Category: News

New York’s City Bakery, Known For Hot Chocolate And Croissants, Is Gone

FORBES

For nearly three decades, City Bakery in New York City enjoyed cult status. Its founder, Maury Rubin, was everywhere, from introducing a hot chocolate with the Rockettes, to profiles in The New Yorker, New York and Smithsonian magazines. People lined up for the bakery’s famous hot chocolate, salads, sandwiches, chocolate chip cookies, October 20th, and multiple varieties of croissants, including one made from pretzel dough. But on Sunday, City Bakery shut down, becoming the latest gourmet name to leave the Manhattan scene.

Research suggests chocolate chip cookies equivalent to drug addiction in the brain

ABC7

A 2013 paper published by researchers from the University of Bordeaux suggests the ingredients in a chocolate chip cookie triggers the same addictive response in the brain as cocaine and marijuana. A traditional chocolate chip cookie contains 2.5 teaspoons of sugar, which the study says induces some of the same responses as cocaine. As for chocolate, it contains small amounts of a compound that trigger the same part of your brain as the addictive ingredient marijuana, THC, the study says. The two ingredients together create a harmonious flavor that can double the addiction.

Breakthrough research allows for 3-D printed chocolate without temperature control

TechXplore

Researchers from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) have pioneered a novel approach to 3-D print chocolate-based products at room temperature by cold extrusion.

Happy National Chocolate Day! October 28, 2019

 

Happy National Chocolate Cupcake Day! October 18, 2019

 

New Cocoa-Pricing Method Makes for a Hot Commodity

WSJ

Cocoa prices are surging as traders grapple with a new method for pricing exports designed to alleviate poverty among farmers in Ivory Coast and Ghana, the world’s largest growers of the chocolate ingredient. At a time when weakness in the world economy is hurting assets such as oil and industrial metals, cocoa has been one of the top performers in commodities markets. Futures prices have climbed 18% to £1,912 ($2,335) a ton in London since Aug. 29, and have risen 10% to $2,408 a ton in New York. Prices were even higher in both markets before slipping back in recent days.

360° Perspective: Chocolate Milk

KOAA NEWS5

Schools in Colorado are going 360 on the chocolate milk debate. Some schools are pulling it from shelves to help stop the obesity crisis, while others have a different take. Ounce for ounce, white milk and chocolate milk have the same protein, calcium and other key nutrients. The big difference is in the sugar. The dairy industry says chocolate milk has the same nine essential nutrients. A spokesperson for Dairy Max, which represents Colorado’s 120 dairy farms, says the dairy industry has made a conscious effort to cut sugar in chocolate milk served in school by more than half in recent years.

The Christmas Chocolate Wars Are Well Underway And Ever So Posh

FORBES

Chocolate companies are gearing up for one of the biggest confectionary showdowns of the year. The “chocolate season” begins just before Halloween, taking in Christmas (which accounts for about a quarter of total annual sales in both the U.S and the U.K.), Valentines Day and ending in the consumption of Easter eggs (the busiest time of year for chocolate consumption). While the Swiss eat the most chocolate per person, people in the U.K. will eat almost twice as much as their American counterparts.

Ottoman town hosts its own chocolate factory, museum

DAILY SABAH

Walking around in museums is a delight but walking around in a museum full of chocolate? Well, that is delicious. Known for its historic Ottoman architecture and serenity that you can hardly find in the 21st century, the Black Sea region province of Karabük’s famous district of Safranbolu is now home to the Chocolate Museum.

New WholeFruit chocolate cuts waste by using entire cacao fruit

THE GUARDIAN

The recipe is the latest innovation from Swiss chocolatier Barry Callebaut. As modern consumers prioritize less sugar, more nutrients and less damage to the environment, the company is playing to the trend with products based on a recipe using 100% of the fruit. About 70% of the cacao fruit is typically discarded in the traditional process of making chocolate, which is increasingly regarded as very wasteful. The company says using the entire fruit, from beans to peels, pulp, and juice, “results in a range of high-quality ingredients that can be used in … juices, smoothies, frozen desserts, bakery and pastry products, and snacks all the way to chocolate”.

