Posted by Quincy Beckett on January 20th, 2011 and filed under diet|Comments Off
Gourmet chocolate is very popular and for good reason. It’s a delicious taste treat. Chocolate has been popular since it was first discovered, and has just been improving ever since.
For some people, chocolate is something to be avoided because they are weight conscious. This is because people sometimes wrongly assume that gourmet chocolate is associated with weight gain. In fact, eaten in moderation, this chocolate is generally not causing weight issues.
Unlike other forms of chocolate that are inferior in quality, gourmet chocolate is quite dark and glossy and smooth. There should be no streaks or dots or spots, and there should be the smell of cocoa. Gourmet chocolate will never smell of chemicals.
When the chocolate is handled more differences are apparent. Gourmet chocolate snaps cleanly when broken. It does not crumble or bend. It also melts in the mouth leaving a velvety texture. It’s never gritty, nor bitter, nor is it overly sweet. There is no aftertaste with gourmet chocolate.
Interestingly, gourmet chocolate is also quite healthy. There are a number of vitamins in gourmet chocolate, as well as the minerals chromium and magnesium. Chromium is needed by the body and helps to regulate blood sugar, while magnesium helps alleviate premenstrual syndrome.
In today’s marketplace, there is a huge array of different gourmet chocolate available. You can pick up gourmet chocolate from any number of brands, some of which are household names. In fact, gourmet chocolate is very easy to find these days.
There are also a huge variety of flavors to choose from. There is literally something for everyone. You can choose from many different brands and types and flavors so that you get the exact chocolate experience that you want.
Not only does gourmet chocolate taste great, but it is also good for you. Indulging in some gourmet chocolate in reasonable amounts is actually a wise choice and not a reason to feel guilty or undisciplined. Why not pick some up today?
Posted by Tom Doerr on January 20th, 2011 and filed under diet|Comments Off
People do not simply eat for sustenance. Although it is true that we must eat to survive, human beings also enjoy eating. Of all the delicacies available to shoppers, some of the most sought after and beloved treats are luxury chocolates.
The variety and available styles of these bonbons merits some exploration. The most basic variety found has to do with the artisanal mixing of cocoa solids and butters, wherein chocolatiers attempt to perfect their own personal vision of the candy. The artistry extends to the taste, the texture, and the look of the product.
An accomplished candy maker will find his or her own personal recipe and, like wine, these blends and secret traditions add to the mystique and hedonism. With these unique flourishes and secret procedures, some companies have built empires.
The outside is fine, and it does speak to the quality of the candy, but there is even more to consider. Nearly all bonbons contain a filing of some kind. The type and quality of these morsels bears scrutiny. As in many other things, what you get out depends on what you put in.
From rich creams to buttery nuts, candied fruit or tangy ginger, the overall experience is generally dictated by the filling. The best tastes come from the best constituents, and high end candy manufacturers will proudly display the caliber of their ingredients.
Political and environmental questions add to the concerns. Many people prefer organic, sustainable produce and, with particular reference to the cacao trade, require fair trade practices to be in effect.
No matter where someone goes on the Earth, they are likely to run across something to eat. Much of that stuff tastes great, though it may not be nutritionally complete. Much of the tastiest food cannot be stumbled across but must be created by someone. Luxury chocolates are absolutely in this last category.
If you are looking for the finestLuxury chocolates then you might want to try Amelie chocolates who specialise in the finest.
Posted by Abby Wilde on November 17th, 2010 and filed under diet|Comments Off
Of the many types of chocolate out there, some are more popular for bakers and others for pure enjoyment. Each has its own story of how it came to be.
Here is the history and description of each of the nine most popular types of chocolate, and the ingredients that keep us coming back for more.
1) Dark Chocolate: Dark chocolate or healthy chocolate, is not processed and is about as close to the original product as you can get and still get a somewhat sweet flavor. Dark chocolate is made from pure cocoa of a cacao plant, and then fat and sugar are added. There is often no milk or less milk than milk chocolate contains. Studies show that dark chocolate also has health benefits for the vascular system and may play a role in preventing some cancers and even heart attack when eaten frequently in small servings.
2. Milk Chocolate: This type of chocolate is the candy bar chocolate and one of the most consumed chocolates in America. It is a solid chocolate made with milk in the form of milk powder, liquid milk, or condensed milk. Whole and/or skim milk powder has been added to this type of chocolate. Milk chocolate is rarely used in cooking and baking because the protein in the added milk solids interferes with the texture of the baked products. It contains approximately 20 percent cocoa solids.
The story of milk chocolate started with a Swiss chocolatier in the 1800′s in Geneva. Daniel Peter was able to mix chocolate with powdered milk successfully to produce the first milk chocolate, and even today the finest chocolate is still made in Switzerland.
3. White Chocolate: Chocolate made with cocoa butter, sugar, milk, emulsifier, vanilla and sometimes other flavorings. It does not contain any non-fat ingredients from the cacao bean and has therefore an off-white color. . It has a mild and pleasant flavor and can be used to make Chocolate Mousse, Panna Cotta and other desserts.
