Tag Archive: chocolate

The Dark Side of Chocolate History

November 17, 2011

Did you know that some centuries back, the Catholic Church used to associate chocolate with heretical behavior such as blasphemy and even witchcraft? Intriguing? I know.

Does the word 'Inquisition' ring your bell? If not, let me shed some light. The Inquisition, Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis (inquiry on heretical perversity), depicts religious overkill, torture, and intolerance. It was the fight against heresy by the Roman Catholic Church.

What certain behavior connects such disheartening event to chocolate, you may ask. Well, it was the act of drinking chocolate alone while attending an event. As morbid as it may sound, there were even stories wherein Charles II, King of Spain, drank chocolate while witnessing Inquisition victims being killed.
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Chocolate for Cats?

November 4, 2011

Neighborhood Cats has been chosen as the Charity of the Month for November 2011 by Rescue Chocolate, a Brooklyn NY-headquartered chocolatier which was founded in January 2010. 100% of the net profits from each handcrafted, all-natural vegan treats are donated to animal welfare organizations across the country.

The Neighborhood Cats are aiming to encourage humane measures to lower the feral cat population in the country. The particular measure they are taking is called TNR (trap-neuter-return). TNR engages trained volunteers to gather the feral cats that they can find, getting the cats spayed or neutered, and then returning them to their colonies to peacefully live out their lives. Also NY-based, Neighborhood Cats is well-known in the feral field as developers of educational materials including books, videos, and online courses that tackle TNR.

"I’ve lived with dogs all my life and never with cats," said Rescue Chocolate Founder Sarah Gross. "But I’m certainly aware of the problems that cats face on the streets. I’m really honored to be able to be a small part of the solution."
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The Different Types of Cacao Beans

September 15, 2011

Just because there’s only one species of Theobroma cacao doesn’t mean there are no different types of cacao beans. However, even experts themselves can’t seem to agree on how many types of cacao beans there actually are, but let’s stick with 4.

Why in the world would you even care about this mumbo jumbo? Well, for starters, one word, flavor. While most of us are happily content with any chocolate in hand just as long as it’s good, true blue chocolate lovers take pleasure in the subtle differences in aroma, taste, and texture between the different cacao bean varieties.

The first type of cacao beans is the Criollo. It was initially cultivated by the Mesoamericans and is generally considered to be the most excellent worldwide. It has a rich, intricate aroma, and a profound yet smooth flavor. Criollo beans require just a little fermentation and short roasting to draw out the flavors.
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