A chocolate-making robot is preparing to make world’s best sweets from your kitchen counter

CNBC

CocoTerra, a Palo Alto, California start-up, has developed the world’s first kitchen countertop chocolate-making appliance, with design partner Ammunition. A companion app guides users on how to make chocolate, right down to choosing the bean. So far, the company raised $2 million in angel financing from investors, including John Scharffenberger, recognized as the father of the American craft chocolate movement.

It Turns out Chocolate is a Lot Older than we Previously Thought

THE VINTAGE NEWS

Most modern historians believe that chocolate has been around for about 4,000 years, spreading from Mexico and Central America to the US about 1,000 years ago, but new evidence suggests that the “food of the gods” has been around a lot longer than that. Researchers now believe that chocolate has been used for as long as the last 5,500 years, and that it started out in South America, in the upper Amazon, not Mexico, as was commonly thought.

This Man Put A Safe In His Fridge So His Fiancée Can’t Eat His Chocolate

SIMPLE MOST

Have you ever tried to hide your snack stash from your significant other? Dave Williams of Wales, Great Britain took a pretty extreme measure to keep his fiance from poaching his chocolate supply — installing a safe in the refrigerator. (to see picture, click here)

African-Crafted Chocolate to Debut in the U.S.

QUALITY ASSURANCE AND FOOD AND SAFETY MAGAZINE

Although more than 70% of the world’s cocoa is grown in Africa, only 3% of chocolate is made in Africa, even less by Africans themselves. To achieve true sustainability, Africans need to be able to do things for themselves – not through charity, and that’s why De Villiers Chocolate said it is driven to create the very best chocolate possible – with ingredients sourced across the African continent, crafted by Africans, for Africans.

BAKERS SUE NESTLÉ FOR SELLING ‘FAKE’ WHITE CHOCOLATE

NEWSWEEK

A group of bakers has filed a class-action suit against Nestlé, the world’s largest food company, claiming its white chocolate chips are not actually white chocolate, but are instead made with inferior hydrogenated oils. The complaint, filed in Santa Cruz County Superior Court, alleges that the Premier White Morsels sold by Nestlé skimp on cocoa butter and replace it with cheaper oils.

New York City schools want to ban chocolate milk

NEW YORK POST

Holy cow. The city Department of Education wants to ban chocolate milk from public schools. Citing health concerns, including sugar content, Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza and his underlings are pushing for a white-milk-only policy. “The thinking is that these kids are already getting too much sugar, why are they getting it in their milk?’’ one DOE source said, adding that higher-ups “are discussing what to do and how to do it.’’

You can now stay overnight in a former Pennsylvania chocolate factory

PHILLY VOICE

The days of chocolatiering in the Wilbur Chocolate Factory in Lititz, Lancaster County, may be over, but the empty space will now be used for overnight guests. The former factory, which opened in the 1930s, has been converted into Hilton’s newest luxury hotel as part of the company’s Tapestry Collection. The Wilbur Lititz has 74 guest rooms and is located in downtown Lititz, near the Wilbur Chocolate Museum and Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery. Oh, and at check in, guests will receive a piece of Wilbur chocolate.

Why Chocolate Cannabis Edibles Could Cause Headaches for Regulators

THE MOTLEY FOOL

Correctly labeling cannabis products for the amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) is important for users, especially patients, to ensure that they are consuming the correct dosages. The challenge, however, is that chocolate cannabis products are making that a lot more difficult. A recent study found that when chocolate is mixed with cannabis, it skews the THC levels.

Happy National Chocolate Milkshake Day! September 12, 2019

 

Shopper ‘mortified’ after realizing chocolate on her bum looked like awkward accident

MIRROR

A shopper was mortified after realizing she had walked around with a dollop of chocolate on her trousers, making it look like she had had an unfortunate accident. The shopper shared her embarrassing story on Facebook, including photos of her chocolate-stained clothes (click here). She had purchased an almond and orange chocolate bar earlier and placed it in her car, not knowing she had sat on the packaging during her drive. She only realized the blunder after returning back to her car and noticed her seat was covered in melted chocolate. After checking her trousers for stains, she found her bottom was smeared with the lumpy goo.

New England Patriots, Chase Winovich, motivated by a chocolate bar

CHOWDERANDCHAMPIONS.COM

For the second consecutive week, New England Patriots rookie defensive end Chase Winovich was one of the players who stood out in a preseason victory. In the team’s 22-17 comeback victory over the Tennessee Titans Saturday night, the 2019 third-round pick was once again everywhere, displaying his “high motor” and determination. So, what has fueled this “high motor” energy the Michigan product has become known for? Well, look no further than a $5 bill and some chocolate.

