fun chocolate facts

Vietnam Cacao Production

January 20, 2011

Here's an update on cacao sourced from Vietnam...

Back in October of 2010, I wrote in my blog about the introduction of a limited edition of Scharffen Berger 72% Vietnamese single-origin chocolate bar.

Now, a Belgian chocolate manufacturer has launched the first ever, 100% Vietnamese chocolate available for wholesale, a new business-to-business operation.

Vietnam is new to cacao production.  Plantations have had many setbacks over the years, but since 2005 the production has increased. 
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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.
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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 in the Freezer?

December 17, 2010

A question I hear somewhat frequently is, "Should I store chocolate in the freezer?"

A friend once told me that the best place to store chocolate is in your mouth.  🙂

Now for a more serious answer, the best place to store chocolate is in an odor-free, air-tight container surrounded by a 65 to 68 F air temperature with no more than 50% relative humidity.  How’s that for precise?
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Chocolate and Orange

November 30, 2010

If you like the flavor combination of chocolate and orange, did you know you could enjoy it three different ways?

  1. chocolate-covered orange peel
  2. chocolate coated orange jelly sticks
  3. orange flavor-infused chocolate

Perhaps you are already of lover of Terry’s Chocolate Orange, the one that you bang on the counter and sections of chocolate wedges that look like an orange come apart.
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Is Chocolate a Mood Food?

November 11, 2010

You've heard things about chocolate: chocolate makes you feel good, in love, amorous, calm, not depressed.  Fact or fiction?

There is no doubt chocolate brings about chemical reactions in the body, in fact, all food stimulates endorphins in the brain when eaten.  But even with all that going on, scientists have yet to find sufficient evidence that proves chocolate and other “mood foods” can cause enough bodily changes to be noticeable.

Scientists know that neurotransmitters affect the brain. High levels of serotonin are associated with feelings of being calm, happy, and relaxed; and dopamine and norepinephrine cause feelings of pleasure and reward. The physiological connection between food and brain chemicals has been documented but the effects are usually not enough to make a real difference in our moods.
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It’s All About the Crystals

November 2, 2010

As many of you chocolate lovers already know, the fat in chocolate is called cocoa butter.  What you might not know is that cocoa butter has special characteristics that make chocolate a very unique food. 

One of those characteristics is that cocoa butter can crystallize in six different forms.

I've written before about tempering chocolate.  What tempering does for chocolate is ensure that the cocoa butter solidifies into the best form of crystal.
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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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Ben Tre and Chuao Origins

October 15, 2010

Here are a couple of new limited-edition chocolates for your tasting pleasure.

Ben Tre - 72% Cacao Single Origin Dark Chocolate

Scharffen Berger now offers a 72% Vietnamese single-origin chocolate bar.  The bar, named after the growing region of Ben Tre, comes from seven-year old cacao in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.  This is the first that I have heard about Vietnamese chocolate available in the U.S.
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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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