Seventy% - Forum: Anything else

holly Caulfield on The Origin of Chocolate

Fri, 13 May 2011 13:20:17 +0000

I am visiting peru in two weeks

please does anyone know of a cocoa plantation

i can visit??

Holly

abby on Caffeine in Chocolate

Tue, 03 May 2011 20:21:05 +0000

How do you feel about caffeine levels in chocolate? I've never noticed any effect and from what I've read, the levels appear to be very low. Anyone else have experience with a buzz from really dark chocolate?

Caffeine in Chocolate

RedStar on 2011 F1 challenge

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 17:17:16 +0000

In 2010 Martin (editor of this site and chocolate obsessive [he has "travelling chocolate"]) and I challenged each other to guess who would win each F1 Grand Prix. He beat me and so yesterday we swapped we swapped chocolate bars at the Autosport Show.

For 2011 we think we should open up this competition to anyone else who might be interested. Any comments on format and suitable prizes - those at least will be chocolate related - will be welcome. Maybe a fantasy league type thing, or guessing who will make up the most grid places or most improved team or whatever seems like the most fun way of adding interest to the races and trying to win chocolate.

Duffy

Red Star Chocolate

garethmabbs on The Origin of Chocolate

Tue, 19 May 2009 09:20:52 +0000

I'm not sure I understand your posts. This is the second post (the first being about cocoa producing countries) that is just a factual outake from a website, which leaves no room for discussion. What's your point?

Dairy Milk is good.

Gracie on Cocoa Producing Countries

Sat, 16 May 2009 09:46:56 +0000

...um...were you actually going to engage with the members here or is this just somewhere to post your articles? Information is always welcome, but discussion is infinitely more interesting! Maybe you could introduce yourself and let us know what you do and what you enjoy in the world of chocolate.

Gracie on Is chocolate meant to be fun?

Sat, 16 May 2009 09:43:12 +0000

Count me in for the fun factor...as long as it tastes good too! I would love to recreate that original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory room where everything is edible!

ChocHeart on Is chocolate meant to be fun?

Fri, 15 May 2009 12:45:54 +0000

Hi Gareth
Love your enthusiasm for chocolate. I'm a chocolate adorer and also done a lot of research and idea generation in it (personal and professional!!)If you ever want to bounce some new ideas inc how to get that part of consumers brains that excite them about chocolate count me in, I'm so fascinated by our national love of the stuff!!!

'I love you more than chocolate...well almost'

Pingu9 on Cocoa Producing Countries

Fri, 15 May 2009 11:35:19 +0000

http://www.cocoainitiative.org/cocoa-producing-countries.html

75% of the world’s cocoa is grown in West Africa. The world’s largest cocoa producer is Ivory Coast and its neighbour Ghana is the second largest producer. Given this volume, Ivory Coast cocoa is an essential part of many chocolate products where as cocoa from Ghana is more prevalent in Europe and prized for its consistent quality.

Almost 90% of the world’s cocoa comes from small holdings owned by an individual or family and are typically 5 hectares or 12.25 acres in size. An estimated 14 million people are employed in the cocoa industry worldwide. In Ghana alone, 3.2 million people work in cocoa, second only to the Ivory Coast.

Listed below are the world’s cocoa-growing nations by production:

Share of countries in total cocoa beans production, 2005/2006
Country Percentage of world production (Source: UNCTAD and ICCO)

Côte d’Ivoire: 38.00%
Ghana: 21.00%
Indonesia: 13.00%
Cameroon: 5.00%
Nigeria: 5.00%
Brazil: 4.00%
Ecuador: 3.00%
Malaysia: 1.00%
Other: 10.00%

Pingu9 on The Origin of Chocolate

Fri, 15 May 2009 11:32:13 +0000

http://www.cocoainitiative.org/origin-of-chocolate.html

Cocoa has its origins in the upper Amazon basin and many believe we can trace our love affair with chocolate as far back as 2,500 years ago. There is evidence of Mayan use as far back as the 5th Century AD and we know that the Aztecs used cocoa as a means of payment as well as the ingredient for a "drink of the gods". In fact, the Mayans allowed only society’s elite to consume cocoa and as they migrated into the northern regions of South America, they established the earliest known plantations (AD 600).

In 1544, Mayan nobles visited Prince Philip of Spain, bringing jars of cocoa, mixed and ready to drink where it quickly became fashionable. Spain and Portugal did not export their favourite drink to the rest of Europe for nearly a century by which time it had become traditional to add cane sugar and vanilla to make a sweeter beverage.

Slowly, cocoa, as a beverage, conquered the royal courts and noble houses of Europe. The first chocolate house was opened in 1657 in London, although the proprietor was a Frenchman. Because so much of the cocoa bean consists of cocoa butter, the drink was thick and bitter bearing little, if any resemblance, to the hot chocolate we might drink today.

