Who Decides If It's A Moneymaker?

Kopi Luwak, or civet coffee, is the world’s most expensive coffee. Ripe coffee beans are ingested by a civet - a catlike animal indigenous to Africa and Asia. Workers go through the civet’s droppings to separate the chalky-looking beans. The beans are then dried, sterilized and processed into civet coffee, which supposedly has intense aroma and flavor. In Europe about 2 pounds of Kopi Luwak costs $700. Considering a civet can produce only an ounce of beans a day, this cat’s got your tongue if you’re a fan.

Hollywood is always looking for new movie ideas to attract fans, but many new ideas aren’t new. Successful movies have sequels and prequels. Books - like “Harry Potter” - and television shows – like “Land of the Lost”- have been made into movies. Video games have been made into movies such as “Hitman” that were too complicated for the general public. Theme park attractions such as “Pirates of the Caribbean” made it to the big screen. So did toys like “Transformers”. In 2009 Monopoly, Battleship and Candy Land are being turned into movies. It seems the movie industry doesn’t think board games will create the problem of “boardom”.

Obese passengers are an increasing problem for airlines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say more than one-third of Americans are obese. In 2003 the Federal Aviation Administration increased the estimated weight per passenger from 180 to 190 pounds including carry-on luggage. Nevertheless, the width of coach seats remains 17-18 inches. The FDA doesn’t regulate seat width. It requires passengers be able to sit belted with both arm rests down. United and Southwest Airlines have specific policies requiring obese passengers to buy second seats. With no U.S. laws protecting obese peoples’ rights, other airlines are weighing the problem.

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Decaffeination and You

People sometimes wonder how coffee beans are decaffeinated - is there a naturally caffeine-less variety of bean grown, or is decaffeinated coffee somehow chemically stripped of its caffeine? In some cases, the answer is "neither." There have been a variety of decaffeination techniques used over the years, some of which made use of natural or chemical solvents which left very few or no residues in the beans themselves. Since some of these chemical solvents were later determined to be carcinogenic, there are only a handful of decaffeination methods in use today.

The most obvious option is water decaffeination - however, water alone cannot be used because it absorbs too many of the substances in coffee which provide its rich flavor and aroma. Because of this, in most cases a chemical solvent such as ethyl acetate (found in small quantities in fruit) or methylene chloride is used to strip the caffeine out of the water, and the water is then brought back to the beans and dried, returning the flavor-enhancing compounds to the 96-98% decaffeinated beans. These processes are guaranteed to leave no more than the legal limit of solvent (typically under 10 parts per million) and are certified by the US Food and Drug Administration to be safe for human consumption.

Some health-conscious coffee drinkers cringe at the idea of any chemical solvent being used in their coffee, whether it is naturally derived or not. For these folks, there is the Swiss water method of decaffeination, in which the beans are soaked in hot water, and then the water is run through filters (such as activated carbon or charcoal) to strip away the caffeine. The water is then returned to the beans before the beans are dried, returning some but not all of the flavor and aroma to the beans. This method is considered more environmentally friendly, and many decaf drinkers refuse to purchase beans processed any other way. However, given the flavor reduction, it isn't ideal for many coffee lovers.

The last, and some would argue the best, of these three choices involves the use of compressed liquid carbon dioxide instead of water as a solvent - the liquid CO2 is pumped into the beans after a light water soak, and then it is drained off of the beans. Because of its molecular characteristics, CO2 is able to absorb the caffeine while leaving behind the flavor components in the coffee. This method is generally considered the most environmentally friendly, and provides the most flavorful decaffeinated coffee with absolutely zero residual chemicals remaining in the final product.

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Secrets Of Green Tea

The western world may recently have awakened to the benefits of green tea, but it has been around for centuries in China and Japan as the beverage of choice for the classes and the masses alike. The Chinese and Japanese have always believed that a regular intake of green tea means a longer, healthier life. In the early 1990s, scientists proved this belief to be true when a survey of 3,000 Japanese women showed that those who drank green tea lived longer than those who did not. Does this peak your interest?

Now I come to the ‘healthier' part. Continued research has also proved that green tea actually offers protection against cardiac ailments, liver disorders, and acts as an antibacterial agent for the immune system. The reason for this is the presence of strong antioxidants in green tea. Essentially, green tea contains a group of chemicals called catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). That's a mouthful, but EGCG is a very powerful antioxidant that hinders the growth of carcinogenic cells and even, according to some researches, kills cancerous cells without damaging healthy tissue. EGCC also lowers LDL or ‘bad' cholesterol levels, and reduces the risk of blood clots, which in turn reduces the risk of thrombosis, the leading cause of cardiac attacks and strokes.

Doesn't that seem an awful lot for one antioxidant to do? But I haven't finished. Green tea also contains caffeine, vitamins like E and C and several minerals. Caffeine, as the world knows, is a mild anti-depressant that stimulates the skeletal muscles and assists muscular contraction, while the vitamins and minerals hinder the ageing process.

And I haven't even told you about the weight loss benefits of green tea yet. In plain terms, green tea burns fat, lots of it. In fact, it has what are scientifically called thermogenic properties, which means it actively promotes fat oxidation.

Green tea also increases metabolism - A University of Geneva medical study showed that over a 24-hour period, green tea extract increases the metabolic rate by 4%.

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Healthy Living With The Green Tea Diet

It seems that each study yields more benefits of the green tea diet. For instance, green tea - a natural and aggressive antioxidant - will cleanse your body of impurities and help keep your system balanced. The benefits of this are increased immunity against a variety of viruses and bacteria. In fact, some recent studies have shown the promise of a green tea diet in warding off such conditions as Alzheimer's because of the tea's ability to fight off certain chemicals that cause plaque build-up on the brain.

Additionally, a green tea diet will afford you a speedier metabolism as green tea has been shown to effectively raise metabolic levels. And if that weren't enough, it has also been shown that a green tea diet will help your body burn fat, as the properties of green tea efficiently break down fat deposits.

