Bittersweet And Semisweet Chocolate
Bittersweet chocolates are usually a sweetened form of dark chocolate that doesn’t have any type of milk whether in its liquid or powdered form. It is fundamentally a combination of chocolate liquor, sugar, butter that is made out of cocoa and for the most part – vanilla. Typically, a substance known as lecithin is added which acts as an emulsifier. Cocoa produced through grinding its beans into a liquid form is usually called chocolate liquor, which ironically has no alcohol and what not. Unsweetened baking chocolate is the outcome of cocoa liquor that has been solidified.
In the North America, a standard is being set by the FDA or Food and Drug Administration that such bittersweet chocolates must be required to contain at least 35% of chocolate liquor. Whereas in the United Kingdom, the figure can be as high as 43%. It is readily understandable that the more chocolate liquor the chocolate has, the more intense the flavor can be. Even some high quality chocolates have chocolate liquor as high as 65 to 70%.
Terms like bittersweet and semisweet are oftentimes mistaken for each other in conversations and printed materials, but there are specific traits that separate and define the two. Bittersweet chocolate consists of more chocolate liquor and less amount of sugar as compared to the semisweet one. On the other hand, semisweet chocolates only have 35% of liquor, making the two types of chocolates pretty similar to each other. This is the main reason why the terms semisweet and bittersweet are always used interchangeably in cooking and baking processes which typically produce good results.
Recent studies in the previous years have shown that the regular consumption and intake of minor quantities of bittersweet chocolates have specific health benefits. These health benefits lessen heart diseases caused by the high flavonoid contents of this dark chocolates. Flavonoids such as epicathecin and gallic acid are actually abundant in these types of dark chocolates. Blood pressure lowering is also an attribute which are linked to these bittersweet chocolates. These chocolates are available in different forms like chips and bars that definitely cater to a vast market.
Categories: chocolate articles Tags: bittersweet chocolate, cocoa, dark chocolate, health benefits, semisweet, semisweet chocolate, usually
I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For Ice Cream
Ice cream is usually dubbed as “The Greatest American Dessert.” Even though this product is typically American, the United States cannot claim its origin and source.
Ice cream is defined as a frozen dairy dessert made from cream or milk, usually combined and manufactured along with other flavors and fruits. More often than not, it contains sugar. Sometimes, other sweeteners are used.
The ingredients are slowly stirred while the product is cooled down. This lets air be integrated and keeps the formation of ice crystals. The outcome will be a smooth, semi-solid foam that is extremely malleable and can be scooped easily. Drool now!
Little is known about the early history of ice cream, but this treat is said to originate in Europe. Now, the United States has been the lead among all the countries in the large and intense production of ice cream.
Before the advent of the today’s refrigeration, ice cream was a mere luxury that was intended to be eaten only on special occasions. It had to be produced with a source of ice, often cut from lakes and ponds at winter. The ice was stored in the ground, say, in brick ice houses and was insulated by straw.
In the past, the ice cream industry grew at a slower pace than it is today. Until 1900s, the total American output of ice cream didn’t go beyond 30 million gallons annually.
The yearly manufacturing and production of it has been working its way up on a steady and exponential rate with the introduction of hard and soft ice cream, nowadays produced at more than a billion gallons a year. In accordance with the International Dairy Foods Association, “approximately 1.53 billion gallons of ice cream and related frozen desserts were produced in the U.S. in 2011.” Stunning, eh?
This just means that the annual per capital consumption is not less than 20 pounds. Additionally, this means that 9% of total milk production goes to the ice cream industry.
Where’s the chocolate in this article? It’s here, yep it’s here now. Chocolate ice cream is always near the top in flavors. Vanilla always wins. That’s the sad ending.
Categories: chocolate articles Tags: Chocolate History, chocolate ice cream, cream, ice.cream, means, production, today
Chocolate For Women
Can you even believe there are sexist chocolates?! Funny, I know.
Ever since, the media have clamored about gender specific food items available in the market. Dr. Pepper for Men and Chick Beer? Come on. They’re a bit too annoying. But despite the infamous marketing strategies of such companies, some other companies just can’t resist to follow their lead.
