News:
February,
2008
Move
over Flouride!
Researcher
Arman Sadeghpour has discovered that an extract of cocoa
powder that occurs naturally in chocolates, teas, and
other products might be an effective natural alternative
to fluoride in toothpaste. This will be the first major
innovation to commercial toothpaste since manufacturers
began adding fluoride to toothpaste in 1914.
Source: unknowncountry.com
June, 2007
Wine
With Desserts??
According
to Dick Sheer:
Wine must
always taste as sweet as its accompanying dessert or
it will fail to measure up
With Dark Chocolates:
Benjamin Mildara Port
Bonny Doon Framboise
Here a suggestion of bitter with the sweet complicates
matters, so he's chosen a couple of alcoholic beverages
from red fruit with complementary qualities. Benjamin
is one of the stickiest of Aussie dessert wines but
not without traces of bitterness and astringency to
foil its cloying manners.
He loves to serve at least one fruit wine at these affairs.
It's the bane of wine snobs...until tasted in its proper
context. Rhone Ranger and eccentric genius Randall Grahm
crafted this Bonny Doon essence of West-Coast raspberries
and neutral spirits.
With Bittersweet Chocolates:
Swartland Merlot
McGuigan Black Label Shiraz-Malbec
Sometime ago he stated that a wine "must always
taste as sweet as its accompanying dessert or it will
fail to measure up." Note he did not say "be
as sweet". For sure, there's a lot more sugar in
bittersweet chocolate than in these red wines. But a
liberal measure of bitterness foils it, leaving the
overall taste impression less sweet. Enter bold and
brassy, strong and direct, in-your-face, warm-climate,
New-World red table wine. Swartland's Cape Merlot is
sweet and sassy and smells like cherry juice sizzling
on a hot pie-pan rim.
Australia's McGuigan Brothers make even sweeter table
wines than Kendall-Jackson and Rosemount Estate.
Source: Dick Scheer Arbor Food webpage
=====
It has been often said that chocolate and wine do not
work together. Lately, this old generalized idea has
been proven wrong with a few caveats. Most pundits of
wine-can-work-with-chocolate do admit that the wine
is best when matching the sweetness of the chocolate
and needing to work with the bitterness of chocolate
as well. The darker chocolates seem to be more harmonious
with wine and many pairers will not recommend milk chocolate
and wine combinations at all. There are some though
who dare to make recommendations for pairing milk chocolates
with wine though they are careful to recommend only
certain milk chocolate brands. Dessert wines from the
Mediterranean region like tawny sherries, marsala, madeira
and Greek Mavrodaphne have been said to be to be excellent
matches with Swiss milk chocolate, and from some other
fine manufacturers
Whatever wine is chosen it should be strong enough to
standup to chocolate's intense aftertaste and sweet
enough to match the sweetness of the dessert. Remember,
chocolate has over 500 flavor compounds. It is a very
complex substance.
Fruit wines enjoy popularity with wine consumers. Raspberry
wines are also said to be a good pairing with dark chocolates.
nmmmmm!
May, 2007
Not new news
but something I found up in some old magazines and videos:
Americans
eat over 3 billion lbs of chocolate a year - source:
TV on a food network show Dec 30, 2004
Chocolate and wine?
According to Robert Bohr, the wine director at Cru,
an expensive and elegant restaurant in New York,a vintage
Madeira is quite suited with a chocolate dessert. Of
course, Bohr adds this caveat: "... and by chocolate,
I mean, of course, dark chocolate. Milk chocolate should
only be consumed by day, if at all, and accompanied
by milk." He states that the madeira to try should
be the sweeter malmsey style. Bohr also likes tawney
port, French late picked Grenache wines, Maury and Banyuls
and US late harvest Zinfandels.
Chocolate has 500 flavor compounds
source: Jay McInerney, House and Garden Dec 2004
August 2,
2006
The world's
largest confectionery firm Cadbury Schweppes
has said the salmonella contamination at one of its
production plants will cost it about $37.5 million this
year.
Half of the sum is due to the cost of recalling one
million chocolate bars, while the rest comes from advertising
costs and "manufacturing improvements". The
firm met with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) after
it had to recall one million chocolate bars in June
over salmonella fears. The firm's contamination testing
was out of date, experts advising the government recently
said.
Simon Baldry, Cadbury UK's managing director, said:
"We have always acted in good faith, and we are
happy to change our procedures based on advice from
the FSA and environmental health officers." Cadbury
said it was "truly sorry" for the concern
the contamination had caused to its customers. It will
only release products for distribution once tests for
salmonella are negative, the firm said.
