Tag Archive: chocolate science
Chocolate Chemistry
February 24, 2011
This is officially the International Year of Chemistry 2011 brought to you by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Chemistry is essential for our future and an improved quality standard of living for everyone.
What does this have to do with chocolate?
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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.
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Chocolate to Clear Your Head
December 16, 2010
'Tis the season – to be tired!
I know the holidays can be stressful and exhausting. Even if you aren’t in charge of preparing for the parties and family gatherings, you may find yourself having to do something unexpected that requires a tremendous amount of your time and energy.
One of two things usually happens to me in times of stress as it pertains to food; overeat or forget to eat. Neither extreme is healthy, and neither condition will do anything to keep a body going.
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Roasting Cocoa Beans
December 2, 2010
Here is a dose of chocolate science. You know you need it from time to time!
Roasting cocoa beans serve two purposes. First, it dries the beans, and second, it develops flavor.
Driving off as much moisture in the bean is important from a food safety perspective. The lower the water content, the more difficult it is for bacteria to grow and pose a health threat.
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Fact or Fiction: Chocolate as Aphrodisiac
October 28, 2010
Is chocolate an aphrodisiac? Everything I’ve read about cacao says that chocolate as an aphrodisiac is a myth.
Well, not everything I read says that, just the scientific stuff...
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Does Chocolate Cause Migraines?
October 14, 2010
It has long been attributed, especially by women, that chocolate acts as one of the triggers for migraine headaches. So far, however, scientists have failed to show any correlation between migraines and chocolate.
One study found that 19% of 490 persons with migraines reported they thought chocolate caused their headaches, while other studies had participants report no relationship between chocolate and migraine headaches.
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Breyers All Natural Chocolate Ice Cream
September 20, 2010
I noticed something interested the other day while grocery shopping. Breyers has changed its chocolate ice cream. It says so right there on the package, “Now with 33% more real Dutch Cocoa!”
I was intrigued. My scientific self pondered what kind of formulation adjustments had to be made to compensate for the increase in pH from the cocoa (“dutch” means processed with alkali). Don’t laugh, my brain works differently.
I have mentioned in past blog posts why it is necessary to add a Dutch-Processed or Alkalized Processed cocoa powder to dairy products like ice cream and milk. Dutch cocoa is treated with an alkali to neutralize its acids. Acidity has a negative effect on diary – it causes it to curdle.
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Liquor and Cordial Filled Chocolates
September 19, 2010
Here is a question that was sent to me recently...
“How should I make chocolates with liquor filling? What other various fillings can I choose from?”
If you bite into a chocolate-covered cherry, chances are you will drip sugary fluid down your chin and onto your shirt. There is a secret to making chocolates with liquid fillings, with or without alcohol.
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Does Chocolate Give You Acne?
September 9, 2010
How did a link between chocolate and pimples come to be? From what I can tell by reading some of the history behind chocolate health myths is that people assumed that acne was caused by eating too much fat and since chocolate has a high fat content, chocolate caused acne.
While I find this sort of logic laughable, plenty of 1950’s dermatology books put it in print as fact.
Over the years, many foods have been blamed for certain ailments and afflictions. Chocolate has been singled out to cause such things as tooth decay, acne, obesity, and depression. But chocolate by itself doesn’t cause these problems. No single food does.
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How Much Caffeine is in Chocolate?
August 15, 2010
I can’t talk about caffeine without mentioning another similar chemical called theobromine. So, I’ll discuss both and even compare some things between them.
There are two chemicals present in chocolate that qualify as stimulants (alkaloid molecules known as methylxanthines), caffeine and theobromine. Theobromine affects people in a similar way to caffeine but is much weaker. Although there is significantly more theobromine in chocolate than caffeine, it triggers these “caffeine affects” on a much smaller scale.
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