Category: News

Happy National Chocolate Eclair Day! June 22, 2020

 

Happy National Chocolate Ice Cream Day! June 7, 2020

 

Happy National Chocolate Macaron Day! June 3, 2020

 

Swiss chocolate giant Barry Callebaut snaps up Australia’s GKC Foods

INSIDEFMCG.COM.AU

Swiss chocolate maker Barry Callebaut is set to make its mark on the Australian and New Zealand markets with the acquisition of local B2B chocolate manufacturer GKC Foods. Barry Callebaut is one of the largest chocolate and cocoa manufacturers in Asia Pacific, with 10 chocolate and cocoa factories in operation across Asia. The GKC factory in Melbourne, which produces chocolate, coatings and fillings for consumer chocolate brands, will be upgraded with a state-of-the-art chocolate production line and an integrated management system to enhance automated production.

Dark chocolate can help you deal with hair loss

INDIATIMES.COM

Dark black chocolate is a variation of chocolate that contains cocoa solids, cocoa butter, and sugar, sans the milk found in usual milk chocolate. And, it has a wonderful reputation of being a better alternative (health-wise) when compared to other varieties of chocolates. In fact many researches have claimed that dark chocolate can help in improving a lot of bodily issues, especially those related to skin and hair. And, if you have been facing hair related issues and a extreme hair loss, then dark chocolate could be your savior after all, don’t believe us? Read on (CLICK HERE)

The Science Behind a Chocolate Chip Cookie

WFAA.COM

Chocolate chip cookies are one of the most beloved desserts in the world. They’re so deliciously simple, yet, scientifically, a single cookie is incredibly complex. Most of the science behind a chocolate chip cookie happens inside the oven. The oven is like a tiny laboratory where a bunch of chemical reactions are happening to make a chocolate chip cookie ooey, gooey and irresistible.

What Do Tea, Wine And Dark Chocolate Have In Common? They Reduce Dementia Risk

MEDICALDAILY.COM

Wine, tea and dark chocolate — no, these are not the ingredients to the potion of life, but they might as well be. For one thing, they all contain compounds that can ensure good quality of life for the years to come. Apparently, a new research study has found that tea, wine, dark chocolate and certain fruits and vegetables can significantly lower the risk of having dementia or even Alzheimer’s disease later on in life. This is all thanks to the flavonoids they contain.

Does Chocolate Go Bad?

YAHOO.COM

A crumpled bag of baking chips in the pantry. The linen closet stash you forgot about. The kids’ old Halloween haul. A fun-size piece in the glove compartment. There are few things as exciting as discovering a piece of surprise chocolate from who knows when. But does chocolate go bad?

Happy National Chocolate Chip Day!  May 15, 2020

 

Happy National Chocolate Custard Day!  May 3, 2020

 

Happy National Chocolate Mousse Day!  May 2, 2020

 

Happy National Chocolate Parfait Day! May 1, 2020

 

Dark Chocolate vs. Milk Chocolate—Which Is Healthier?

SHAPE.COM

When it comes to the dark chocolate vs. milk chocolate, one sweet treat reigns supreme. Read on to find out which variety is the champion, and end the clash of the chocolates once and for all (click here).

5 healthy benefits of dark chocolate

TODAY

Who doesn’t love chocolate? As a nutritionist, Keri Glassman, R.D. can tell you this sweet treat can be part of a healthy diet … In moderation. Too much of a good thing can certainly outweigh the benefits, but there are a few good reasons to support your chocolate habit.

Use a Fork Instead of a Spoon to Stir Chocolate Milk!

SKILLET.COM

A tall, cold glass of chocolate milk is a nice treat for young and old alike, but most people use a spoon to stir it which, and a spoon, I am sad to say, is an inferior stirring implement. What’s the correct tool, you ask? Why, a fork of course!

Doesn’t a Career in Chocolate Sound Nice Right Now?

GLAMOUR

As soon as people find out what Ann Czaja does for a living, she knows what’ll come next: First, “Do you have chocolate with you?” And then, “How can I get your job?” The job is master chocolatier with Lindt Chocolate, the world’s leading producer of premium chocolate.

