chocolate in the news
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!
Read more
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!
Read more
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.
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.
Read more
Chocolate Cough Medicine?
December 23, 2010
Theobromine is a predominant chemical found in chocolate and is often the subject of research studies looking into its affect on the body.
One such study has proclaimed that theobromine can be used as a treatment for the hard-to-get-rid-of cough.
Results from this study are promising. Persistent coughing, one that stays around for at least two weeks, is quieted when test subjects consumed chocolate-based cough remedies.
Read more
Mars Company Receives Award
December 21, 2010
The maker of the Snickers bar, Mars, supports the Sustainable Tree Crops Program in Africa.
The program is based on a partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Cocoa Foundation. The organizations invest in cacao research and distribute cacao tree seedlings to farmers in order to grow more disease resistant and higher crop-yielding trees.
Read more
Think, and Eat Less Chocolate?
December 14, 2010
Do you ever crave a chocolate bar and then resign yourself to only dream about it, knowing that if you act upon your desires it will just add extra calories to your already holiday-cookie saturated diet?
If you are like me (and answered YES, YES, YES!) then there may be some good news in your future. Close your eyes and imagine that you are eating that chocolate bar, and you will devour less of it!
There is a new study released from Carnegie Mellon University that suggests thinking about forbidden food could make you eat smaller portions of it. Forming a mental picture before we eat causes us to reduce the amount we would eat of that particular food later.
Read more
Two Presidents of Ivory Coast
December 10, 2010
The chocolate industries of the world have been watching the elections in Ivory Coast, Africa very closely. And the results are making some people nervous.
On December 4, 2010, both the incumbent and the challenger took the oath of office as president.
Laurent Gbagbo, the incumbent, was declared the winner by the Constitutional Council after rejecting the Electoral Commission’s vote count from the November 28 election. Gbagbo’s opponent, Alassane Ouattara, allegedly won the vote on that day but is accused of rigging the results in the northern states.
Read more
Jaggery Chocolate
December 9, 2010
An innovative chocolate was developed recently by scientists at the G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in India. It is unique because of the addition of jaggery as an ingredient.
What is Jaggery and why is it in chocolate?
Jaggery is a sugary, sweet, unrefined product made from either sugarcane or the syrup tapped from certain palm trees. It is sold in the form of blocks or pastes of solidified concentrated syrup.
Jaggery typically contains minerals not found in refined sugar and is considered healthier and more nutritious. Jaggery is added to both sweet and savory dishes throughout India and Asia.
Read more
Chocolate Christmas Tree
December 7, 2010
Master chocolatier Patrick Roger is kicking off this Christmas season with a giant Christmas tree – made from chocolate of course!
Here's a preview....
Patrick Roger calls himself a chocolate artist and sculptor of flavors. He owns several chocolate boutiques in France.
Read more