Queen Elizabeth’s former chef says she takes a slice of chocolate biscuit cake with her wherever she goes

INSIDER

Queen Elizabeth II has a massive sweet tooth, according to her former personal chef Darren McGrady. McGrady, who worked for the royals for 15 years, says Her Majesty’s favorite dessert is chocolate biscuit cake — she loves it so much, in fact, that she’ll even appoint one of her senior chefs to bring it with them by train whenever she travels. “She’ll take a small slice every day until eventually there is only one tiny piece,” McGrady told RecipesPlus.

Doctor warns women not to put melted chocolate inside their vagina during foreplay

MIRROR

If you’re looking to spice up your sex life, you might consider adding something sweet into the mix. From whipped cream to edible body paint, there are a number of food items you might want to try and incorporate during foreplay. But before you go getting any wild ideas, a doctor has advised that you avoid inserting foods such as melted chocolate into the vagina and other intimate areas as it could cause burns or irritation.

Why You Should Be Tasting Chocolate Like You Taste Your Whiskey

YAHOO

Nothing compares to the pure joy and excitement of unwrapping a bar of chocolate, the foil crinkling as you peel back the layers. The scent is irresistible, and, of course, there’s that burst of bittersweet flavor when you take the first bite. While the next logical step may seem to be chewing and swallowing, don’t—otherwise, you’ll miss out on all of the complex flavors.

MAN ARRESTED FOR SENDING X-RATED CHOCOLATE TO COP DATING HIS EX-WIFE

NEWSWEEK

A Texas man is facing harassment charges after sending an x-rated candy bar to a officer in the local sheriff’s office. The Texas man is accused of anonymously sending a chocolate bar shaped like a penis to a male jailer at the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office in Waco.

Is There a Wrong Way to Eat Chocolate?

KMXJ.COM

The answer to that question….yes. You can and probably are eating chocolate wrong. The crazy part is there are several things we are doing wrong when it comes to eating chocolate. For example, we need to stop chewing it so much. Did you know that you will taste the delicious taste that is chocolate if we just chew it less? Click here to find out why this and other ways of “properly” eating chocolate will help you enjoy it much more!

People who eat dark chocolate less likely to be depressed, study reveals

MIRROR

Researchers from UCL have revealed that eating dark chocolate can actually help to relieve depressive symptoms. In the study, the team looked at data from 13,626 adults, including their chocolate consumption, depressive symptoms, and a range of other factors including their height, physical activity and any other chronic health problems. The analysis of the data revealed that participants who reported eating dark chocolate in two 24-hour periods had 70% lower odds of reporting depressive symptoms than those who didn’t eat chocolate at all.

Top 10 Destinations For Chocolate Lovers

TRAVEL

Some destinations do chocolate better than others. If you’re a chocolate fan, then you should consider traveling to some of the world’s most iconic chocolate meccas. There are certain cities and regions that are renowned for the chocolate they produce. Others are hidden gems where you can experience the best chocolate in the world without having to contend with large crowds. Check out these 10 destinations for chocolate lovers (click here).

Happy National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day! August 4, 2019

 

Chocolate Is Most Popular Ice Cream Flavor In Maryland, Study Finds

CBS13

Square, a mobile payment company, says the top-flavor in 14 states, including Maryland, is chocolate. That is followed by 12 states, picking vanilla. The most unusual pick is in Nevada, where unicorn is the favorite flavor.

Bitter chocolate: Deforestation in the Ivory Coast

AJ IMPACT

Ghana and the Ivory Coast gave in to pressure from the global chocolate industry and lifted a month-long ban on cocoa sales that was meant to push international buyers to accept a new minimum pricing agreement.

Tractor-trailer with 40,000 pounds of Hershey’s chocolate crashes in Maryland

ABC27

A tractor-trailer was carrying 40,000 pounds of Hershey’s Chocolate Bars, Kit Kats and other goods when it crashed on a Maryland interstate early Friday, injuring the driver, officials said. The truck clipped a police car then jackknifed and overturned on southbound Interstate 270 in Germantown around 1 a.m., a spokesman for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service said.