Source: BBC
February,
2006 -- Men take note: Studies of blood pressure and
elderly men in Holland concludes that, indeed, chocolate
can decrease elevated blood pressure. Read
the abstract or the whole article in the
Archives of Internal Medicine.
March
11, 2005 -- Now here's a prescription that chocoholics
will gladly follow: Eat a healthy dose of dark chocolate
every day to lower your blood pressure and reduce your
risk of developing diabetes. Read
the whole article by Jennifer Warner of
WebMD Medical News.
January, 2005
If you are
living in the UK and are turning 100 years old this
year you are in for a treat. Cadbury Dairy Milk
is celebrating its 100th year and is providing special
presents to you.
source: BBC
November,
2004
Ivory Coast has been the world's largest cocoa
producer since 1977. The main crop is harvested and
marketed between October and March. This West African
country currently produces about 43 percent of the world's
cocoa -- an average of around 1.2 million tonnes per
year. Recently violence has dramatically increased cocoa
prices as rebels in the north advance towards major
growing centres and scared farmers are fleeing. This
and reports of the use of child slavery in the harvesting
of the beans is increasing our search for the ultimate
free-trade chocolate. Expect increases in prices as
high as 20-22%.
source: CNN
November 6,
2004
Firefighters tackled a blaze involving 450 tonnes of
chocolate at a Cadbury factory in Herefordshire.
Crews were called to the plant that evening when a fire
broke out in a 100ft tall silo containing liquid chocolate.
Fortunately no one was injured.
An inquiry into the fire has been launched while the
company is assessing damage to the production line.
source: BBC
November,
2004
China's chocolate consumption is growning by
leaps and bounds. Businesses from outside China have
been making inroads into this difficult marketplace.
Traditionally, China has accounted for less than one
percent of Switzerland's Callebaut's revenue of $3 billion
US but this is all changing. Chinese are replacing traditional
candy at weddings and have started buying chocolate
for western inspired marketing occasions such as Valentine's
Day, Christmas and birthdays. Ahh, chocolate is finding
new palates and fueling this lucrative industry.
November,
2004
The Chocolate Show in New York City is the largest
U.S. consumer chocolate festival. This year's four day
show beginning November 11th provides a showcase for
more than 70 international chocolate manufacturers and
retailers. Creative uses for chocolate from new and
established companies by talented chocolate artists
are real show stoppers at this annual event.
source: NPR
Nov 2004
Geneseo, New York State — A tanker
truck carrying 45,000 pounds of liquid chocolate swerved
to miss a darting deer but overturned on I-390 in New
York State halting traffic for more than five hours.
The chocolate syrup used to make candy, covered the
road and adjacent areas. The chocolate soon solidified
in the cool evening temperature. A road grader was brought
in and scraped up the mess. Giant chocolate curls anyone?
No serious injuries were reported.
source: firehouse.com
October 2004
More troubles for Cadbury. Seven trucks containing
chocolate worth about £500,000 were stolen during
a robbery in Lancashire.
Two security guards were threatened and tied up by a
gang of about five men, some wearing ski masks and carrying
heavy sticks as weapons, held the guards in a field
five miles away.
Seven trailers, each containing about £80,000
worth of Cadbury's goods including Easter eggs, were
stolen. Four have since been found empty.
October 2004
Hangover Cure??
Workers wishing to get back to peak performance after
a heavy night out should make themselves a toasted chocolate
and banana sandwich for breakfast. According to Dr John
Stanley, a lecturer in biochemistry at Trinity College,
It is the perfect cure for hangovers, because it provides
a quick release of sugars and minerals to help restore
blood sugar levels.
Source: CNN
October 2004
London - The Vegetarians Society publicly criticized
Nestle, the makers of Smarties for using a red dye made
from crushed cochineal beetles. The colorant, known
as carmine or E120 is used for our favourite red smarties.
Eeewww.
source:BBC
September
2004
UK: Candy bar makers will stop producing some
of their king size chocolate bars in a bid to tackle
obesity.
Reducing portion sizes is one of seven pledges in the
first Manifesto for Food and Health,
a document, published by the Food and Drink Federation.
FDF Deputy Director General Martin Patterson said it
wanted to give a sign to consumers to eat in moderation.
The larger Mars and Snickers bars will be among those
that disappear during the campaign. Fans of the giant
bars may have foreseen this when a recent government
report showed a King-Size Snickers bar had more calories
than a meal of sirloin steak, potatoes and broccoli.
source BBC
August 2004
Theft of a mural from Cadbury's in the news. The painting
at the Bournville site was commissioned in 1930 and
shows cocoa being harvested.
Police said it was taken between 9 and 11 August. Detectives
believe more than one person was involved because of
the mural's size and they may have had a vehicle to
transport it.