Happy National Chocolate Souffle Day!  February 28, 2020

 

Chocolate bar ends hostage situation in Irish prison

TRIBLIVE

Media outlets in Ireland, including the Irish Post, report that a five-hour standoff with hostages at Midlands Prison in Ireland was brought to a peaceful end when one of two inmates agreed to trade his weapons for a chocolate bar. A Mars bar specifically. By the way, the European version of a Mars bar contains caramel and nougat coated with milk chocolate — similar to a Milky Way.

World’s largest Craft Chocolate Experience set to sweeten San Francisco

7×7

San Francisco has a chocolatey heritage – the city is the birthplace of Guittard, Ghirardelli, and Scharffen Berger. So it’s only fitting that the world’s largest gathering of craft chocolate makers should kick off here in the city. Coming to the Palace of Fine Arts March 6-8, the inaugural Craft Chocolate Experience is about as close as you’re ever going to get to a grown-up, gourmet Willy Wonka fest. Touted as a learning experience as well as a tasting and shopping event, the three-day happening will feature cacao-centric talks, an Insta-worthy cacao-bean ball pit, and a massive marketplace of more than 90 artisanal chocolatiers from 25 different countries.

Make-Your-Own Chocolate Workshop Coming Soon to Disney World!

HOTEL, WALT DISNEY WORLD

The Ganachery, an exquisite chocolate shop located in Disney Springs, will soon be offering an all-new experience at the newly opened Disney’s Riviera Resort. If you’re unfamiliar with The Ganachery, the chocolatier creates delicious (and beautiful) chocolate treats that are a must-try. Everything is handcrafted, and now, Disney World guests will get to learn all about the artistry of chocolate and even make their own Ganachery treat.

Elementary school students learn about engineering using chocolate

ORLANDO.COM

As part of National Engineers Week, Florida’s Turnpike engineers taught students how to build roads from the bottom up using “Chocolate Asphalt.” Students used ingredients like chocolate, walnuts, oats, coconut, and sugar to build their road. The project is a way to raise awareness about STEM-related careers.

Hot Chocolate Could Help Ease Painful Clogged Leg Vessels

US NEWS AND WORLD REPORT

Could hot chocolate deliver relief to those suffering from the painful condition known as peripheral artery disease (PAD)? A small, new study says it’s entirely possible. The chocolate used in the study is commonly available natural, unsweetened cocoa powder. This type of cocoa powder is rich in the flavanol epicatechin. This flavanol is found in larger quantities in dark chocolate containing more than 85% cacao. Dark chocolate that isn’t “alkalized” (a process to improve taste that removes some flavanols) would likely offer similar benefits. Regular chocolate wouldn’t be expected to have a similar effect. Study volunteers drank a warm mixture of milk or water and a powder packet containing cocoa and epicatechin, or a placebo three times a day for six months.

Everything You Don’t Know About Chocolate

NEW YORK TIMES

You probably think you already know everything you need to know about chocolate. For instance: The higher the percentage of cacao, the more bitter the chocolate, right? The term “single origin” on the label indicates that the chocolate expresses a particular terroir. And wasn’t the whole bean-to-bar movement started by a couple of bearded guys in Brooklyn? Wrong; not necessarily; and definitely not.

The Challenge of Sustainable Chocolate

NEW REPUBLIC

Chocolate is one of the worst foods you can buy, in terms of the industry’s greenhouse gas emissions. But some people are trying to change that.

The World’s First Large-Scale, 3D-Printed Chocolate Is Here, Courtesy Of Swiss Cocoa Giant Barry Callebaut

FORBES

Customized chocolate in complex shapes will no longer be exclusively produced by seasoned culinary chefs, as Swiss cocoa giant Barry Callebaut is set to launch the world’s first large-scale, 3D-printed chocolate under its decoration brand, Mona Lisa, in Spain. 3D-printing technology already exists on a small scale in the food industry, but this marks the first time for a major chocolate processor to make it available for the general public.

How Chocolate Can Help Save the Planet

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN

Trees are crucial weapons in the fight against climate change, but they’re also vital to the livelihoods of 1.5 billion people, including those of cocoa farmers. We can’t put a fence around forests to keep poor people from exploiting them. Doing so may reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but it’s not realistic. We need to fashion a future where forests can be used to benefit those who count on trees for their living without inflicting damage on the rest of the planet. And in the cacao groves of West Africa where these conditions are being met, plants and people are thriving.

