Archive for the 'Chocolate' Category

Fruits In Hawaii Chocolates

There are many different types of Hawaiian fruits that are used in making Hawaiian chocolate, including:

1. Mango: This is a fruit that varies from round to pear-like in shape and is usually about four to five inches in length.

2. Achee (ackee/akee): This fruit is found on many Caribbean islands. It is important to note though that this fruit must be perfectly ripe in order to be edible. Otherwise, it can be toxic if consumed. Even when it is ripe, only the yellow or whitish portion around the seeds can be safely eaten. Luckily it is easy to know when this fruit is ready to be eaten as the bright red pod will open on its own. With this in mind, you should never force the pod to open.

3. Kiwi: These colorful, sweet-tasting fruits have fuzzy skin. They are actually a type of berry and grows in much the same way as grapes (on a creeper vine). Kiwis have a refreshing taste and they are also highly nutritional. More About Hawaiian Chocolates From Fruits In Hawaii Chocolates >>>

How Chocolate Candy Is Made

The candy making process begins with a rather small item: a simple bean.  This bean goes through a wonderful process that turns it into some very delicious chocolate.  In this process, there are some very specific steps that must be taken.

To begin with the cocoa bean must harvested by hand.  Machetes will then be used to cut the bean open so that both the bean and the pulp can be extracted.

Once the bean and pulp is extracted it must go through a fermentation process.  This will last between 5 to 6 days.  During this time, the natural sugars begin to create alcohol that is drained away and chocolate’s deep brown color begins to appear.

After the fermentation process, the beans must be dried in the sun for two weeks.  Hot air will produce a much less desirable result as the chocolate will not be as of such high quality. More About Hawaiian Chocolates From How Chocolate Candy Is Made >>>

How Chocolate Is Grown

There are many small manufacturers of superior chocolate products within the United States today. Most of these manufacturer actually use cocoa that has been imported from overseas. In fact, Hawaii is the only island that actually uses cocoa that is grown locally in order to make their fine chocolate products. Hawaii also grows other things, such as macadamia nuts and vanilla, that they also use in manufacturing their chocolate. More About Hawaiian Chocolates From How Chocolate Is Grown >>>

Chocolate Trivia

There really is a lot that you should know about chocolate.  Here are some of the lesser-known fact:

1. Dark chocolate contains flavonoids, which medical studies have proven are beneficial to your health because they contain antioxidants.  (Antioxidants are a substance that is capable of counteracting the damaging effects that occur whenever your body’s blood combines with oxygen.)

2. The United States is the world’s largest chocolate manufacturer.  Many people will tell you that the best chocolate in the United States is that which is made in Hawaii.

3. Chocolate melts whenever it reaches a temperature of 97 degrees Fahrenheit.  This is interesting to take note of because a person’s normal body temperature is also 97 degrees Fahrenheit, so it is no wonder that chocolate actually melts in your mouth.

4. Not all types of chocolate contain flavanoids because during the various processes of making chocolate the flavanoids inadvertently get destroyed.  This even happens with dark chocolate.  However, you should know that dark chocolate does retain more flavanoids than other types of chocolate, such as milk chocolate.

5. The movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory will forevermore be associated with chocolate.  This classic movie was created in 1971.  It is based upon the book that was written in 1964.  The name of this book was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

6. People in Switzerland consume around 22 pounds of chocolate per year.  This makes them the world leader whenever it comes to chocolate consumption per capita.  America is not too far behind though as they eat approximately 10 pounds of chocolate per person, per year.  While this is far less than what is eaten in some European countries, the large population in the United States makes America one of the leaders whenever it comes to world chocolate consumption.

7. Criollo is the oldest strain of cultivated cacao and it is also the bean with the lowest astringency.

Different Types Of Chocolates

There are numerous processes used to make chocolate. For this reason, there are a variety of different types of chocolate available. In fact, you will quite commonly see baking chocolate, cocoa power, milk chocolate, semisweet chocolate and white chocolate available in stores near you. So, what exactly is the differences between these various types of chocolate?

Baking chocolate (also known as unsweetened or bitter chocolate) is a pure form of cocoa liquor, which is the ground or melted state of the cocoa bean’s nib (pointed part). It is either allowed to solidify or it can also be purchased in a liquid form. This type of chocolate has a bitter taste, which is why it is not intended to be eaten by itself.

Cocoa powder is produced whenever the cocoa bean’s ìmeatî is pressed so that the cocoa butter (the fat part of chocolate) can be removed. As such, cocoa powder is actually the nonfat part of the cacao bean which is then ground into a powder

Milk chocolate is produced by a combining together extra cocoa butter, sugar, condensed milk and at least 10% cocoa liquor. Nestle chocolate is a great example of this type of chocolate.

Semisweet chocolate is produced whenever cocoa liquor, extra cocoa butter and a small amount of sugar is combined together. It is most commonly used for cooking.

White chocolate is produced by combining together cocoa butter, milk and sugar. The reason why white chocolate is white is because there are no cocoa bean solids added to this mixture. It is the cocoa bean solids that make this type of chocolate the color brown.

Is Dark Chocolate Good For You?

Many scientific journals have been singing the praises of dark chocolate over the past couple of years.  The reason for these health benefits is because of the flavonoids that are found in cocoa, which act as antioxidants whenever they are ingested.  So, what exactly are the benefits of eating dark chocolate?  The benefits that you can derive from the flavanoids that are found within dark chocolate include:

1. Blood vessels are protected from undergoing oxidative changes that result in certain diseases.

2. Capillaries and other connective tissues are strengthened.

3. The risk of certain cancers, such as ovarian cancer, is significantly reduced.

4. Your blood pressure will be lowered.

5. If you suffer from hypertension, then you should know that dark chocolate is able to lower your blood pressure.

6. If you are resistant to insulin, then eating dark chocolate will improve your insulin resistance.

7. For those who have a genetic risk of suffering from a stroke or a heart attack, you will be glad to know that flavanoids will reduce your likelihood of having either a stroke or a heart attack.

8. Atherosclerosis is a disease wherein fatty substances form a deposit of plaque on the inner lining of your arterial walls.  Thankfully, flavanoids have been known to fight off atherosclerosis.

9. If you have family members who suffer from chronic respiratory problems, you can reduce your risk of developing this disorder thanks to flavanoids.

10. Flavanoids are known to protect skin from UV light and thus possibly help to reduce the risk of skin cancer.

11. The inflammation and pain that associated with arthritis will be decreased.

12. Theta brain waves, which result in relaxation, increase whenever there is the aroma of chocolate in the air.

Scientists plan to continue to heavily research the role that flavonoid rich foods play whenever it comes to preventing diseases and maintaining optimum health within a person.  You will definitely be hearing more about these developments in the upcoming months and years.