However, for those who must stay away from caffeine, the green tea diet is not for you. Green tea does contain caffeine but is certainly a superlative choice to coffee in addressing your body's overall health.
Participants in a green tea diet can sip the beverage after meals to help aid digestion and keep metabolic rates increased. Or try substituting your morning coffee with a cup of green tea. The green diet is in no way a substitute for overall healthy eating and plenty of physical activity. But it can be a component of your new lifestyle of healthy living.

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Green Tea And Garlic

Garlic has also been popular in that many people believe it is a heart disease preventative. I don't believe anyone is adding garlic to their green tea, but research does show, many people add garlic to all kinds of foods in the belief that it is good for their heart and a preventative for other diseases.

Green tea is popular as a healing brew; however, most studies on its effects have been done the in animals. Human studies of the effects of green tea have been population-based (studies that follow large groups of people over a specified period of time). The results of these studies have been inconsistent. The Food and Drug Administration says there is no scientific evidence that drinking green tea reduces heart disease. A spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, Dave Grotto, says "Green tea has a lot of wonderful active compounds that may play a role in fighting cancer and heart disease and even protecting the lining of the arteries. "But there needs to be a lot more research."

Dr. Frank Greenway, head of the outpatient clinic at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La., studies herbal supplements and obesity. He says, "There's nothing magic about green tea." "I'll be surprised if it is shown to have any profound effect on weight loss." There have been many claims that green tea does help with weight loss. Some studies suggest that green tea's polyphenols may boost metabolism and help burn fat.

Dr. Greenway also says, "Green tea won't hurt you." "Herbs always play catch-up when it comes to research."
Some studies show that some green tea drinkers may actually get more health benefits than others. Green tea provides more antioxidants freshly brewed. Garlic is another popular additive to boost good heart health. Some people have been adding it to chicken wings, pasta and many other things. Researchers are saying garlic is not as powerful a cardiac protector as once thought.

A series of studies over the last several years show that garlic may not be so great at lowering cholesterol levels. Christopher Gardner, a Stanford professor of medicine led the study and he says, "I was somewhat surprised that even the raw garlic didn't have any effect. But the evidence is very clear. Garlic just doesn't work in lowering cholesterol levels."

The good news is that research does not rule out garlic's potential benefits in reducing levels of cardiovascular disease by lowering blood pressure or atherosclerosis. Green tea and garlic probably do have some extra benefits, but to date scientific evidence does not prove either of them to help our health substantially.

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Green Tea Diet Patch: the Rudiments

Green tea diet patches are one of the latest fads to hit the weight loss industry. Reportedly the results of years of research, diet patches entail the use of transdermal technology to eliminate hunger and burn fat at the same time. Here are the basic features of a green tea diet patch and how it works.

A green tea diet patch is one of the many types of diet patches that abound the market today. It is an all-natural weight loss patch designed to help you reduce weight by stimulating the thyroid gland. The components in the green tea diet patch gently increase the body’s metabolism to help break down fatty tissues.

The green tea diet patch uses a transdermal method of delivery to allow the skin to easily absorb the ingredients within the patch. Transdermal (trans meaning through, dermal meaning skin) or patch technology is currently being used for fever relief, pain relief, smoking cessation, body detoxication and birth control. The increasing popularity of patches can be attributed to the ease of use and consistent dosage.

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Using the Green Tea Low Carb Diet

One of the best ways to help yourself get healthy is to find a diet that really meets your needs. For some people, this means that something like a green tea low carb diet is going to get them on the right track for fitness, and the right track for their continued good health.
What Is It?

Going on a green tea low carb diet has many different parts. First of all, you are going to want to stick with the low carbs that you have probably already been experimenting with. This is something that you are going to want to think about because having a green tea low carb diet requires that your carb intake is much smaller. This is a good diet for most people, but not for everyone. You have to be sure that your body can handle the smaller amount of carbs in a green tea low carb diet so that you know it is going to be successful.

Also, the other part of the diet is to drink lots of green tea or to have green tea extract as part of your diet. The green tea low carb diet combines the idea of not having so many carbs with the idea of being able to get the health benefits that are associated with the green tea. Green tea has so many health benefits that adding them to the benefits found in a low carb diet can make just about the perfect diet for a lot of people.

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Drinking Green Tea

If you look hard enough you will find that nature seems to have a cure for just about everything with green tea and its associated health benefits only just beginning to be understood. Currently green tea is used primarily as an antioxidant but this is a complex herb that is still undergoing comprehensive research. It is possible to buy green tea weight loss products from most health-food stores as a liquid extract to be drunk, as ordinary tea or in pill form. Regardless of the form in which you consume it, green tea will help you burn calories.

Although known primarily for its weight loss properties, extended use of green teas has other beneficial effects such as slowing the oxidation process of our cells to reduce the signs of aging. As for weight loss however, both the laxative effects and anti-oxidant aspects of green tea help to improve our metabolism. The body's system is stimulated into burning more calories than usual, thereby avoiding the useless accumulation of fatty tissue.

The wonderful work that green tea weight loss supplements can do is easily undermined nonetheless by a person whom believes they no longer need to contribute to the upkeep of their overall health, because green tea will do everything for them without any effort on their part. If you want to achieve a healthier body and lifestyle then changes to your eating habits will also be necessary along with adjustments to your exercise routine.

The greatest benefits are seen when people who drink green tea, do so before they go to sleep, though it can be used at anytime. There is generally an acclimatization period of a couple of days when using this product, during which time the user may feel some stomach and bowel discomfort but it shouldn't take too long before this vanishes. This is quite normal because the green tea weight loss product is improving the metabolism to remove the harmful toxins before they do any damage. Results are normally obvious within the first week, particularly if you complete the diet with physical exercise, lots of liquids and green food.

