Cacao Organic growing and harvesting
Pods that contain cocoa beans grow from the trunk and branches of the cocoa tree. Harvesting includes removing ripe pods from the trees and opening them to extract the wet beans. Pods are ideal for harvest for 3-4 weeks, after that time the beans start to germinate. Want to know more? Watch this video.
Categories: chocolate videos Tags: Cacao Tree, cocoa
Brownie Tidbits
We all have a soft spot for brownies. So here are some interesting information about it.
The first brownie was believed to be made in America. Some suggest and claim that it was originally from New England at the beginning of the 20th century.
Despite its being cake-like and being baked in a cake pan, brownies are considered as bar cookies instead of a cake.
Brownies can either be “cake-style” or “fudge-style”. Cake-style is that with the consistency of a cake, but with a thicker consistency. While, fudge-style is more like, yes, fudge than cake. It is the richer, denser, and creamier version of the brownie. The style of brownie is determined by the ratio of flour to chocolate and/or cocoa.
It goes without saying that brownie got its name from its dark brown color. But as expected, the origin of the “brownie” is covered in myth and stories that make all of us wonder which one is the real deal. One of the stories told is that a chef accidentally added melted chocolate to the batch of biscuits he was baking. Another one claims that a cook was baking a cake but had inadequate amounts of flour but baked it anyway, thus, making a brownie.
However, the most famous legend states that a housewife in Bangor, Maine, who was making a chocolate cake, forgot to add baking powder. When the cake didn’t rise, she just cut it and served pieces of the flat cake.
On the other hand, some state that the first known published recipe appeared in the Sears, Roebuck Catalogue in 1897, but that was a recipe for a molasses candy only called brownies. Nowadays, brownies are baked with either cocoa or melted chocolate or a combination of both.
Although the first few brownie recipes were published and modification to the recipe started in the beginning of the 20th century, it wasn’t until the 1920s that brownies became a well-loved treat in the department of baked chocolate goods. It still holds true today.
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Categories: chocolate articles Tags: brownie history, Brownies, cocoa
Health Benefits of Chocolate
Gone are the days when chocolate was synonymous to “unhealthy”. Noawadays, consumption of such in appropriate mounts can actually be beneficial for you, health-wise. Needless to say, you should have the right stuff in hand, not the sugary and not-so-healthy kind.
Contrary to our common thinking, consumption of chocolates can possibly improve cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure and the risk for diabetes. It may sound contradictory but it is true according to Harvard researchers. This study involved a review of 24 studies and 1,106 participants. And the said health benefits are due to the chocolate’s content called flavonoids which are of highest levels in the dark variants.
Dark chocolates were also considered as potent antioxidants by the scientists. These antioxidants attach themselves to free radicals, which are the main cause of cell destruction, and they are flushed away through digestion and other processes. Chocolates are also found out to have what they call ORACS (Oxygen radical Absorbance Capacity Units), and its contents are higher than those of red wine’s and even green tea’s. Consumption of food rich in antioxidants cuts down the risk of having heart attacks, stroke, asthma, and even degenerative cognitive diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Yet another reason to pamper yourself with chocolate! But of course, in moderation.
Chocolate labels nowadays display the percentage of cocoa solids they contain. So, when purchasing, be sure to check it and choose those with at least 70% of cocoa and those that have minimally-processed cacao in them. Antioxidants are not the only nutritional benefit chocolate has to offer, but other stuff as well such as iron, calcium, potassium, and vitamins A, B-1, C, D and E.
Study indicates that a single 5-g square contains approximately 25 calories and 1.5 g. of fat. Thus, an entire row is about 125 calories and 7.5 g of fat.
Instead of devouring one whole bar of chocolate in one sitting, why not try consuming a single row one square at a time? This way, you can rest assured that you are eating moderately.
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Categories: chocolate articles Tags: antioxidants, chocolate benefits, cocoa, contents
More Reasons To Love Chocolate – As If You Need A Reason
Chocolate comes with a wide array of health benefits, we basically state that like all the time. Those benefits just seem to multiply with time.
Below are some reasons that have been making a buzz lately as to why you should never feel guilty when enjoying your chocolate.
