Movies have been made about it, songs and books have been written about it and even Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz once quipped that while all we might need is love, "A little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." This special food cheers us up and even provides some health benefits. If you are one of the millions of chocolate lovers on this planet, enjoy the following facts about this popular treat.
While sweet treats often are considered quite unhealthy, dark chocolate actually can be beneficial for our bodies. The antioxidants in dark chocolate have been show to improve the health of our cardiovascular system and reduce blood pressure. Some studies suggest that a small amount of dark chocolate can help keep a person from becoming diabetic. There are also studies that suggest that chocolate can improve memory and other cognitive functions.
Chocolate in some ways is similar to coffee. This food is produced using the seed of the cacao tree. The seeds by themselves are quite bitter, and they must be fermented in order to develop a richer flavor. After the fermentation process is complete, the beans are dried and roasted. Then the shells are removed and the remaining part is known as a cacao nib. This is the part that is ground up to make cocoa and chocolate.
Originally, cacao was a product from Mexico and Central America, and the Mayans and Aztecs drank drinks from the cacao seed for many millenniums. When Europeans entered the scene, they took the cacao bean back to Europe, added sugar and milk fat and transformed this strong, bitter substance into a sweeter food. Chocolate was popular for many years in Europe, but it wasn't until the 1840s when John Cadbury created a way to solidify the chocolate, and the chocolate bar was born.
Of the Top Ten chocolate makers out there, four are based in the United States. Mars, Nestle and Mondelez International are all U.S.-based and are the top three chocolate companies, and Hershey is also among the ten top chocolate producers in the world. These companies also produce some of the world's best-selling chocolate bar brands such as Milky Way, Snickers and Kit Kat. While these inexpensive treats are popular, many people prefer a higher quality, gourmet-style chocolate produced by specialty chocolate companies.
If you are searching for some of the world's most amazing specialty chocolates, consider browsing the offerings from Chocolate Pizza Company. Handmade chocolate pizzas are their main specialty, and each of these pizzas is handmade and packaged in a real pizza box. The pizzas come in dark, milk and white chocolate varieties, and Chocolate Pizza Company also offers a myriad of other sweet treats such as truffles, chocolate-dipped potato chips, almond bark, pecan clusters, Peanut Butter Wings and much more. The wings are a special Chocolate Pizza Company invention, a mix of creamy peanut butter and crispy potato chips dipped in melted dark or milk chocolate.
While sweet treats often are considered quite unhealthy, dark chocolate actually can be beneficial for our bodies. The antioxidants in dark chocolate have been show to improve the health of our cardiovascular system and reduce blood pressure. Some studies suggest that a small amount of dark chocolate can help keep a person from becoming diabetic. There are also studies that suggest that chocolate can improve memory and other cognitive functions.
Chocolate in some ways is similar to coffee. This food is produced using the seed of the cacao tree. The seeds by themselves are quite bitter, and they must be fermented in order to develop a richer flavor. After the fermentation process is complete, the beans are dried and roasted. Then the shells are removed and the remaining part is known as a cacao nib. This is the part that is ground up to make cocoa and chocolate.
Originally, cacao was a product from Mexico and Central America, and the Mayans and Aztecs drank drinks from the cacao seed for many millenniums. When Europeans entered the scene, they took the cacao bean back to Europe, added sugar and milk fat and transformed this strong, bitter substance into a sweeter food. Chocolate was popular for many years in Europe, but it wasn't until the 1840s when John Cadbury created a way to solidify the chocolate, and the chocolate bar was born.
Of the Top Ten chocolate makers out there, four are based in the United States. Mars, Nestle and Mondelez International are all U.S.-based and are the top three chocolate companies, and Hershey is also among the ten top chocolate producers in the world. These companies also produce some of the world's best-selling chocolate bar brands such as Milky Way, Snickers and Kit Kat. While these inexpensive treats are popular, many people prefer a higher quality, gourmet-style chocolate produced by specialty chocolate companies.
If you are searching for some of the world's most amazing specialty chocolates, consider browsing the offerings from Chocolate Pizza Company. Handmade chocolate pizzas are their main specialty, and each of these pizzas is handmade and packaged in a real pizza box. The pizzas come in dark, milk and white chocolate varieties, and Chocolate Pizza Company also offers a myriad of other sweet treats such as truffles, chocolate-dipped potato chips, almond bark, pecan clusters, Peanut Butter Wings and much more. The wings are a special Chocolate Pizza Company invention, a mix of creamy peanut butter and crispy potato chips dipped in melted dark or milk chocolate.
About the Author:
Elba Fenwick enjoys reading chocolate blogs. For more details about chocolate covered cookies or to find about other products such as gourmet chocolate gift baskets, please visit the Chocolate Pizza site today.
No comments:
Post a Comment