southern Asia, and are now also abundant in South America, India, the Pacific Islands, Hawaii and Florida.
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Chocolate and the pseudo-morphine effects on the Human Brain
January 18, 2013
Endorphins are chemicals that are endogenously occurring and are functioning as good and efficient neurotransmitters. These are produced mainly by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus during the experience of pain, excitement, exercise, spicy foods and yes, love.
Another derivative of endorphin, known as enkephalin, is a peptide that is able to do the activation of many cerebral opioid receptors that are responsible for the intense and insatiable drive for eating that can be compared to the same mechanism of narcotics that are bound to kill pain.
Eating in bulk, and even consistent small frequent feedings, are revolved around the idea of being overly compulsive and doing some kind of over-consumption that triggers the brain’s reward and satiety center.
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Chocolate Filled Bon Bons
January 16, 2013
What’s a bon-bon, you may ask? According to Wikipedia, the term bon-bon pertains to sweets, especially small candies, which are covered in chocolate.
Story has it that these treats' origins can be traced back to the 17th century. Supposedly, they were served at the French royal court. The term was derived from the duplication of the word 'bon,' which means 'good.' Today, particularly in European languages, such term pertains to all candies or small confections.
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Medicating Cough With Chocolate?
January 11, 2013
It's cold and flu season. And, if you've been watching the news in the U.S. you've been hearing about how widespread the current flu is taking its toll.
Nobody likes getting sick. At least none that I know of who are still in their right state of mind, most especially me. I am not myself when I am sick. It feels like some dementor sucked out all the life out of me and left me helpless with a feverish feeling, leaking nose,
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Frozen Chocolate Banana
January 9, 2013
New Year almost always comes with new hope, at least for most of us. Some people think New Year's resolutions are ridiculous, while others believe these give them a clean slate. With such, they get to have a fresh new start on whatever aspect of their lives it could be. Among the things that many people want to change every start of the year is their diet.
We all know how crazy our food choices could get during the Holidays, and it never fails to make many of us feel guilty and anxious come January, when their weight starts shooting up. Many of us opt for detoxification, and this recipe might come in handy since you wouldn’t want to deprive yourself of your sweet-tooth cravings. Of course, moderation is key.
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