There is controversy ever whether white chocolate is truly chocolate. In fact, it cannot even be called “chocolate” in some nations due to its lack of cocoa solids content. However, because cocoa butter comes from the cocoa bean, real white chocolate is indeed chocolate. There is however little, if any, health benefit to White Chocolate other than happy feelings that come from eating it.
4. Swiss Chocolate: In the late 1800′s, M. Daniel Peter produced milk chocolate and took his product to Henry Nestle who produced evaporated milk. When the condensed milk was mixed with Peter’s chocolate, it produced the sweet Swiss chocolate we know today. The quality of the milk and the cocoa used in this chocolate is what makes Swiss chocolate among the most quality in the world. The milk used in this chocolate is homegrown from Swiss cows that provide freshness, instead of using powdered milk and the cocoa beans are some of the finest produced in Africa.
5. German Chocolate: Dark, but sweeter than semisweet. German chocolate is the predecessor to bittersweet. It has no connection to Germany; it was developed by a man named German.
6. Couverture chocolate: Used primarily by professional bakers or confectioners, this chocolate contains a very high percent (at least 30%) of cocoa butter, as well as a high percentage of chocolate liquor. This high ratio makes it expensive, but it also means that the resulting chocolate is smooth and melts quickly and evenly. Couverture chocolate is the preferred chocolate for tempering and enrobing candies. It comes in dark, milk, and white varieties, and can be purchased online or at well-stocked cake decorating stores.
7. Semisweet Chocolate: This is the classic dark baking chocolate which can be purchased in most grocery stores. It is frequently used for cakes, cookies and brownies. Can be used instead of sweet dark chocolate. It has a good, sweet flavor. Contains often 40-62% cocoa solids. Bittersweet Chocolate: Bittersweet is also a dark chocolate and just a little sweeter than unsweetened chocolate. This unsweetened chocolate has sugar, cocoa butter, lecithin, and vanilla added to it, but it contains less sugar and more liquor than semisweet chocolate does. However, both types of chocolate can be used in the same recipes for baking. This type of chocolate has become the refined choice of many chefs. It contains little sugar and up to 75 percent of cocoa solids.
9. Baking (Unsweetened) Chocolate: Also called by the name plain or bitter chocolate, baking chocolate has no sugar added and has a strong, bitter taste. Unsweetened chocolate is used in baking or for cooking, but is not eaten straight.
A Brief History of Chocolate: The chocolate tree, Theobroma cacao, evolved in the tropical rain forests of South America’s Amazon region. Evidence of cacao usage dates back as far as 1000 BC, when wild forms of the tree were cultivated by Mesoamerican Indians in small, diversified gardens in what are now Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras, as well as the Yucatan peninsula. Much later, in the 15th and 16th centuries, the Aztecs cultivated cacao in the central highlands of Mexico.
Aztec Indian legend held that cacao seeds had been brought from Paradise and that wisdom and power came from eating the fruit of the cacao tree. Because of a spelling error, probably by English traders long ago, the cacao beans became know as the cocoa beans.
In 1765, chocolate came to the United States and the first chocolate factory in the country was established in Dorchester, Massachusetts.
Healthy Chocolate from the Healthy Chocolate Shop is a wonderful treat that brings several health benefits. If chocoate is your absolute favorite, discover why those that eat healthy chocolate receive all the great taste without risking their health. For more information, visit The Healthy Chocolate Shop now!
Posted by Abby Wilde on October 16th, 2010 and filed under diet|Comments Off
Why Chocolate is Even Sweeter When it is “Fair Trade”
What is fair trade in the Chocolate business? In the end, does it matter?
If you have a weakness for chocolate, you are not alone. But not all that comes with chocolate treats are sweet. Cacao plantations can have a negative impact on the rainforest and historically, the industry has been linked to slavery. It’s hard to know exactly where the chocolate you buy comes from, or to find out how the workers who grew and harvested the cacao were treated. Still, there are organizations such as Oxfam that are attempting to make a difference. That’s why it’s important to buy chocolate that is certified ‘fair trade.’ In a fair trade agreement, farmers will negotiate with the purchasers to receive a fair price for their products. Farmers who engage in fair trade also aim to pay their workers a fair price, and engage in environmentally-friendly practices. Those who farm cacao, the plant from which chocolate is made, are sometimes struggling to get by.
The stories are life-changing, like this one about a cocoa farmer in Ghana: In a small village in Ghana, Lucy Mansa grows and sells cocoa beans for a living. The price she receives for these cocoa beans is often very low. There was little these farmers could do about this unfair arrangement.
There was little these farmers could do about this unfair arrangement. But in 1997, that all changed when cocoa farmers decided to band together to form their own company called Kuapa Kokoo. The name means “good cocoa farmer,” and these good farmers started to get exactly what they deserved a fair price for their crop, delivered on time and in cash.