Cadbury launched its latest chocolate wafer bar called Crispello. This is actually the first new chocolate product the company released since the 1990′s. It has been quite a stretch of time, right? I guess it is just about time.
And in such lengthy period of time, all they could think of was this particular marketing strategy, targeting the female gender? Yes, we all know it. The xx gender is the more vulnerable one and chocolate junkie women who just cannot get enough of anything sweet are an easy target.
However, there are some women who can actually resist the tempting chocolate just so they can maintain their figure. Not like it’s a surprise. Body over food is their motto. So, Cadbury took this as an opportunity. They zeroed in on the women’s weakest point with a sweet and tasty wafer covered in chocolate awesome goodness which is low in calorie. That way, you won’t have to fret thinking about gaining a few inches around the waist. What more could you ask for?
It’s best, though, to keep any branding from fooling you. Certainly, you won’t get poisoned if you try it on for size and you happen to be a male. For the male species, just take this as a hint, it might be a nice idea to give some as a gift to a girl you are wooing.
What can you say about this chocolate treat? Is it yay or nay?
Categories: chocolate articles Tags: 1990, Cadbury, cannot, Chocolate for Women, Crispello, point, sweet
M&M-colored Honey
When a baby is just born, he or she only see shades of black and white, or so they say. As the little bundle of joy grows bigger, it gets attracted to more vibrant hues. When schooling starts, one of the most important lessons taught to him or her is the different colors.
This only displays how important color is in our lives. The same thing goes for food. The more variety of colors there is, the more it is pleasing to the eyes, more appealing. That is the reason why a lot of food manufacturing companies maximize this phenomenon. This is especially true with the candy brands.
Imagine how successful the use of color has been for M&M’s. They don’t just cater to the children, but also those who are young at heart.
You can enjoy those tiny bits of color coated chocolates right into your mouth. You can grab a random handful or choose specific colors, your call, but turns out that these colorful treats are not seen as pleasing to the beekeepers of France.
France is the largest producer and supplier of honey in all of Europe. Annually, it is estimated that they generate around 18,330 tons of honey. Sweet, eh?
Based on the Alsace chamber of agriculture, there are roughly 2,400 beekeepers in their specific region that tends 35,000 colonies, producing approximately 1,000 tons of honey a year.
August of last year, about a dozen or so of the Alsace area beekeepers began to notice that the honey produced by their bees became bluish and greenish!
Following an investigation, they discovered that is was because of a biogas plant of an M&M factory located around the area. The bees have been eating the residues and this contributed to the colorful end result of their honey.
According to Alain Frieh who is the president of the Apiculturists’ Union, this situation is actually a problem. Despite the attractive look and the honey-like taste, the product is not salable.
What a bummer, right? Perhaps they should add more color and ship it to the U.S. Strangely-colored ketchup was all the rage a few years ago, neon-blue honey sounds just as good!
Categories: chocolate articles Tags: Apiculturists’ Union, approximately, bees, colors, despite, France, Honey, M&M's
Math And Chocolate
It’s no secret that many of us dread numbers, especially when it comes on a test paper. Many of us have math as waterloo. You might deem this irrelevant as nonsensical, but chocolate and math actually have a strong link. How come? Read on.
A group of researchers presented a study during the annual Brighton Show at the British Psychological Society that showcases how chocolate containing compounds of flavanols which is a part of a group of chemicals called polyphenols can make mental arithmetic easier for people by means of boosting the blood supply to the brain.
According to the said research, the volunteers who were given 500mg of flavanols in their cocoa drinks had lower chances of experiencing mental draining. Professor David Kennedy who is the director of the performance and nutrition research centre at Northumbria University and co-author of the study said “For things that are difficult to do, mentally demanding things that maybe crop up in your work it could help.”
Such researcg involved 30 volunteers in groups of three were instructed to count backwards randomly between 800 and 999 as chosen by the computer. These people were provided with cocoa drink first and was discovered that they were quick and accurate with the calculations later on. The participants were observed to be less tired in spite of being asked to do the task over and over again within an hour.