Happy National Chocolate Mint Day!  February 19, 2020

 

Happy National Cream-Filled Chocolates Day!  February 14, 2020

 

Happy National Chocolate Day!  February 9, 2020

 

Reese’s Take 5 just stole the record for the largest chocolate nut bar from Snickers

WREG

The candy war has begun! Weighing in at more than 4,700 pounds and measuring 2 feet high and 26 inches wide, the Guinness Book of World Records declared Waco, Texas, as the home to the world’s largest chocolate nut bar – a Snickers the size of 43,000 single-size candy bars put together. The record didn’t last long. Hershey has one-upped Mars with an even bigger version of a Reese’s Take 5 candy bar weighing 5,943 pounds and measuring 9 feet long by 5.5 feet wide by 2 feet high, the Hershey Company said.

Happy National Dark Chocolate Day!  February 1, 2020

 

First chocolate chip cookies baked in space have to be vetted for safety

CNET

Cookie monsters, rejoice: Chocolate chip cookies can be baked in space, but they’ll take a lot longer to make there than the ones you whip up at home in your Earth oven. The first batch of cookies baked on the International Space Station are back on Earth now. Astronauts report they were able to smell the cookies baking. So far, the cookies remain in an Earth freezer, as they must be tested to determine if they’re safe to eat. One of the cookies has been offered to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum — but for display, not a snack.

What do to if your dog eats chocolate

WGME

So many things can happen if your pup gets his paws on that yummy chocolate. If chocolate ingestion occurs, one of the MOST important thing for your veterinarian to know is what type of chocolate Fido ate AND how much of it. The effects of chocolate can range from room clearing gas to vomiting/diarrhea and in most severe cases, irregular heartbeats and death can occur. Generally speaking, milk chocolate has less impact than dark chocolate or cooking chocolate. Similarly, the weight and size of the pet also determines how they might be affected. The good news is that in MOST cases, Fido might have some GI upset with that room clearing gas and with minimal medical intervention will have a great prognosis!

How chocolate could be the answer to a good night’s sleep

HARPERS BAZAAR

If you’re struggling to sleep well, upping your chocolate levels could be the answer. The links between what we eat and how we sleep, and how there are certain foods which can aid – or disturb – slumber. Hormones influence the sleep process. Our levels of serotonin, which is essential for the production of the sleep hormone melatonin, can be boosted by certain foods, including chocolate. It increases serotonin; serotonin helps you fall asleep at night. What’s really important to note is we have hormones that wake us up in the morning. Cortisol wakes you up in the morning, and then cortisol dips across the day and passes the baton to the melatonin, and the melatonin helps you sleep. Insulin, which regulates your energy and blood sugar throughout the day, will affect your cortisol and your melatonin. So what you eat, when you eat and also how you eat as well, can affect your hormones.

Chocolate is getting weirder by the day

JAPAN TIMES

At the Chicago-based Vosges Haut-Chocolat, founder Katrina Markoff is experimenting with “sound infusion.” As the brand’s “cosmic” truffles cool, they’re treated to piped-in sounds of varying frequencies. Sold in a 21-piece box for $72, they’re made for people who believe in the wellness proprieties of vibrations. “There are healing frequencies that people listen to with meditation and sound healing and gong baths, so we decided to try that,” she says. “We really focus on creating experience.”

Researchers print rainbow colorants on shimmering chocolate

PHYS

ETH researchers are making chocolates shimmer in rainbow colors without the addition of colorants. They have found a way to imprint a special structure on the surface of the chocolate to create a targeted color effect. (CLICK, HERE, TO SEE!)

If You Love Chocolate, Visit Turin On Your Next Trip To Italy

FORBES

If you want to consume some of the best edibles—pastas, cheeses, breads—and wines in the world, of course, you head to Italy. If you want some of the world’s best chocolates, you should go there, too, specifically to the quietly elegant city of Turin, a bucket-list stop for anyone remotely interested in fine-quality versions of the sweet.

