fun chocolate facts
Cacao Nibs
May 10, 2012
Cacao nibs have enjoyed an increased amount of attention lately. They are turning up almost everywhere nowadays, but since they are often just added to other products, many people don't really know what they are.
Nibs are actually cocoa beans with the shell removed. By the time you get them as an ingredient they have usually undergone roasting and prepping to a point that making them into bars is the only major step that remains.
The chocolate making process consists of grinding up the cocoa nibs into a very consistent and thick paste and then adding sugar. For milk chocolate, milk powder would be added. For some chocolate, extra cocoa butter might be added. But the basis of all chocolates are the ground up nibs.
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Ghirardelli Chocolate
May 3, 2012
Dating back into the golden old days of California’s gold rush, the Ghirardelli chocolate has been present ever since. A 31-year-old native of Rapallo, Italy, who goes by the name of Domenico "Domingo" Ghirardelli, had been a very successful owner of the confectionery business situated in Lima, Peru. However, he was enticed to travel to California because the news of fabulous gold and riches lured him so in the year 1849.
He was able to buy himself a way to sail up and down, back and forth, in the San Joaquin River. He acquired supplies as far as San Francisco and then carried his merchandise into Stockton. By 1851, he found himself a new start.
On the 3rd of May 1851, the Great Fire of San Francisco destroyed a total of 1500 buildings. Coincidentally, a fire broke out and destroyed half the city of Stockton. In a span of one week, Domingo lost everything he had. He even tried to open up a coffee shop but it didn’t go so well. Therefore he decided to go back to his roots as a confectioner.
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Single-Origin Chocolate
April 26, 2012
The cacao tree is the source of all the chocolates in the world. It grows in abundant and rich soils in tropical rainforests, located around a global belt that is situated from 10 degrees north to 10 degrees south of the Equator.
While the source of the cacao flavor comes through the genetics of the plant, the drying and fermenting process of the cacao beans after harvest are large contributing factors. Aside from that, the rich composition of soil in the tropics, as well as the climate, contributes to the varying regional differences in the flavors of these cacao beans.
Have you ever heard about Single-Origin Chocolate? Single-origin chocolate indicates that the cocoa beans used to produce the bar are from one specific region or country.
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Dark Chocolate Reduces Chronic Fatigue
April 19, 2012
Chronic fatigue syndrome refers to a disorder which tends to cause extreme fatigue. It's not the exhausted feeling you get which just goes away after you get some rest. Rather, it typically stays around for at least 6 months and holds you back from going about your daily routine efficiently.
Symptoms of chronic fatigue include physiological problems like tender lymph nodes, sore throat, sleep problems, pain in multiple joints, headaches, memory problems, and muscle pain, among others.
Other medical disorders come with these symptoms, as well, making it difficult to diagnose. The precise causative factors for chronic fatigue syndrome are still unknown. Practically anyone can suffer from it, but it is commonly seen in women in their 40's and 50's. It can't be cured, but it is highly treatable.
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About Organic Chocolate
April 12, 2012
Organic chocolates are made of cacao beans that are cultivated without using any synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers. Authentic organic chocolates also utilize organically grown sugar.
In America, specific standards of qualification (set by the USDA) need to be met in order for a product to be called organic. That said, when you eat organic chocolate, you can rest assured that you are consuming those ingredients that have been farmed in an environmentally-suitable manner.
One primary reason why it is best that you opt for organic chocolate, instead of its non-organic version, is the fact that you decrease your chances of ingesting harsh pesticide residues. Non-organic chocolate, especially dark ones, are fine to eat all their own. However, the drawback there is the possibility of also eating the pesticide residue, if any, in the cocoa used. In great enough quantity, this could lead to certain health problems.
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The Chocolate Egg-Laying Easter Bunny
March 29, 2012
Easter is our chance for renewal and rebirth. It is the holiday where we celebrate the resurrection of the Lord, Jesus Christ. And, adding to the happiness we feel, is the fact that we also get our annual chance to have a visit from the infamous bunny and his heaps of Easter candy.
Contrary to popular belief, bunnies do not lay eggs. 🙂 Also, they don't have anything to do with how chocolate eggs are produced. However, we just seem to be huge fans of associating rabbits and eggs. Why did we even think that the Easter Bunny lays chocolate eggs?
How these two Easter symbols originated can be traced to some centuries back, and they have just drastically evolved as time passed by. The Easter Bunny and Easter eggs both started out symbolizing fertility. They surface when celebrating the arrival of spring. Like the majority of creatures, rabbits breed the most in the spring. Also, they are remarkable procreators. That's practically the reason why these lovely animals were used as a symbol of fertility.
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Cocoa Shell Mulch
March 22, 2012
Did you know that the outer covering of the cacao bean, called the cocoa shell, can be used for mulch? Gardeners everywhere are raving about it.
Cocoa shell mulch is also known as the Sunshine of Africa. It's actually just a byproduct of chocolate industries coming from the cocoa beans. The shell contains 2.5% Nitrogen, 1% Phosphate, and 3% Potash with a pH of 5.8.
Cocoa shell mulch serves as all-purpose mulch for professional gardeners and amateur gardeners alike. It can be utilized by landscapers and horticulturists, as well. It is great as decorative mulch due to its nice-looking deep copper color. Its rich color pleasantly contrasts with the vibrant green color of plants. And, it smells great too!
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Magnesium-Loaded Cocoa Beans
March 15, 2012
Maintaining a good health can be particularly tricky in this day and age. With all the processed and cholesterol-loaded food available in the market, it gets all the harder especially when the less healthy stuff is a more accessible and affordable option.
Having healthy foods as a staple in your diet is key. Cocoa beans, for one, pack a lot of nutritional benefits. Did you know that the cocoa bean is the richest source of magnesium in nature? You read right. What is magnesium, by the way?
Magnesium is a mineral that plays a significant role in your health, and it's actually contained in several parts of your body. To enable your body to absorb the ingested calcium properly, there should be enough magnesium available. A lot of individuals take calcium supplements and fail to realize that magnesium is required for optimal calcium absorption. That being said, you can consume cocoa along with the calcium supplements that you are taking.
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Chocolate-Powered Race Car
March 8, 2012
It turns out, chocolate may not only be used as a base material in making food products, drinks, and beauty products, but it could also be effective when used as a fuel. British scientists have developed a vehicle that is powered by waste from chocolate factories. The vehicle runs on vegetable oils and chocolate waste which was converted into biofuel.
Such fuel can be an alternative source of energy to answer the present worldwide energy crisis. The outcome was a vehicle filled with chocolate waste fuel which is able to run fast enough. This car, which is referred to as the greenest of its kind, is expected to reach the maximum of 135 mph when it is on the track. It can actually reach 60 mph from a standing start in less than 2 and a half seconds.
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Chocolate Bloom
March 1, 2012
Chocolates are supposed to be smooth and glossy. However, there would be instances wherein you'll observe white blemishes on them known as called chocolate "bloom." It can indicate that the chocolate wasn't stored properly.
Chocolate bloom is a sandy, white film that sometimes forms on the surface of chocolate. Although not pleasant to look at, it is actually a harmless defect. Bloom can be formed from cocoa butter or sugar that has risen to the surface.
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