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Magical Green Tea and Weight Loss

Many years ago, people were curious to know why Japanese people live a lot longer than the people who live in the rest of the world do. They did the research and found that one of the secrets is that they drink green tea. What is so good about green tea? There are many factors involved which we will reveal here. Green tea also has some characteristic that can help people lose weight. This article will explain the relationship between the two and how you can make use of it.

Green tea has many special qualities. One of the benefits that it gives is that it can increase your metabolism. It helps body burn fat more effectively. In more technical term, green tea promotes and stimulates thermo-genesis. Although people use a lot of green tea nowadays, the use is limited to more of the health improving and maintaining purposes. The use of the product on fat loss is limited. However, there are studies shown that the regular use of green tea can improve your metabolism by almost four per cent. If the method is combined with other fat loss methods, the result will enhance your regular fat loss plan. It can help although you don't do any exercise. The four per cent metabolism increase can happen when you are sitting on your couch and watch TV. In that case, you can still burn an average of 80 calories per day. This is great considering that the average calorie intake is about 2000 calories per day.

It is really recommended that you use green tea to boost the result of other fat loss program. The sole use of green tea for weight loss purpose may not be so effective. Researches show that green tea for weight loss will work only in combination with other methods not exclusively.

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How Green Tea Metabolism Can Help You Lose Weight

Have you been struggling with weight loss? Are you someone who has been trying all sorts of weight loss products but they have all been in vain? It has been proven that most diets do not work, but do not give up just yet. The problem that most people face when trying to lose weight is that they do not understand the simple relationship between dieting, fat, and the foods that aid in weight loss. In this article, I will be sharing with you the 3 effects of green tea metabolism, and how it can be an amazing weight loss resource.

Unlike weight loss pills and dieting methods that do not work and could even harm your health adversely, green tea is an entirely natural method and is known to have a whole lot of health benefits, other than just weight loss. It contains caffeine, and caffeine helps to raise metabolism. An increased level of metabolism will help the body to burn more calories, thus aiding in weight loss. And because of the caffeine content, it can be a perfect substitute for coffee addicts who need their caffeine fix but without all the calories from double-cream mochas and frappuccinos!

The second way that green tea helps in weight loss is that it suppresses your appetite. According to a study done at the University of Geneva in Switzerland and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, men who consumed its extract everyday had much better control of their appetites than others who had not. They were also found to burn more calories as well. This can be attributed to the chemicals found in it, which act as an appetite suppressant.

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Green Tea Pills

Have you considered taking green tea pills? There are many health benefits of green tea including relief from headaches, aid for the digestive system, and weight loss.

Since it is late December at the time I am writing this article you will be reading a lot about how green tea will give the boost you need for weight loss. Green tea can help increase your metabolism and fat oxidation to help you lose weight.

After the holidays and in the beginning of a new year lots of people make resolutions to lose weight. You know those five to ten pounds that you put on during all the Christmas and New Year feast and parties. You will find many advertisements for green tea pills to aid you with getting those extra pounds off.

Other health benefits of green tea range from helping combat heart disease to helping ward off cancer. A study in Japan was published in the Journal Of the American Medical Association that shows a significant reduction in heart disease in green tea drinkers.

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Does Green Tea Have Caffeine?

Does green tea contain caffeine in the same amount as black teas?

Many sources will tell you that green teas have less than black, but that is not necessarily true.  Some varieties have the same amount.  The caffeine-content of the green varieties varies from 30mg to 50mg per 8 ounce cup, more or less depending on a variety of factors.  Black teas average 47mg per cup.  So, the real answer to does green tea have caffeine equal to black varieties is “maybe”.

Does green tea contain caffeine equal to what you find in coffee or soda?

An 8 ounce cup of drip brewed coffee contains 95mg.  A 16 ounce Starbucks Cafe Latte contains 150mg and a “Grade” contains 330mg.  Sodas have differing amounts depending on the brand.  The soda with the highest caffeine content is Mountain Dew, coming in at 54mg per 12 ounces.  When your caffeine-intake gets up to 500mg per day, you are likely to start having problems, such as poor sleep, headaches and nervousness.  

Does green tea contain caffeine when you make it at home?

Brewing at home is one of the big variables.  The longer that the leaves are allowed to seep, the higher the caffeine-content becomes.  The amount also depends on the country where the leaves were grown.  Those grown in India, for example, tend to have more than others.  If you are worried about the answer to does green tea have caffeine, use a shorter brewing time.

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Best Metabolizer Green Tea

There are throngs of people all over the world that are trying to shed unwanted pounds whether it be ten pounds or 100 pounds there are a lot of people that think the best metabolizer green tea products are pills while there are others that prefer drinking the tea. Green tea is an exceptionally safe and healthy way in which a person can increase their current metabolism and begin to get rid of those unwanted pounds.

So whether you think the best metabolizer products are pills, the actual tea itself or some other type of green tea supplement studies have shown what green tea does to help in increasing metabolism is helping the body to stay active for longer periods of time which will allow for more calories to be burnt. There are many health care professionals that believe that green teas metabolic increasing properties can be attributed to caffeine. Other studies have shown the green tea's ability to increase metabolism go way beyond the effects of caffeine.

When studies were done to determine the best metabolizer green tea products ands supplements and the effects of the caffeine contain in them it showed the caffeine really did not do anything to promoting being able to extend energy expenditures for longer periods of time. This discovery concerning caffeine then lead researchers to believe that there is an interaction going with the ingredients that are contained in green tea ands green tea supplements that does great things to help produce higher metabolism and more effective fat oxidation.

While these studies when being performed there were indications that green teas ability to raise metabolic rates it has proved to have a substantial effect on loosing weight safely.

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Green Tea Dieting

Millions upon millions of people each year try to shed unwanted pounds. They try diet after diet and after several of them have failed they are lead to the option of green tea dieting. With all the promises and wondrous diet remedies that are out there it can be really hard for frustrated dieters to believe that green tea dieting actually works. So now we are all left with the question "Can green tea really help me lose weight?" There are been some really productive studies done recently showing the epigallocatechin, which is a chemical found in green tea has actually been shown to offer just a little weight loss magic.