Cadbury is offering a reward for information leading
to the recovery of the painting.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40465000/jpg/_40465921_mural203b.jpg
August, 2004
UK- A British bishop is trying to tempt former
churchgoers back to worship - with a gift pack of chocolate.
The Right Reverend Nigel McCulloch is supporting the
"Back to Church Sunday" campaign. Newcomers
to the church will be given a special copy of their
newsletter and a free bar of Co-op fair trade chocolate.
source: BBC
August, 2004
One of the most recognizable slogans in British advertising
history - "Have a break, have a KitKat"
-was dropped after 47 years. The chocolate bar was launched
in 1935 under the name Chocolate Crisp. KitKat's first
television commercial launched the famous tagline in
1957. Nestle Rowntree decided to make the change after
market research showed that despite the familiarity
of "Have a break", it had little effect on
convincing people to buy KitKats.
Manufacturer Nestle Rowntree has said it will roll out
a new tagline - "Make the most of your break"
... and the difference is??
source: BBC
July 2004
Not so
Palatable News from Moscow
Scientists
at the Voronezh State Technological Academy have developed
and are testing in Moscow, a method for processing blood
and turning it into food products such as chocolate,
milk, yogurt and coffee.
Interfax,
an international information group with a special emphasis
placed on emerging markets of Europe and Asia quotes
the academy’s administration as saying.
"Voronezh
scientists noticed that every meat packing plant wastes
about 7 tons of blood daily. So they worked on a solution
for utilizing it. They have already released test foods
that do not differ in taste from traditional foods they
imitate"
source: mosnews.com
June 2004
Terry's York factory to close in 2005
Workers at Terry's chocolate factory in York, makers
of Terry's Chocolate Orange and other chocolate candies
will lose their jobs in summer 2005. York has been synonymous
with chocolate making for 200 years. Kraft Foods, which
now owns the Terry's brand, informed the city that it
had "no alternative" but to leave the city
and switch production to Europe. York City Council and
others have tried establish the most appropriate future
for the site and to explore ways of preserving the heritage
of Terry's and its connection with the city. Workers
at Terry's chocolate factory in York will lose their
jobs in summer 2005.
source: BBC
May 2004
America's favorite cookie is set to eat the competition
— the new Chocolate Creme Oreo.
ABC news
states that "While some cookie companies posted
flat sales growth in the past quarter, Oreo's volume
rose 15 percent — defending its reign as the nation's
best-selling cookie. That translates to $571 million
in retail sales for the 52-week period ending March
25."
The new double
chocolate flavored version of the classic vanilla-filled
cookie, "The cocoa-filled Oreos are the first change
in over a decade," said spokeswoman Elizabeth Wenner.
Oreos were
introduced almost 90 years ago. The classic cookie has
never before changed its flavor, at least not permanently.
Mint and Hallowe'en variations have been considered
only temporary versions.
The downside:
This all chocolate version has fifty percent more filling
and fifty percent more fat. Sigh...
source: ABC News
May 2004
A woman dressed in a traditional black robe and a head-dress
entered Woolworths in central London and purchased
200 boxes of Mars bars - a total whopping 10,656 chocolate
bars.
The woman asked for all the Mars bars they had - including
ones in the stock room and paid the £2,131 with
new £50 notes (just about $4000 US). She then
left it to her chauffeur to load the 200 boxes of chocolate
into the back of a waiting car.
A spokesman for Woolworths said: "We have no idea
what she wanted that many Mars bars for but it raises
all sorts of questions."
source: BBC
Links:
The
American Heritage® Dictionary - "chocoholic"
definition
Chocolate
FAQ - Here is a good webpage for facts about chocolate.
 ChocolateExpert
- ChocolateExpert contains over 40 articles all written
by our team of experts and adds around 10 new articles
each month.
Word
of the Week - "chocoholic"
"Chocoholic"
- here's the chemistry
UC
Davis Chocolate Research - a health food??
Crave
Control Patches - but, but
My
Sweet Obsession - cute personal site
Godiva
Chocolatier - we ALL know this chocolatier
Gail's
Recipe Swap - the quest for the ultimate chocolate
cheescake answered by many
Chocolate
Paradyce - a source for all things chocolate
A
chocoholic's survey - answer the questions to find
your niche in the world of chocoholics
The
Chocoholic's Survival Guide - Crazy for chocolate?
Here's how to keep it from sabotaging your diet.
Crazy
for Chocolate - Why Do I Crave Chocolate? Chocolate
is the No. 1 most craved food, and women are the ones
most likely to crave it. Why we crave chocolate is a
complex issue.
Chocolate
Recipes with a difference
Chocolate
Sauerkraut Cake |