These farmers then provide the chocolate that is sold in many organic chocoate shops as well as in Whole Foods and Oxfam shops. Extra money from this fair trade arrangement has been put back into their community. This is an important step in getting fair treatment and pay for cocoa producers and farmers, because the demand for chocolate is increasing.
There has been a lot of talk in the news recently about chocolate’s health benefits. This knowledge has opened up a whole new market for the industry. Many studies have shown a link between cacao content in chocolate to reduced risk of stroke, cancer, and even high blood pressure. That means more consumers are looking for a higher quality chocolate, and increasing knowledge about fair trade practices has led to a demand for more healthy chocolate distributors who know their product is coming to them from Fair Trade supply chains.
Larger corporations and organizations are now getting behind fair treatment and pay for cocoa producers and farmers, especially as the demand for chocolate rises. Christian Aid and Comic Relief, a group that uses comedy to raise money to fight poverty worldwide, as well as the British company The Body Shop, have all stepped up to support Kuapa Kokoo in Ghana. Kuapa Kokoo farmers now receive a fair trade price of $1600, which is close to the global market price, and $150 social premium for every ton of cocoa. According to allAfrica.com, roughly 20,000 farmers currently benefit from participation in the cooperative.
Today, more consumers are looking for a higher quality chocolate, and many of this organic and more raw chocolate is being supplied by companies and individual Healthy Chocolate distributors who know their product is coming to them from Fair Trade supply chains.
So the next time you go online or to the store to pick up that bar of chocolate, be sure to look for “fair trade” on the label. It will do your body and your soul a lot of good!
Eat Healthy chocolate? This isnt a fabrication ! Healthy dark chocolate can be purchased that is both satisfying as well as ethically generated. Fair trade policies are supported by manufacturers and marketers to promote sustainable farming methodologies and to produce a superior product. Find out more by visiting the Healthy Chocolate Shop!
Posted by Abby Wilde on September 24th, 2010 and filed under diet|Comments Off
It’s the candy of love, what you reach for when you lose love and we love to love it. Chocolate! If you love chocolate, there’s now a reason to love it even more. Some medical experts are now calling dark chocolate a Healthy Chocolate “super-food,” and for good reason. Eating a chocolate a day could truly keep you healthy. And that’s good news for anyone who’s ever had the craving for the taste of smooth, delicious chocolate.
Dark chocolate was touted as an “instant energy bullet” in a recent Men’s Health Magazine article titled “What to Eat When you Work Out.” According to the article, the bioactive compounds tyramine and phenylethylamine found in chocolate can provide an instant energy boost.
Many women crave chocolate when they have a hormonal change or feel stressed out. Well, there may be an actual scientific reason for that. According to a 2009 study, eating just an ounce and a half of dark chocolate every day for two weeks actually reduced the level of stress hormones in people who were experiencing high anxiety.
Chocolate also stimulates endorphin production and contains serotonin, so you just feel better after eating it. Dark chocolate contains caffeine and other stimulants, so you’re alert as well. The key is checking for at least 75 percent cacao content for the most bliss per bite. Now, we’re not talking about grabbing the first triple-layer cake or brownie you see. That may only add to your waistline, or increase your chance of diabetes. We are talking about just one type of chocolate that’s fair game for daily indulgence, and that’s dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is a potent antioxidant that can not only help reduce blood pressure, it can also reduce the risk of stroke.
Dark chocolate has earned its name as a super-food because of a key healthy ingredient. Because it has not been processed, dark chocolate actually contains plant phenols with cacao. These phenols are a potent antioxidant that can help reduce blood pressure and even reduce the future risk of stroke.
Doctors caution you should still keep yourself from going overboard, because of the sweet treat’s fat and calories. However, if you keep your daily chocolate intake relatively low, you really can indulge every day. The balance can be found by cutting back your calorie intake in other foods you eat throughout the day, and adding chocolate in. Not a bad compromise, right? Additionally, you could see a change for the better in your blood pressure, and boost the antioxidants in your body that could help ward off disease in the future.
However, if you are able to keep your chocolate intake in balance with other healthy foods, you can indulge every day as part of a healthy lifestyle. And if you think about the cancer and disease-fighting properties each delicious piece of chocolate contains, it’s not a bad idea to go ahead and treat yourself after that apple. What’s more, you could see a change for the better in your blood pressure and overall heart health.
The next time the need hits to get a great tasting snack, why not Buy Healthy Chocolate? Chocolates from The Healthy Chocolate Shop are rich and flavorful and deliver many health benefits. Visit the Healthy Chocolate Shop today for additional information!
Bittersweet Chocolate: Bittersweet is also a dark chocolate and just a little sweeter than unsweetened chocolate. This unsweetened chocolate has sugar, cocoa butter, lecithin, and vanilla added to it, but it contains less sugar and more liquor than semisweet chocolate does. However, both types of chocolate can be used in the same recipes for baking. This type of chocolate has become the refined choice of many chefs. It contains little sugar and up to 75 percent of cocoa solids.