Since unlike black teas which are created with fermented tea leaves, green tea is produced by the steaming of freshly picked leaves and this process allow green teas to retain more chemicals such as the healthy epigallocatechin.

So how exactly does that help someone looking to lose weight?

The suggested reason that green tea is able to assist people in shedding unwanted weight is that it contains the calorie burning capabilities that are contained in epigallocatechin, which is also referred to as EGCG. EGCG can cause the body to increase its overall body heat, which in turn will increase the body's metabolism. Now this will by no means make you feel as though you are hot after consuming a glass of green tea it does however mean that your metabolism will burn all throughout the day during all the activities that you do. There are many other chemicals that will help to promote calorie burning such as hot peppers however none of them last for the period of time that EGCG is able to. Keep in mind though while green tea can very effectively help you lose weight it is highly unlikely to melt off pounds while you sleep.

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All About Green Tea Health Benefits

Green tea health benefits can be taken advantage of in several forms. You can consume green tea as of course a drink but you can also take several different types of supplements including capsules. One of the first benefits that can be attributed to promoting better dental health care as it contains fluoride. Fluoride is a substance that can strengthen your tooth enamel and works extremely hard to help prevent tooth decay. If you consume just one cup of green tea per day you can reduce the formation of plaque in your mouth as well as helping to stop the formation of bacterial infections in your mouth.

The following are some other fabulous green tea health benefits.

Using green tea can help aid in keep your digestion regular and healthy. You will also experience more healthy and regular bowel movements.

Green tea has been well know to be able to assist in the fight against cancer.

If you are looking to lose weight, you should most definitely add green tea in some form to aide in the weight loss process.

If you are looking to finally conquer an acne problem, you can use green tea to help clear up your skin.

Drinking green tea has been said to aide as a protective agent that will help in preventing premature death from serious health issues such as heart disease and several types of cancer.

Aside from some wonderfully green tea health benefits for human you can also be used in order to help keep your kitty's litter box smelling fresh. It can be used to water your plants and produce very healthy growth.

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Making Baileys Chocolate Mousse

INGREDIENTS:
300ml (10 fl oz) Double Cream
100g (3.5 oz) Milk Chocolate
200g (7 oz) White Chocolate
100ml (3 fl oz) Irish Cream (Baileys, or any other brand)
Half a dozen small hard amaretti biscuits

METHOD:
Melt the Milk and White Chocolate together gently in a double boiler (or a pyrex bowl over a saucepan with a bit of water in the base), and then set aside to cool a little. Meanwhile, whip the double cream until it just shows the trail of the whisk. Gently fold the cream and melted chocolate together. Then add the Irish Cream, a little at a time, stirring constantly and gently. Pour into individual ramekins, and top with an amaretti biscuit to garnish.
Leave to set in the fridge for a couple of hours. The finished dessert should be consumed within 3 days of making, unless it is frozen, in which case it will keep in the freezer for at least 3 weeks, if kept inside a tightly sealed box.
Calories per portion: 585 kcal
Fat per portion: 44g
Makes about 6 portions

OTHER OPTIONS:
Substitute dark chocolate for the milk and white chocolate, and add about 200g of fresh raspberries to the mix at the end, folding them in gently to avoid squashing them.Replace the milk chocolate with white chocolate, and add a few drops of peppermint oil to counteract the sweetness of the white chocolate.Make some caramel by boiling up 90g of granulated sugar with 3 tablespoons of water in a heavy-based saucepan until it is a pale golden brown. Pour it onto a greased baking sheet, and leave for a few hours until cool, then put in a bag and break into small pieces using a rolling pin. Replace the white and milk chocolate with 100g dark chocolate, and 200g milk chocolate to make a really richly chocolatey milk chocolate, and stir the little pieces of caramel into the mousse at the end.Double the batch size, omit the Irish cream and amaretti cookies, and split the chocolate content into dark, milk and white (i.e. 200g each of white, milk and dark chocolate. Mix them up in separate batches, and either pour into a loaf tin in layers (allowing them to set in between), or pour small amounts into a large serving bowl, stirring together gently at the borders between the colours, to achieve a marbled effect. Delicious served with a fruit coulis!

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Baileys Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate mousse recipes abound in all shapes and sizes, some are complicated, and some, like this one, are very easy to make. However, that doesn’t make it any less delicious. This one gets made frequently in our house, and doesn’t last long! I use a blend of white and milk chocolate because I feel that creates a perfect complement to the baileys, and the amaretti biscuits.

This is the sort of recipe that can be easily adapted with all sorts of different flavours, as long as you retain the same ratio of chocolate to cream, and don’t add too much of any ingredient that contains a lot of water, as this could affect the ability of the chocolate and cream to blend together smoothly. I’ve included some other varieties we frequently indulge ourselves in at the end of the recipe, which will hopefully spur you on to dream up your own concoctions.

HELPFUL HINTS: The trick with this recipe is to get the chocolate and cream to the right temperatures so that when they are blended together, the chocolate doesn’t “melt” the cream (which has all the lovely little air bubbles in it because of all the whisking you’ve been doing), and the cream doesn’t make the melted chocolate instantly solidify into little bits. For that reason, I’d suggest you get the cream out of the fridge about half an hour before starting, so that it can warm a little, and don’t forget to let the chocolate cool a little before adding it to the cream!

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How to Find Out What is Belgian Chocolate

From the 18th century, the Belgian chocolate has risen in fame. In 1912, a chocolate genius Jean Neuhaus created a new procedure and increased its popularity ten-fold. He used a "couverteur" which is a specialized chocolate version. It is also the pralines cold shell. But it is different from the American sugary treats found in most candy shops. Chocolate pralines from Belgium are filled with varieties of flavored creams or nougats, such as hazelnut, fruit, more chocolate, or coffee. Some of the chocolatiers in the time of Neuhaus could duplicate his pralines complex flavors.