If you lack in the department of math problem-solving skills, a cocoa drink or anything rich in flavanols and you can continue getting on with your life without having to fear numbers. Okay, that’s pretty sugarcoated, but you get the picture!
Categories: chocolate articles Tags: CHOCOLATE, chocolate studies, cocoa, math, numbers, people
Ethical Chocolate
You probably haven’t given it any thought before. In our chocolate classes, two important lessons include “Responsible Cacao Farming” and “Preventing Exploitation in the Chocolate Industry.”
However, answering such tricky question is… tricky. Chocolates have always been associated with many different cultures, holidays, and certain celebrations.
There are chocolate birthday cakes, chocolate eggs for Easter, chocolates for Valentine’s Day, and even chocolate bars for Halloween. These are just some of those occasions tied to chocolate.
It all boils down to the fact chocolate is really fun, a highlight in any occasion, so fun that we pack on pounds of it every year.
Like presented above, with reference to the question being asked as we our own classes, chocolate is usually linked to several environmental and human rights matters. In some cases these subjects are deemed taboo, “don’t tell me that, I just want to enjoy my chocolate.”
Of course there are different degrees of quality. It’s a big factor to considered to some people. While with others, any chocolate is chocolate, and chocolate is always delish.
How about the ingredient list? Some people would like to dodge certain products for allergy or sensitivity reasons. Others zero in on the percentages of chocolate versus sugar.
There are also other factors on the label, such as fair trade or organic. While these may have acquired a less than optimal flavor reputation some years back, today it’s no big deal.
Then there’s the price. Are you willing to try that $7.00 chocolate bar, or is is $1.00 your limit? Or somewhere in between? Your price tolerance will be your guiding light in your tasting experience.
Of course, we have to be aware of the production practices. Farming methods and the impact on the environment are things that could have remarkable impact on the future of cacao production. Labor practices question the involvement of children in the potentially dangerous harvesting of cacao pods. Can you stomach the thought of children being exploited just so you could enjoy your bar of chocolate?
These are all issues that need some questioning since chocolate is part of the food industry that sustains the world through production and employment. We all want our chocolate forever, don’t we?
Categories: chocolate articles Tags: always, cacao production, classes, ethical chocolate, Ethics, price, production
Lollipops And How They Started
Lollipops are one of the best sweet treats, well loved by adults and children alike across the globe. They come in an array of colors and flavors, usually fruit flavors, but chocolate-flavored ones are also very famous.
With a lot of companies cutthroat in producing and distribute lollipops, such treat has become available in many different shapes, as well. There are small ones that can be purchased in bulk and serve as mini gifts, and then there are large ones that are made with candy canes twisted into a circle. We know them very well!
The recorded largest lollipop was made and then certified on the June 25, 2002. It has a weight of 4,031 pounds (stick included), 18.9 inches thick, and over 15 feet tall. It’s almost a rip-off of a giraffe! It came in cherry flavor and was the “talk of the world” at the time.
The word lollipop has been colloquially used in many different pop songs like the “Lollipop Guild” , and it was featured in the the movie “The Wizard of Oz,” the “Lollipop” of Chordettes, and “The Good Ship Lollipop” from the 1934 Shirley Temple movie, ”Bright Eyes”.
In America, July 20th is considered to be National Lollipop Day. Many lollipops can be eaten at room temperature, but some lollipops are made to be ice lollipops. These are water-based and frozen.
The first ever lollipop making machine recorded in history was only able to make 40 lollipops in a minute. With such pace, it would take a total of 592 days just to keep up with the needs of people scattered from Sugar Hill, Georgia to Sugar City, Idaho. Today, the fastest lollipop making machine can make 5,900 lollipops a minute. Yup!
The idea of having a candy on stick paved way for the creation of the lollipop. This continues to be the reason why it was invented and reinvented over time.
Categories: chocolate articles Tags: chocolate lollipop, colors, fruit, history of lollipop, Lollipop, making, minute