Can You Eat Expired Chocolate?

MEDICAL DAILY

Let’s start off by identifying two things that would affect one’s decision of whether or not it is okay to eat expired chocolate.Of course, there is a need to check whether or not it is still considered safe to eat expired chocolate. The next thing to consider is its flavor. Bryn Kirk, a course facilitator at the Chocolate University Online, discussed these two factors, safety and flavor, and what should be considered if you have found an expired chocolate bar stocked away in those cabinet drawers.

Bissinger’s sold to St. Louis family running rival company Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate

FOX2

Bissinger’s Handcrafted Chocolatier will now be run by the Abel family. They’re the same people that own another St. Louis candy company, Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate. They assumed all operations in July.

What’s More Addicting Than Chocolate? You Might Be Surprised

PSYCHOLOGY TODAY

A professional survey was conducted with 500 people. They recruited a stratified random sample of the population, and had the data weighted to be demographically representative of the United States as a whole. They asked what foods people had trouble stopping once they started, how satisfied they were with their life overall, and how close they were to their ideal weight. From the way people talk about chocolate, you’d think it would’ve come up as the most addicting food treat of all. After all “just hand over the chocolate and nobody gets hurt” has to have come from somewhere, right? But chocolate was far from the most addictive food reported.

Virginia Man Files $74K Lawsuit Against Godiva for Selling ‘Belgian’ Chocolate Made in US

NBC4

A man who bought $15 worth of Godiva chocolates says the company should give him $74,000 because they falsely claimed the sweets were made in Belgium. The lawsuit filed in D.C. this week that says that Godiva commits “massive fraud” by suggesting on product labeling and their website that their products are Belgian claiming the product is made in the United States.

Nestlé Launching New Chocolate That Ditches Refined Sugar

CBS NEWS

Nestlé says it has patented a new way to naturally sweeten chocolate using just the beans and pulp of the cocoa fruit, allowing the company to cut its use of refined sugar. The Swiss food giant plans to roll out a limited release in Japan using the pulp recipe in Kit Kat bars made from 70% dark chocolate.

Top 5 Foods to Feed Your Brain

AARP

And can you guess what one of them is?!!! Think about it: The foods you eat have a huge impact on your body, from your energy level to your heart health and beyond. Your brain is no exception, and research shows that things like the MIND (Mediterranean — Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet, which focuses on specific brain-beneficial food groups, is linked with better brain health as well as dementia prevention.

Happy National Milk Chocolate Day! July 28, 2019

 

Chocolate is edible love

THE TELEGRAPH

This is the story of the single culinary product that is aptly known as ‘edible love’ and ‘food of the gods’, the ubiquitous and the delectable chocolate. It is said that the greatest tragedies were written by the Greeks and Shakespeare… neither knew chocolate. Not judging bygones, I hope that this article will let you know a little bit more about chocolate and how it has changed the world, the way we see it.

Must-reads for every chocolate lover

THE TELEGRAPH

Check out these books for enjoyable chocolate reading!! (click here)

The Delicious, Ancient History of Chocolate and Vanilla

SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE

Archaeologists are discovering that two of the world’s most prized flavors have a much richer history than we thought. Of all the great debates—Coke versus Pepsi, boxers versus briefs, shaken versus stirred—few have been more polarizing than chocolate versus vanilla.

Hot chocolate: 17 tons of cocoa burns on German highway

FOX6

German authorities say a busy stretch of highway had to be shut down after a truck carrying 17 tons of cocoa caught fire.

Worker rescued after falling into 20,000-pound tank of chocolate in New York

WABI

A worker at a New York chocolate and candy factory jokes he’s never going to eat chocolate again after falling into a 20,000-pound tank of the sweet stuff and injuring his arm.

Test your choccy knowledge

BBC

So, do you think you know lots about chocolate? Why not take this chocolate quiz and find out! (click here)

How Hershey became America’s iconic chocolate brand

CNN

In 1900, Milton Hershey sold his caramel company and started experimenting with milk chocolate. Over the next 100 years, Hershey’s Chocolate grew into an iconic global brand.