Jean Neuhaus' successful years were after the end of the First World War And this time, Louise Agostini, his wife made another breakthrough by creating the ballotin or praline box, significant type of pralines preciously made by hand. It has a very practical green and gold packaging embossed with letter "N". Because Jean never patented this ballotin, it became the design favored by all chocolate manufacturers in Belgium since its creation.

The creativity of Jean Neuhaus led to the development of new methods for applying a precise standard quality to all praline productions. They ensured that the finest ingredients are selected to produce chocolates of high quality. He became the unfaltering source of ideas for creating new pralines. Even the Royal Family of Belgium is one of his satisfied customers. In 1918, The Prince of Wales and Prince Leopold have visited the Neuhaus shop to try what everybody is talking about in town. In 1923, the son-in-law of Jean Neuhaus Adelson de Grave was initiated in praline manufacturing and was taught the secret of the family's business. His creations also brought additional distinction to the Neuhaus Company. His son Pierre also contributed his genius by helping his father create Tentation and Caprice and opened other Neuhaus shops outside Brussels.
In 1978, the Neuhaus Chocolate Company was put under the management of Claude Poncelet and Jean-Jacques. Their goal of making Neuhaus the world's most famous brand was clear to capture the foreign markets. Thus, more Neuhaus outlets were opened in Japan, Canada, Guadeloupe, Colombia, United States, and other capital cities in Europe.
In 1991, Neuhaus became the leader in the luxurious praline sector industry in Belgium as well as in Luxemburg. Their well-defined strategies for marketing and international networks kept Neuhaus in maintaining an enviable position in the market. Modern technology investment also contributed to the success of Neuhaus, but one-third of praline productions remained handmade. In 2000, King Albert accredited Neuhaus as their chocolate supplier.

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The Different Kinds Of Belgian Chocolate History

It all started with Leopold II of Belgium in the year 1885 when he colonized Congo. It was a territory eighty-six times bigger than his country. Leopold II was the very first one to commit genocide during the 20th Century.

The chocolate industry first took off during the 1880's, supported by getting hold of the Belgian Congo that has aided an easy way in to Africa's cocoa grounds. The truth is that it is very hard to imagine that the Belgian Chocolates' history may be that far from being sweet.
There was an estimated 10 million Africans that passed away under the orders of Leopold II. Despite of the war that was happening, Belgians were able to maintain the cocoa importing connections. On the other hand, the Belgian contribution in the chocolate industry is the introduction of their chocolate product which is the praline. It was created and expanded by a Swiss family in Brussels, the Neuhaus family in 1912. The praline was the very first butter cream-filled bite sized chocolate. It was either filled with nuts or cream or coated with milk or milk chocolate or filled also with a very good quality of dark chocolate.

In the year 1912, chocolate started as a gift in Belgium. A Belgian chocolatier created the very first praline, a chocolate that absolutely complied to the gift career it was building. Not later on, a packaging called Ballotin was developed and patented for praline. At that moment the pralines in Ballotin were the most desired gift in every chance somebody has to give someone something as a present.

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How To Learn How To Make Chocolate

Making chocolate is often viewed as something that you can only do through cookbooks and offline demonstrations. Au contraire, you can actually find more and more chocolatiers embracing the online way of earning savoir faire about chocolate making. And why not? There are many advantages to having online chocolate learning. It truly harnesses the technology made in this age for making delicacies and sweet treats like chocolate.

A Diverse Support System You will find that if you are learning how to make chocolate and getting your sources online, you don't just get information but you are also rewarded with a diverse support system who will encourage you in your pursuits of becoming a chocolatier. The support system is not limited to your local limitations, nor is it bound by certain ways of doing things.

With the diversity and variety of techniques from the Internet, you will find that you are exposed to different styles that can finally help you improvise and find your own chocolate making style. Whether you are a novice to chocolate making or someone waiting to upgrade their chocolate making skills, you will be richly rewarded by people who can help add to your wealth of information regarding chocolate making.  
Visuals and audio combined Videos uploaded online, as well as images of chocolates from all over the world, provides you with perspective and ample motivation. This multimedia form of learning will also ensure that your learning of making chocolate is meticulous and done in good taste. Both the art and science of chocolate making is something that you can find even when there are few words used to describe it. Through pictures and video and audio, you will find that chocolates are really a universal treat and can evolve over time with technological advancements.
Excellent Follow up Mentors online find it easier to manage their contacts. You can also have numerous mentors, as opposed to the limited number of people you can learn with when you are in an actual classroom setting. With online methods, you own your time, and you can learn your chocolate making even in the wee hours of the morning without having to worry about disturbing your neighbor. At any given time of day, there is bound to be a perky chocolate lover, up and ready to assist you.
No inhibitions and continuous learning of making chocolate When you are making chocolate through online learning, there is distance and more inhibitions are diminished with this distance. It may make you feel safer to admitting disasters in your kitchen or other booboos that novice learners of chocolate making may commit as they master their craft. The thing is, online people are less inclined to judge your work but they are just more supportive and welcoming about your shortcomings in making chocolate.

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Using Molds To Make Chocolates

When you buy chocolate molds from the craft store, make sure that this is made from strong plastic that has intricate designs so the finished product will come out beautifully after it comes out of the freezer.
Remember that this must never be washed using soap as this can mare the taste of the chocolate. You should simply use hot water and then dry it thoroughly using a dry cloth. Each time you use the plastic mold, make sure to wipe it clean. Greasing, spraying or dusting is not needed as this will ruin the appearance of the finished candy. But there is an exception to that rule. If you will be mixing your chocolate with somemarshmallows, candy sprinkles, jellies or cooked candies, then you must first grease or spray the chocolate mold with oiling spray. This will make the chocolate easy to remove from the mold and if you are going to make another batch, the good news is that you only have to oil spray it once.

