fun chocolate facts
Cocoa Bean Shells Make Great Mulch
May 26, 2010
I love the smell of my flower bed after it rains. Ahhhh, it smells so chocolatey!
Yep, that’s right, an aroma like brownies baking in an oven. I use cocoa bean shells for mulch and it is true that when it gets wet, it smells delightfully like chocolate.
As the name indicates, cocoa shell mulch is made from the shell of the cocoa bean. These shells come off the bean either during or just prior to the roasting process. The shells are cleaned and packaged for sale as mulch.
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Chocolate and Romance: A Great Pairing
February 8, 2010
No one knows for sure how St. Valentines Day became synonymous with romantic love. There are a number of theories, but that is not really important. Once the tradition got started, all kinds of things naturally presented themselves as part of the language of love...
Like chocolate, for instance.
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Chocolate and Cocoa Recipes
January 9, 2010
Back in 1909 Walter Baker & Co., Ltd. published a little book called Chocolate and Cocoa Recipes By Miss Parloa and Home Made Candy Recipes By Mrs. Janet McKenzie Hill.
The staff here at Chocolate University Online have created a special 100th anniversary edition of this book and released it in a PDF download format.
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Oh, Fudge!
December 9, 2009
Every year around Christmas time I attend at least one holiday cookie exchange party or dessert buffet event. Among the many traditional cookies there is always fudge.
Fudge is a treat anytime of year, but for me, it is especially meaningful during the holidays.
As a child, I remember my mother and grandmother walking around the house stirring, and stirring, and stirring that bowl of fudge. Sometime they would pause to watch TV, I suppose to prevent boredom, stirring all the while.
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Is White Chocolate Really Chocolate?
November 18, 2009
Yes and No.
White chocolate is a blend of cocoa butter, milk, sugar, and vanilla. There is no chocolate liquor (chocolate solids) present, so, can you really call it chocolate? Perhaps not.
However, there is a legal definition for white chocolate to separate it from other “white stuff,” so perhaps yes.
According to U.S. regulations, white chocolate needs to be at least 20% cocoa butter and at least 14% total milk solids.
Beware - there are white chocolate look-a-likes out there!
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Devil’s Food Cake Recipe
November 5, 2009
As a child, my favorite cake was Devil's Food. I asked my mom, many times, to make this cake for my birthday.
Why is the cake called Devil’s Food?
Folk lore says that a group of Pilgrims that lived next door to a Chocolate House in Amsterdam in the late 1600’s, witnessed chocolate house patrons cavorting and making merry while they consumed chocolate. The Pilgrims were convinced that chocolate was made from the devil. They named chocolate “Devil's Food.” Later on, when dark chocolate cake gained in popularity, it was named Devil’s Food Cake for its sinfully delicious nature.
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Chocolate Definitions
October 29, 2009
Confusion in the world of chocolate?
You might think, "there’s nothing confusing about chocolate -- you buy it, you eat it!" The reality is, the chocolate world has its own lingo, with terms and definitions that apply to the tasting of chocolate, the baking and cooking of chocolate, and the making of chocolate confections.
To help you keep it all straight, here is a list of some common chocolate vocabulary along with their definitions...
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American Chocolate Holidays
October 27, 2009
Today I caught myself absent-mindedly jumping from website to website (I think this is the equivalent to channel surfing) when I landed on a site dedicated to listing American holidays. What really caught my attention was the list of American FOOD Holidays. Hey, did you know that each day of the year has an assigned food to worship?
Here are some examples:
- January 16 -- National Fig Newton Day
- February 7 -- National Fettuccine Alfredo Day
- March 23 -- National Chip and Dip Day
- April 6 -- National Caramel Popcorn Day
May 7 -- National Roast Leg of Lamb Day
And so on...
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