Ack! I need chocolate! The science of PMS food cravings

THE CONVERSATION

Premenstrual food cravings are the punchline of endless jokes. Like most good jokes, they’re funny because they’re true. Certain parts of a woman’s menstrual cycle do seem to go hand in hand with the desire for chocolate ice cream and potato chips. Researchers have studied food cravings for years; one of the most cited studies dates back to 1953. Scientists – and lots of others – want to know who has food cravings and why, what they crave, when they crave it and how to minimize the cravings. Here’s what the research has found (click here).

Here’s some fun (and not-so-fun) facts about Chocolate

CNN

With enough chemical stimulation to rival even the best sloppy kisses, chocolate is one of the most powerful substances on Earth. Get the lowdown on all things cocoa, down to the sweet, sour and downright bitter details (click here).

The dream job: Making bars of chocolate

SWIOW

In Belgium, chocolate is a big industry and an art. Chocoholic Brussels chocolate-store manager Patricia Lafargue makes bars by hand. Watch her (click here)!

Happy World Chocolate Day! July 7, 2019

 

Cookies in Space: DoubleTree Chocolate Chip Cookie to be First Food Baked in Space, Sending Hilton Hospitality into Orbit

BUSINESSWIRE

DoubleTree by Hilton is partnering with Zero G Kitchen and NanoRacks to bring its signature warm welcome to the International Space Station in a historic scientific experiment. Later this year, DoubleTree will make aerospace history when a batch of DoubleTree Cookie dough is launched along with the prototype oven in a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS) as part of a landmark microgravity experiment.

How to keep eating chocolate bars and not increase body fat after dieting

MIRROR

If you’ve reached your goal weight and want to avoid piling back on the pounds, follow these tips…(click here).

What Does Dark Chocolate Actually Smell Like?

CHROMATOGRAPHY TODAY

A recent paper published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry has described work carried out to analyze the overall aroma in dark chocolate – and gas chromatography was the main technique used. Previous work has been carried out on odorants in milk chocolate and cocoa mass and has identified 44 key odorants in milk chocolate, 37 in cocoa mass and 24 in cocoa powder. In dark chocolate, German scientists found almost 70 different aroma producing chemicals. Of these, almost 30 were present at levels high enough for us to smell.

Bye-bye, guilt: Carbs, booze, chocolate and sex are health boosters

NEW YORK POST

Cancel your crack-of-dawn CrossFit class. Your new healthy lifestyle is all about guilty pleasures: booze, bread, chocolate, and lying bed. That’s the relieving, research-backed wisdom found in Erik and Harry Ofgang’s new book, “The Good Vices: From Beer to Sex, the Surprising Truth About What’s Actually Good for You” (TarcherPerigee).

Behind the scenes at Haigh’s chocolate factory

GOURMET TRAVELLER

From bean to basket, take a tour, through pictures, of the factory that produces the much-loved chocolate, and see how their chocolate is made from bean to basket. Check it out, here, at GourmetTraveller.com.

What Chocolate Shortage? Cocoa Prices Steady as Record Output Projected

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Supply concerns made cocoa the best-performing commodity of 2018. Last year, prices of cocoa futures soared by 28% on repeated warnings by analysts that chocolate would be in limited supply in 2020 because of a scarcity of cocoa beans. But cocoa prices are relatively unchanged since the start of 2019.

Does chocolate cause acid reflux?

MEDICAL NEWS TODAY

It is very common to experience occasional acid reflux. Most people find that certain foods trigger symptoms more than others. One possible culprit is chocolate.

An Illinois man is sentenced to prison for ordering 42 pounds of marijuana-infused chocolate

CNN

A man from suburban Chicago was sentenced to four years in prison after he ordered 42 pounds of marijuana-infused chocolate from California with the intention of selling it, the Kane County state’s attorney’s office said in a statement.

Scientists May Have Found Why We Love Fancy Chocolate So Much, And It’s Not The Taste

SCIENCE ALERT

How much of your chocolate buying is based on taste, and how much is based on the shininess of its wrapping? A new study backs up what we’ve long suspected – the way chocolate is packaged creates a stronger emotional pull than what it actually tastes like.

NCA Report Shows Millennials’ Impact on Chocolate Industry

CSD

A new report by the National Confectioners Association (NCA) found that, while preferences for dark, milk, and white chocolate vary widely across age groups, millennial shoppers have an above average preference for fine chocolate. Millennials, who prefer fine chocolates, are more socially conscious and driven by experimentation and trial.