Next thing you need to learn is how to properly put chocolate filling into the plastic sheet. For that, you use a regular teaspoon and fill each cavity with chocolate. Some of the chocolate might spill out but don't worry because you can clean that up later on. There may be some air bubbles trapped within the chocolate. To release it, tap the filled mold on the counter to settle the chocolate. Another way is to hold the mold horizontally then gently drop it on the counter. You will probably have to do this several times until there all the air bubbles have been removed.
When the chocolate is ready, this is the time that you put this in the freezer. This is because it is the coolest place in the house taking it less time for the chocolate to harden so you can reuse the mold if you are making another batch of chocolates.

You will know when the chocolates are ready by looking at the back side of the mold. If the cavity appears to be graying, this means that the second you turn this over, the chocolate will easily fall off to the tray.
If it doesn't fall off on its own, you can tap it firmly. If this does not work, perhaps it needs a little more cooling time in the freezer so put it back in for a few minutes and then try again. If you happen to have some leftovers from filling the mold, don't throw it away because you can use it again in the future. Just wait for the chocolate to harden so you can scrape it off and then wrap it in waxed paper.

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Melting Chocolate From Craft Stores

When you buy chocolate from the craft store, these are usually sold in blocks which is ready to be transformed into different shapes. To make that happen, you have to melt it. Melting is not the same thing as tempering so never confuse the two. However, melting is part of the tempering process which can be done using a microwave or a hot water bath. The nice thing about using a microwave to melt chocolate is that you get the results you want fast with little or no effort at all and mess. Naturally, before you put the chocolate in the microwave, you should put this in a microwave safe container that remains cool or only slightly warm after several minutes.

The ideal setting on the microwave should be at least 50% low power. This prevents scorching or burning. How long should you put these in on the microwave depends on how much you will be using. A good basis will be 1 minute for every ounce of chocolate so put this first on a weighing scale. If by accident you overheated the chocolate, don't panic. Pour this into a cool bowl and add chunks of unmelted chocolate and stir continuously. If you prefer to use a double boiler, start by filling the sauce pan with hot water from the tap and then put the chocolate over into another bowl. Since the water is just warming up in the bottom, you should only put 1/3 of the chocolate and let it melt first before putting the rest in.

You must stir the bowl frequently so all the chocolate has melted. When this is done, this is the time you pour this into the mold.  Whichever you decide to choose, remember these tips. First, chop the chocolates into small pieces because it melts quicker. Never let chocolate get into contact with water because it will make the block of chocolate unworkable.
When melting the chocolate, do this in low heat or temperature so you prevent it from overheating. To prevent bubbles, stir the chocolate frequently using a rubber spatula but only when the outer edges begin to melt. You have to remember that chocolate retains it shape when melted so again, you have to stir it constantly so there won't be any problems getting some using a spoon and then pouring this into the mold.

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Using Chocolate Molds To Make Them

Molds are usually made of plastic and these can be purchased from craft stores. Most of these cost about a dollar up so if you want to make these in different shapes and sizes, you have to buy a bunch. Now that you have your mold, you should also buy the raw chocolate which is also available from the craft store. This is available in different flavors and colors so you can mix them up later on. There are two ways to melt chocolate. The first is to cut the chocolate block into small pieces and then put this in a microwave safe bowl before sticking it in the oven. Since it is quite hard to see if all the chocolate has finally melted, we now come to the second option which is to melt it using a double boiler.

A double boiler consists of two pans. The first one has water while a smaller one is placed on top which is where the chocolate will be placed. You then stir the chocolate until melts. Once everything is now in liquid form, you then get your mold and pour the chocolate. You should tap the bottom to take out air bubbles out of the chocolate otherwise there will be holes later on when they come out of the freezer. If you decide to put in candy sprinkles or marshmallows with your chocolate, it is best to pour them into the boiler. After ten minutes or so, the chocolate mold inside the freezer is ready to be taken out. A good indicator is to check the bottom of the mold and see if the chocolate is still holding on to the mold.
If it is ready, then it is time to flip it over and tap it gently so it can land on a soft surface like a napkin to prevent it from breaking. Another method is to carefully pour water on the mold. But if it is not, then you should put the mold back into the freezer.

The nice thing about working with chocolate is that if is should crack or break, you can recycle it which prevents wastage. If you make a mistake when you are painting it, don't touch it and wait until it freezes so it is easy to remove and you can start over. When it is ready, you can serve this as part of your dessert but if you are giving this away as a gift, make sure you find a nice box because it should look presentable to whoever will be receiving it. Surely the molds you used to make chocolate will be used in the future. To maintain it, you must never wash this with soap as this removes its slickness. You should also carefully dry it after washing because it could cause spots to appear making it also difficult for the chocolate to be released from the mold. But if your chocolate mold is sticky, perhaps you should coat it first lightly with some vegetable oil before you pour in the melted chocolate.

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How To Make Chocolate For The First Time

Chocolate has its timeless charm which hooks many a person with a sweet tooth. Then again, some of the chocolates are really expensive. In reality, given a few tips and tricks, you can actually create your own chocolate and save yourself money and increase your delight because of your self-creation.

Essentially, making chocolate begins with the conversion of cacao beans into the bars of chocolate we see in the supermarket shelves. Some other people enjoy eating the cacao beans in its raw form, since it has the basic component that we crave for in the processed chocolates. A chocolate maker must have persistent attention to detail and dedication to constant practicing. This guide will not ensure to make a chocolate factory out of your kitchen, but it will surely give you the basic idea-- just enough for you to enjoy a bar or two of chocolate at any time you wish without hurting your budget. Moreover, since you are directly involved in making your chocolate, you get to know the materials and amount of calories you are placing in every bar.

It begins with Cocoa Beans If you are familiar with brewing coffee, it is similar to the beginning of the chocolate-making process. You need to roast the beans. But then, do not roast it too much. Initially, place it in a high temperature, then slowly diminishing the temperature afterwards. Turn the heat off right before the moment the beans hit their cracking or breaking point. You can do this either on your oven.  Or if you are planning to feed many people with your chocolate, have a larger container to accommodate the huge number of beans. From time to time, test the taste of your chocolate. The moment you start tasting chocolate from the cocoa, it is also an indicator to turn off the heat.