That chocolate bar will cost you 42 minutes of running

TREE HUGGER

A new kind of food label hopes to fight obesity by stating how much exercise is required to burn it off. There have been numerous attempts to simplify nutrition labels – some more successful than others – but a new suggestion has potential to make a difference. “Physical activity calorie equivalent” (PACE) labeling adds the type and amount of exercise required to “burn off” a particular food. For example, eating 229 calories in a small bar of milk chocolate would require about 42 minutes of walking or 22 minutes of running to burn these off.

Chocolate Cafe With Roots In Luxembourg And The Netherlands Opening First U.S. Location In Logan Square

BLOCKCLUBCHICAGO

Chiqueolatte, a chocolate cafe with roots in Luxembourg and the Netherlands, is opening its first U.S. location in Logan Square. The franchise is taking over the old Half Italian deli at 2643 N. Milwaukee Ave.

How Exactly Is Chocolate Made?

INTERESTING ENGINEERING

Chocolate is enjoyed by millions of people around the world. But how many stop to consider how chocolate is made?
If you were ever considering of becoming a chocolate master yourself, you’re going to love learning all about the cocoa bean’s journey from plant to your palate.

Chocolate: The Ultimate Guide for Informed Indulgers

WSJ

Bars and bonbons, dark and milk, single-origin and small-batch, Mexican and Vietnamese: The world of chocolate is vast and fascinating. With this A-to-Z survey, explore it in all its delicious varieties.

What is Chocolate? Don’t Go Through the Rest of Your Life Not Knowing

BASICALLY

Ever find yourself breaking off a square of chocolate and thinking, what even is this stuff? Like, other than the solidified nectar of the gods! So you Googled, “what is chocolate” and that brought you here.

Chocolate-based ‘ink’ allows 3-D printing at room temperature

IFT

A novel approach to 3-D printing has allowed researchers from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) to 3-D print chocolate-based products at room temperature using cold extrusion.

For the Love (and moderation) of Dark Chocolate – Potential Health Benefits

REGISTER GUARD

Chocolate comes from the cacao tree, whose Latin name translates as “food of the gods.” With a pedigree like that, it’s no surprise that science is finding some potential health benefits from eating chocolate. We can thank the flavanols in cocoa beans.

More than 90% of Americans plan to gift chocolate and candy this holiday season

FOOD DIVE

More than 90% of Americans say they intend to gift or share chocolate and candy during the holiday season, according to the National Confectioners Association. According to Winter Holidays Central, there will be more options than ever before for packages with 200 calories or less this holiday season. But regardless of how many calories are in it, most people in the U.S. enjoy chocolate and candy two to three times per week.

City Bakery Founder Maury Rubin Launches Hot Chocolate Tour

GRUB STREET

Those mourning the closing of City Bakery, in New York City, may be suffering withdrawal from any number of the bakery’s iconic treats: the Ur-Frankenpastry pretzel croissant, the monster chocolate-chip cookies, the less-heralded but arguably better little peanut-butter domes, the mysteriously delicious blueberry-corn muffins. But on the prospect of facing a cold, damp winter without superior hot chocolate, we have good news. Maury Rubin, the City Bakery’s founder, baker, and hot-chocolate-maker, is embarking on a citywide series of pop-ups he’s calling Maury Rubin Me and My Hot Chocolate Tour.

Ruby chocolate identification receives F.D.A. temporary permit

FOOD BUSINESS NEWS

The Food and Drug Administration in the Nov. 22 issue of the Federal Register issued a temporary permit that allows Barry Callebaut USA L.L.C. to market test a product identified as ruby chocolate even though it deviates from the U.S. standards of identity for chocolate products.

5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Feel Guilty for Having Dessert

THRIVE GLOBAL

We know that eating a huge amount of sweets isn’t the healthiest choice, as this can lead to a range of health issues in the future. But it’s not advisable to live on a restrictive diet for the rest of your life either! When eating a balanced diet, we can allow ourselves to indulgences once a week or so. It’s okay to reward yourself with desserts occasionally. In fact, there are at least 5 good reasons why you shouldn’t feel guilty.

Happy National Chocolate Day!  November 29, 2019

 

8 unbelievable facts about the $103 billion chocolate industry

INSIDER

Chocolate is one of the world’s favorite foods, and the global chocolate industry is worth over $100 billion dollars. Behind one of our favorite foods is a $103 billion industry with aspects most people don’t know about — some sweet, and others that might leave a bitter taste in your mouth. Read on (click here) for eight surprising facts about the chocolate industry.