In 1838, Conrad Van Houten invented a revolutionary new process – the cocoa press. His press improved the quality of chocolate by reducing its cocoa butter content thereby producing a smoother consistency. Only 20 years later, the first chocolate bar was produced and for the remainder of the late 19th century, new and innovative chocolate products were launched to an appreciative public. From bonbons, to heart-shaped boxes for Valentine’s Day, to chocolate brownies, to milk chocolate – our taste for chocolate is well and truly developed.

In the mid-19th century, cocoa cultivation began in West Africa on the island of Principe and the neighbouring island of Sao Tome, and from there it spread to the African continent. In Ghana, the members of the Basle Mission successfully promoted its cultivation and many small and medium farmers develop this country into one of this world’s most important producers.

garethmabbs on Is chocolate meant to be fun?

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:07:17 +0000

Being quite new to this forum, I have noticed that an awful lot of you seem to take chocolate quite seriously. There are a few exceptions, but when I read the post about Charlie and the chocolate factory, a few people got a bit hoighty toighty about the fact that the chocolate river isn't actually chocolate! The discussion even developed into the temperature of the river, and would it be warm, and....., and......... oh my god, where's your imagination????????????
Even though I am somewhere between 29 and 31, I still have a very vivid imagination (bordering on childish!) and I relish having a sense of wonderment. I love getting excited by things like............ a chocolate river for example! Childish innocence is too quickly dismissed these days, and I for one don't care about the temperature of a chocolate river (celsius or fahrenheit). Just give me something to let my imagination run riot, and I'll be as happy as a pig in poo!!

Dairy Milk is good.

garethmabbs on Willie's wonky something or other

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:48:57 +0000

By the way Marcellus, call me stupid if you like, but what the hell is "proselytism?" I have a fairly good grasp of English (even though I am a scouser) but I can safely say I have never heard of that word!

Dairy Milk is good.

garethmabbs on Willie's wonky something or other

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:42:43 +0000

Gracie - thank you for your comments. I have tried the Green & Blacks route, because as you quite rightly said, it does fall under the Cadbury umbrella, but unfortunately it is not Cadbury branded, therefore i'm not allowed to use it and then label it with the Cadbury logo. This is a shame, as G&B has a great range and I have a plethora of products I could have made with it!
Marcellus - that fatty greasy deposit on the roof of your mouth rocks! I love the fact that 10 minutes after eating a bar or two of the good stuff, you still have a lovely reminder of what you just devoured!

Dairy Milk is good.

Marcellus on Willie's wonky something or other

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:09:21 +0000

Here's another one for milk chocolate - heresy, I know, but, on balance, I do prefer it (Cluizel especially) to dark chocolate. That said, Gareth, I can't agree with your "Dairy Milk is good" signature. Whenever I try some I'm always left with a fatty, sticky deposit on the roof of my mouth which takes ages to disappear. I'm always left feeling I'd like to wash out my mouth with Fairy Liquid. However, I know a lot of people like it - my family included.
Enthusiasm can often border on proselytism which can be irritating to many but I wouldn't call W. H-C pretentiousness. Undoubtedly, he's worked hard to get his product out and I wish him all the best. Cadbury's will probably buy him out in a few years time!

Gracie on Willie's wonky something or other

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:53:55 +0000

That's very true, and I do believe he said that he was considering making a milk bar when he spoke at the Chocolatiers conference last year. As I said before, i don't think he is on a crusade against milk chocolate, I think he's trying to introduce fine chocolate to people who have yet to experience it, and his enthusiasm and passion for his product is genuine and to be commended!

I am just as passionate about my products and delight in getting people to taste what I produce and compare it mentally to what they are used to! This isn't snobbery, it's just exciting to think that you can open up a whole world of flavour to people who thought that chocolate came in only two varieties...dairy milk and galaxy! (and Gareth, that's not a dig at you!).
It's no different from the transformation in the wine industry...not so long ago the choice was Blue Nun or Liebfraumilch, but look at the choice now. People have learnt a whole lot about grape varieties, production methods and origins, and now they are better able to choose a wine which they will enjoy. I can only hope that our industry grows in the same way.

By the way Gareth, are you not able to experiment with any of the Green and Blacks stuff? That's Cadbury's too isn't it?

jifar on Willie's wonky something or other

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:08:02 +0000

Well I like milk chocolate and have tried some very good ones from Hotel Chocolat, Michel Cluizel, Valrhona, Lidl and Montezumas none of which I would describe as 'candy' and I find them to be a world apart from Dairy Milk and Hershey.

Many of Willies recipes involved adding large amounts of sugar, cream and butter to his 'superior' chocolate so why isn't he promoting a good milk chocolate. He know's there is a massive demand for it.

He wants to make money, he knows what people like and he apparently doesn't mind mixing his cacao with sugar and cream. I'm a bit perplexed.