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Why Is It Good To Make Chocolates

Chocolates have flavinoids that are prominent in their effect in the improvement of circulation. Aside from this, chocolates also have anti-oxidants features that help the body to get rid of some of the harmful chemicals in the blood. For sure, those who dispute this sweet treat will find ways to claim more harmful and negative connotations than the previously mentioned positive ones.

But as a chocolate lover, you must also be responsible to the amount that you take in. Anything that is too much will have a bad effect on you, even if it's not a chocolate. So do not give the critics any reason to put down chocolates. Be a responsible chocolate lover.

The critics will always point out the bad effects of the sugar and fat that chocolates have on humans. But the key here is to really moderate your intake of sweets such as chocolates. Did you know that flavinoids can also be found on vegetables, as well as in fruit and tea drinks? For that reason alone, you must trust that this will also work toward your advantage when you eat a piece of chocolate.

Regarding the argument about sugars that chocolates contain, there are useful effects of sugar. Just always remember to take everything moderately. For example, simple sugars can act as carbohydrates. They can replenish the body's energy for it to function livelier and more efficient.

Some fats also have a good effect on your body. They help to control some hormones in the brain. Such will also cause the body to gain more energy in the process. Again, the key here is to take enough but not too much. Chocolates also contain caffeine. But it is much smaller portion compared to coffee. So this can still be measured evenly. Mature people also benefit from eating a piece of chocolates. Ask the women who have suffered depression or PMS. Most of them have resorted to chocolates to give them a light feeling after they have savored a bite. Why is this so? Chocolates contain trytophan. It is a compound that develops to serotonin. And serotonin is a chemical in the brain that helps you fight off stress as well as depression. This is also may be the reason why chocolates have been a favorite gift to loved ones and friends. You are giving gifts in order to share your love and affection to people. And this can be best measured when you send out things that will make the people that you care about very happy.

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Fun Flavoring Summer Dishes With Essential Oils

For much of the year, our produce is trucked in from far-flung farmlands. Once summer arrives, though, everyone gets the opportunity to claim their birthright as gardeners and cultivators of their own food. What's best, local summer harvests allow us to experiment with simple, nutritious meals. With very little effort, a meal of fresh vegetables and summer fruits can become a decadent feast. And if your simple cuisine asks for a hint of the exotic, you can harvest a bouquet of flavors from the most unlikely of places: your aromatherapy medicine chest.

You already know that when using essential oils, it is always important to find therapeutic-grade oils. Because oils are concentrated substances, distilled from mass quantities of plant matter, you want to find the highest quality oil you can. While this makes sense when you think of essential oils being absorbed into the body through the skin, always sticking with therapeutic-grade oils has an added benefit: these powerful oils can easily be incorporated in cooking, too. Never thought of it that way before? Scent has a stronger influence on our perception of flavor than our taste buds do! With that in mind, here are a few simple ways the repertoire of essential oils can add a splash of flavor to your simple summer menu.

Before we get too lost in our senses, though, let's discuss using essential oils internally. Aromatic oils are all plant-based material. Granted, you probably wouldn't want to chew on myrrh resin for fun, it is still a natural product. It's safe in small quantities, but it might make you wish you'd stuck to regular chewing gum. Although some essential oils are definitely not safe to take internally, like birch or wintergreen, many oils can be ingested for medicinal and gourmet reasons. Most of the essential oils available on the market are labeled as GRAS by the FDA, meaning they are Generally Recognized as Safe. These oils are not technically used as food additives, but they are considered safe for consumption. When trying to determine if an aromatherapy oil is good for cooking, think of this: essential oils of kitchen spices and fruits will most likely enhance your meal rather than ruin it. The only thing to remember is that some oils, like peppermint, oregano and cinnamon, can be hard on the mucous membranes. Use these diluted and in small doses, though, and they will add zing to your dinner.

How can essential oils improve your summer harvest? Let's first consider one of the gifts of the Mediterranean region: the citruses. Oils like grapefruit and lemon blend beautifully with olive oil for simple, tangy dressings. All it takes is one drop of oil per tablespoon of oil, and your salad will be transformed. Love guacamole? Try a few drops of lime oil mixed with ripe avocado and serve it with corn chips or jicama slices. Still munching on this spring's spinach? Mandarin orange essential oil, which smells heavenly, is refreshing drizzled on greens. How about beverages? Oils add dimension to juices and fizzy waters, too. By mixing grapefruit, mandarin and lime in equal parts, seltzer water is transformed into a healthy citrus soda without the sugar found in commercial brands. As with all aromatic oils, though, don't overdo it. Thankfully, a little bit of oil goes a long way.

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Get To Know Your Chocolate

Having your share of excellent chocolate candies these days can be so costly you'd rather chew on something else, like a strip of wood. Luckily, you can start using Fannie May Candies discount coupons and get the finest chocolate munchies available without wreaking havoc to your budget.

While chocolate may be very popular the world over, the thing is most admirers of this gustatory wonder do not have an idea how chocolate is made. Believe it or not, chocolate starts out as a tart, almost bitter bean called cacao.

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Transforming cacao beans into chocolate is a tedious process. When cacao pods ripen, the beans are harvested and allowed to ferment for a few days to soften the beans' natural bitter piquancy. The beans are then roasted in a controlled temperature to sharpen their taste, as well as to get rid of the hulls that conceal the nibs (section of the cacao bean which holds all the flavor).

After the nibs have been gathered, it is slowly cooked into a mixture called chocolate liquor. While a chocolate candy is heavenly to the taste buds, chocolate liquor is exactly the opposite. It is too greasy and coarse, it has a closer resemblance to murky sand rather than delectable chocolate.

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The chocolate liquor is compressed in a vise-like apparatus to separate the cocoa solids from the cocoa butter, to create what is known as a press cake. In this phase, the press cake can be made into cocoa powder, or processed into eating chocolate, depending on what preparation method the chocolate makers will employ.

