Chocolate News
Swiss chocolate consumption dips to lowest levels in 40 years
SWISSINFO.CH For the first time since 1982, average annual chocolate consumption in Switzerland has fallen below the 10 kg per person mark. On average, a Swiss resident munched 9.9 kg of chocolate in 2020, 6.9% less than the year before, according to the Association of Swiss Chocolate Manufacturers (Chocosuisse). This decline was at the expense of Swiss-made chocolate, as the import volume of foreign-made chocolate increased by 1.8%. and its share rose from 41% to 43%. The industry body blames protectionist measures at home for the rising sales of imported chocolates in Switzerland.“I ate 40kg (about 88 lbs.) of chocolate”, says Yorkshire teacher, 21, on rowing solo across the Atlantic
Jasmine Harrison, the youngest woman to make the 3,000-mile journey alone, relished the freedom of doing it all by herself. Instead of the ration packs people normally eat on these long journeys, she lived off biscuits and chocolate – “I think I ate 40kg of chocolate,” she laughed – and could choose to avoid rowing in the rain. “I could do what I liked. If it’s raining outside, and I’m in my cabin because I’ve just woken up, I ain’t gonna go out and row.”
U.S. Chocolate Giant Hershey To Launch Low GI, Plant-Based Chocolates
Hershey recently announced that it will be launching its plant-based sugar chocolates as a part of the ‘Better-for-you’ category with an investment in a company that is developing sugars that have fewer calories than conventional chocolates and a negligible glycemic index impact.
How To Taste Chocolate Like An Expert
Simran Sethi – she hosts “The Slow Melt” podcast, where she explores all things chocolate. And she reports on the latest episode of NPR’s Life Kit podcast, which is titled How To Savor Chocolate Like A Cocoa Expert. Sethi says the first step to enjoying chocolate like a pro is picking the right bar. For more tips, click, HERE.
From beverages to cocoa bombs: A brief history of chocolate
Before industrialization, chocolate was expensive and often only consumed by the elite. And, it wasn’t wrapped in the heart-shaped foil we recognize today. “Chocolate for thousands of years has been consumed traditionally as a beverage”. “It was ground with honey as a sweetener and the nibs were ground with a mortar and pestle, like a ground tea.” The chocolate industry was eventually revolutionized by Milton Hershey, who had roots in Philadelphia and brought chocolate to the masses.