Chocolate News
How much does a chocolate cookie really cost?
WEFORUM.ORG Modern food production contains many hidden costs not accounted for in market pricing. The “True Value of Food” framework can reveal these hidden costs of our unsustainable food system. It will help companies and governments manage the tradeoffs necessary to make the food system work for people and the planet. Click HERE to discover the true cost of a chocolate cookie.USAID Launches New Public-Private Partnership with Chocolate and Spices Industry
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), on behalf of the American people, has launched a new $5.8 million, five-year, public-private partnership to strengthen Madagascar’s chocolate and spices industry, improve farmer livelihoods, and conserve biodiversity. The partnership, called “TSIRO Alliance,” is committed to supporting more than 2,000 farmers in 30 communities and planting more than 1.5 million trees over the next five years to support agroforestry systems and biodiversity.
Switzerland Scientists are growing chocolates in a lab
Scientists in Switzerland are growing chocolates in a lab to tackle the deforestation and child labour caused by the world’s rising demand for chocolate. The scientists at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, begin the process by growing cell cultures from cocoa beans. The cultures are mixed with a nutrient solution and begin to multiply. The scientists harvest, dry, and roast the biomass. They add cocoa butter, sugar and an emulsifier called lecithin to produce a dark 70% strength chocolate.
What’s the Best Way to Store Chocolate? (Hint, It’s Not in the Fridge)
Whether you’re saving some special chocolate bars for just the right moment or just received a gift box of truffles and bonbons, proper storage is key to ensuring that when you do enjoy that chocolate, it tastes just as delicious as it should. Here, two chocolatiers explain the best way to store chocolate (click, HERE).
Medicinal and Ritual Uses of Chocolate in Mesoamerica
In Mesoamerica, the Mayans and Aztecs used chocolate for medicinal purposes and for their ceremonies. Although it may not be a crop native to the region, they thought it was discovered by the gods, who gave it to men. The Mayans held an annual festival with rituals in honor of the cocoa god Ek Chuah. Currently, there are various archaeological samples of these ceremonies.