For one, chocolate is said to be beneficial for the heart. Consuming chocolate on a daily basis could cut down one’s risk of suffering from a heart attack and even stroke. Chocolate can also help you in your weight-loss goal. We always take chocolate for something that would make us gain unwanted pounds. That shouldn’t be the case now. Studies have shown that people who eat chocolate regularly are more likely to stay fit than those who don’t. Turns out, a person who eats chocolate five times per week or more had a lower BMI (Body Mass Index) than those who eat chocolate less frequently.
Chocolate is helpful for appetite control. Chocolate contains filling fiber, a natural appetite suppressant. Go ahead, give in to that sweet-tooth craving. You may eat fewer calories than if you cut it cold turkey.
We have tons of reasons to bask in the goodness of chocolate, but it’s a must to be smart about our consumption. Here are some tips to heed when buying high-quality chocolate:
The darker the chocolate, the more nutritional benefits you can reap. Pure chocolate could be a tad too bitter, which is other ingredients are tossed into the mixture. But the chocolate part of that bar is what contains the good stuff: fiber, magnesium and antioxidants.
Make your own hot cocoa. To take it to the next level regarding the nutritional profile of your hot cocoa, buy unsweetened powdered chocolate, and add your own sweetener. Additionally, keep it as dark as you can actually handle.
Be creative when it comes to cocoa. If you’re a fan of dark chocolate bars or drinking cocoa regularly, there are other options. Go ahead and experience sprinkling powdered cocoa in your oatmeal or cold cereal, for starters.
Categories: chocolate articles Tags: Cacao, chocolate lovers, cocoa, cold, love chocolate, nutritional, powdered
The Love Of Milk Chocolate
It’s a common knowledge that some of the most loved chocolate treats are made by the Swiss. Around 1876, a candy maker named Daniel Peter of Vevey, Switzerland, was the one who “invented” milk chocolate. He had a hard time removing the water from the milk at first, since it always caused mildewing.
Thereafter, he thought of collaborating with Henry Nestle, a maker of condensed milk. They then came up with the idea of putting in condensed milk to chocolate liquor which is a nonalcoholic smooth, thick, and liquid form of chocolate. It is the ground or melted form of the cocoa nib which the purest state of chocolate. Milk chocolate became popular and a darling to many by the 1900’s, and it never ceased.
There are several forms of milk chocolate, hot cocoa can be one, and boy is it almost every chocoholic’s favorite drink! It is a cocoa powder mixed with milk and sugar and heated until hot and smooth. This popular beverage just gives you the warmth and comfort that you are rooting for. Also included in the list are liquid milk products, powdered milk products, granule and of course, chocolate bars. One can enjoy them hot or cold, hard or soft, pretty much any way you wish.
Chocolate has everyone enticed and allured for different reasons and it’s not gonna die down, at least not anytime soon. It is so special to consumers that it has become 2011’s number 1 specialty food, so to speak. And milk chocolate is the darling of the crowd when it comes to chocolate preferences as it is preferred by approximately 80% of the consumers.
If you’re creating a chocolate basket as a gift without knowing the personal preferences of the one you’re planning on giving it to, you can never go wrong if it is filled with milk chocolate treats!
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Categories: chocolate articles Tags: cocoa, milk chocolate, popular, powdered
Ecuador Chocolate Ready to Rule the World
Chocolate is one of the leading commodities in the world.
Leading cocoa export countries have visited Ecuador to turn the coastal city of Guayaquil into the worlds chocolate headquarters. Around 85,000 farmers in Guayaquil cultivate Ecuadors aroma cocoa.
Spare s minute from your precious time to watch this video.
Making Chocolate in the Dominican Republic
Cocoa is known to grow only in hot tropical climates and for many years the Dominican Republic has been home to quality organic cocoa, and is now massively used by many chocolate companies across the globe.
The international cocoa market has always been impacted by remarkable price fluctuations, these price fluctuations ultimately make an impact on the price the cocoa farmers receive here, in the Dominican Republic.
Categories: chocolate videos Tags: CHOCOLATE, cocoa, Dominican, Dominican Republic, making, Making Chocolate, price, Republic, Santo Domingo