No, we won’t run out of chocolate by 2050

DW

News of a global chocolate doomsday has gone viral, with chocoholics fearing an end to their fix. But don’t panic: Chocolate is not on the brink of extinction — yet. Check out the full story, here.

Austrian thief steals 20 tons of chocolate

DW

A thief in Austria made off with €50,000 (about $55,000) worth of Milka chocolate in a truck after convincing a factory that he was the courier. The police say incidents of this type have become more common in recent years.

Chocolate chip cookies are about to be baked in outer space

INSIDER

There has never been an oven in space. Until now. Any day now, the first five chocolate chip cookies will be baked in space aboard the International Space Station (ISS), an initial test of what happens in a zero gravity oven. But astronauts won’t get to eat the fresh-baked cookies. Three of the chocolate chip cookies will get sent back to Earth for analysis, and the remaining two will go in the trash.

“HOT CHOCOLATE”! 18-wheeler full of chocolate truffles burns for hours on I-20 in Dallas

DALLAS NEWS

An 18-wheeler carrying a load of chocolate truffles caught fire and tied up traffic for hours Thursday morning in the Mountain Creek area. The 18-wheeler was fully engulfed by the time firefighters arrived, but the driver was safe. It took two to three hours to extinguish the flames because the rig’s cargo of chocolate truffles reignited multiple times.

Make a custom candy bar at Hershey’s Chocolate World in Pennsylvania

INSIDER

You can make a custom candy bar at Hershey’s Chocolate World in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The Create Your Own Candy Bar attraction is separate from the rest of the theme park. For about $27, guests select the type of chocolate, ingredients, and fillings as the bar is made in front of them inside the factory.

When 17 dietitians were asked what foods they’d take to a desert island, chocolate was the clear favorite

INSIDER

Insider asked 17 dietitians or dietitians-in-training what three foods they’d bring with them to a desert island. While some considered factors like nutrient intake and variety, most simply picked foods they like. Chocolate, avocados, and nut butters were especially popular choices.

For Some Of The Best Chocolate In Italy, Head To Sicily

FORBES

With perfectionist rigor and a devotion to painstaking artisanal tradition, Italians turn out some of the world’s most coveted edibles. While northern neighbors Switzerland and Belgium may be better known for their overall chocolate output, Italy is a stellar producer too, with places like Torino, Perugia, and the chocolate valley in Tuscany among the places creating memorable sweets. But to sample one of the most unusual and historic types of Italian chocolate–at its source–you need to travel to the exquisite Baroque city of Modica in southern Sicily.

This Chocolate-Themed Cruise Is Setting Sail In 2020

DELISH

Calling all chocoholics! Your dreams are about to become a reality. Costa Cruises will be have a chocolate-themed European cruise set sail in 2020. The Eurochocolate cruise will offer a unique on-the-water experience that takes travelers all around Europe and features chocolate-related events both on and off the boat. The cruise experience is a partnership between Costa Cruises and the Eurochocolate International Chocolate Exhibition.

Guinness World Records recognizes world’s most expensive chocolate

LOCAL7

The world’s most expensive chocolate was launched on Tuesday in Mumbai. Priced at 400,000 rupees ($6, 221) per kilogram, the limited-edition trio of truffle chocolates has made its way into the Guinness Book of World Records. “Trinity – Truffles Extraordinaire” was created by luxury chocolate brand Fabelle Exquisite Chocolates, who are part of the conglomerate ITC limited.

Always Craving Chocolate? Here’s What It Means

YAHOO

You started the day with a bowl of oatmeal topped with fresh fruit and then grabbed a veggie-packed salad for lunch. And for dinner, you’re planning on whipping up a chicken and broccoli stir-fry with a side of brown rice. Not to be smug about it or anything, but you’re basically the epitome of good health. Except that it’s almost three o’clock and you’re starving. Not only that, but you’re hankering after something specific. Yep, you’re craving chocolate real bad. What gives? Here, some possible explanations for why all you can think about is that Snickers that’s lying at the bottom of your purse.