chocolate in the news
Discovery of a 350-year-old Iced Chocolate Recipe
September 13, 2013
A university lecturer has uncovered notes that suggested the way to make a 17th century counterpart of what many of us are crazy about in this day and age, the chilled coffee drink. Only, in this case, it's chocolate. It even came with health warnings about drinking too much of the brown confection.
Dr. Kate Loveman, an English lecturer at the University of Leicester, claimed that the recipe instructed the maker to mix chocolate, some "snow" and a little salt and "shake the snow together (for) sometime" in what is supposed to be the first sample of its kind.
‘Nugtella’ Hazelnut-Chocolate-Marijuana Spread
September 6, 2013
Nutella chocolate-hazelnut spread got a swarm of people raving about it. Now, some California fans can have their favorite treat with a tad more kick than the usual. Turns out, a medical marijuana dispensary there came up with a chocolate-hazelnut-marijuana spread known as "Nugtella."
It was invented by Organicares, a San Jose, California-based nonprofit medical marijuana dispensary that zeroes in on marijuana-enhanced treats such as peanut butter brownies, oatmeal cookies, and Rice Krispy treats.
Chocolate and Bones Could Be Life-Threatening For Your Dog
August 23, 2013
Before you give in to your beloved dog’s pleading eyes when he hints he wants a piece of the chocolate bar in your hand and some bones from the food you just ate, heed this warning: chocolate and bones can be harmful to your pet.
Truth be told, chocolate can be fatal to a dog. It depends on the size of the dog, as well as how much chocolate and what type of chocolate he eats. Also, bone splinters could get lodged into your dog’s throat and gastro-intestinal tract.
Chocolate is known to contain theobromine, a bitter, caffeine-related alkaloid. This can come with dangerous effects on the dog that gets to eat chocolate. Your pet may fall victim to a theobromine-caused condition known as chocolate toxicosis. He could die within hours.
Chocolate Scent Can Boost Bookstore Sales
August 9, 2013
Belgian researchers did a 10-day experiment at a general-interest chain bookstore which involved comparing the behavior of customers with and without the scent of chocolate. There were dispensers that released a scent of chocolate set in two different locations.
Researchers observed every fifth customer who came into the store, for a total of 201 customers. They were able to notice different “purchase-related” customer behaviors such as closely checking many different books, going over the summaries of books, hanging out in the store, speaking with and inquiring the staff.
Alcohol-flavored Chocolate Readily Available to Children
August 2, 2013
Imagine these little children walk up into a supermarket and buy alcohol-flavored chocolates all in their gloriously bright colors side by side with other candies. Supermarkets, candy manufacturers and alcohol distillers are the ones who are getting the most out of this. It’s such a bummer that there are countries that have no laws that ban the sale and marketing of alcohol-flavored chocolates, lollipops and other snacks to little children.
There was a specific time when rum and vodka-flavored chocolates were readily available in only exclusive outlets in Nairobi, but now they are widely available in leading mass distribution retail outlets in the capital.
Dark Chocolate Lovers Tolerate Bitterness In Ice Cream
July 26, 2013
According to senior author John E. Hayes, Assistant Professor of Food Science and Director of the Sensory Evaluation Center, College of Agricultural Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, their main objective in this particular study zeroed in on identifying whether rejection thresholds for added bitterness in chocolate ice cream has a direct correlation with personal preferences for solid milk or dark chocolate.
"Estimating rejection thresholds could be an effective, rapid tool to determine acceptable formulations or quality limits when considering attributes that become objectionable at high intensities," he said.
A Cup Of Hot Chocolate A Day Can Prevent Diabetes?
July 19, 2013
Mice that were fed a high fat diet that is known to be a causative factor for type 2 diabetes (the obesity-related type) suffered less inflammation after having been given cocoa powder. Scientists assumed that such finding could be applicable to humans.
Dark chocolate is packed with flavanols, plant chemicals that enhance blood flow by widening vessels. It has always been associated with tons of health benefits. In this particular study, the mice were fed the human equivalent of 10 tablespoons of cocoa powder, about four or five cups of hot cocoa, in a 10-week span.
Professor Joshua Lambert said: "What surprised me was the magnitude of the effect. There was not as big of an effect on the body weight as we expected, but I was surprised at the dramatic reduction of inflammation and fatty liver disease."
Weight-loss Chocolate?
July 12, 2013
Math graduate Aneesh Popat took another route rather than the traditional one that uses butter and cream. He opted for flavor-filled water and cocoa.
A bar of Cadbury's Dairy Milk chocolate packs 240 calories, while Popat's only has 20 calories, reports the Daily Express.
Speaking about his product, Popat said: "Chocolate is good for you if made in the right way. My love of chocolate led me to devote and apply my mathematical and scientific backgrounds to create the most unique flavor combinations with utmost precision and creativity."