Cocoa powder is made by completely removing all liquid content from the press cake before totally drying it out. The desiccated press cake is then crushed gradually until it achieves a fine, chalky consistency.

There is an entirely different procedure to make eating chocolate. The prepared press cake is incorporated into a mixture of cocoa butter, sugar and other ingredients, and is heated steadily to eliminate any hints of grittiness. Milk can also be blended in to create milk chocolate.

While most people think otherwise, white chocolate has no chocolate content at all. It is made by combining cocoa butter with milk and vanilla.

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Texas Loves Its Chocolate

Very few of us don't have at least one good memory of chocolate. Remember warm chocolate chip cookies after school, or brownies pulled straight from the oven on a cool, fall day? Hot chocolate is still the beverage of choice for many children, and few of any age can resist a scoop of chocolate ice cream. With a hot Texas summer approaching, and cities like Dallas, Houston, and Austin already getting a hint of the heat to come, a hot fudge sundae just might be the cooling cure for a lot of maladies. Not even health insurance can provide a sweet cookie and fresh glass of milk when it's really needed, after all.

The first records of chocolate consumption date back to the Mayan Classical Period, or between the years 250 and 900 on our modern calendar. Cacao beans were cooked, ground, and made into a paste. When mixed with water, a bitter beverage important to Mayan, and later Aztec, ceremonies was created. That means chocolate has not only survived thousands of years of conquests, changing political maps, shifting cultures, and natural disasters, but also managed to grow more popular. That's fairly impressive.

When Spanish conquistadors came to the Mesoamerican areas now called Belize, southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and parts of El Salvador, they, too, discovered chocolate from the indigenous peoples. The Spaniards soon brought the seeds of the cacao back home with them, where the traditional recipes were modified and sweetened. The modern uses of chocolate in Texas and the rest of the Western world are now so varied as to be impossible to name in brief -- from a shake or two added to cooking pinto beans, to rich layers worked into decadent flourless cakes.

One of the reasons quality chocolate is so prized is that the preparation process is long and sensitive. The pods must be harvested from the trees at the right moment, dried and fermented for the right amount of time, and then ground, mixed, aerated, tempered, molded and otherwise processed to perfection. The level of quality depends on the beans, as well as the composition of the final mixture, the roasting, and the types and amounts of additives. The most sought-after chocolate is organic, single-bean origin chocolate, which simply means that all of the cacao beans were grown organically and gathered from the same source. Most commercial chocolates, for instance, will mix inorganically grown cacao beans from different regions in different countries, and of varying qualities.

There's been a boom of higher grade chocolate sold in American markets recently, including in Texas. It's common now to see a supermarket or health food market devote an entire section to various types of gourmet chocolate -- and one need not go to cities like Austin, Dallas, or Houston to find them. They're all tempting, oh so tempting, but it's easier not to give into that temptation when it's unclear how to use them properly.

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Eat Chocolate and Lose Weight?

It is no surprise that dark chocolate is healthy for you. Everybody is talking about it. It is all over the news and I am sure that you have seen the stories and read the articles that dark chocolate is indeed good for you. Dark chocolate has been found to lower blood pressure. In addition, the antioxidant content has been found to help in the fight against heart disease. But don't go grabbing for that Hershey's Bar or even a Godiva Bar just yet. The chocolate that you buy in the stores is laden with fats, fillers and waxes and even though the experts say to eat 70% cacao it is only best when eaten in moderation... right? Not anymore. Now there is a chocolate that not only is healthy for you but you can eat 3 times a day guilt free. This chocolate is gluten free, vegetarian/vegan and diabetic friendly. It is called Xocai (Sho-sigh) and is pure, unadulterated cacao. You can't get better than this!

Xocai is a division of MXI Corp. and is based in Reno, Nevada. They have brought to market an all-natural, pure form of cacao that maintains its nutritional value through the manufacturing process. Rather than heat the cacao, it is cold pressed. This allows the dark chocolate to maintain its healthful properties. This is a grave comparison to traditional chocolate that typically loses about 80% of the antioxidants during the manufacturing process.

Xocai's products deliver extraordinary levels of antioxidants and other important phytonutrients without adding all the extra fats, fillers, refined sugar, milk or caffeine...all which are added in your typical "chocolates".
The secret to the Xocai chocolate is in the company's approach to making chocolate. They aren't trying to make candy. Their objective is to create the most powerful, antioxidant-rich products available today and to make them in such a way that you actually look forward to being healthy! That's what MXI is all about...delivering the best tasting and healthiest chocolate available anywhere for any price.

One piece of Xocai's antioxidant rich chocolate is equivalent to 10-12 servings of fruits and vegetables in antioxidants. Wow! Not to mention that it is a natural appetite suppressant and an anti-inflammatory. Who knew chocolate could be so good for you?

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Different Types of Chocolates

Take AERATED chocolate for instance. It usually dark or white chocolate where air bubbles are introduced to the chocolate as it is being made.
And then there is FILLED Chocolate. It is a chocolate that additives were added. Things like nuts, jelly pieces, dried fruits and even cereals.
As for Organic, it is made from the raw material that the farmers produce.
In the 1990's chocolates with a high content of cocoa became very popular in Europe. The content of cocoa was 40-60%. Now some producers make chocolate ranging from 70 to 85%. There are even some that contain 99%!
Here is a list of unknown or unimagined chocolates.
Raw or Roasted Cacao--- this the whole cacao bean minus the shell.
Cacao Nibs---this the broken up pieces of the bean.
Ground Cacao---as the name suggests it's the bean ground up.
It is the healthiest form of chocolate there is however it can be quite bitter to the taste.
Chocolate Liquor--- Unlike what it's name may suggest there is no alcohol added. This how chocolate starts. Producers start by grinding cacao nibs into a liquid paste in which nothing is added. It has about 53% cocoa butter at this stage.
Unsweetened Chocolate---this what people use to bake with. It is sometimes referred as pure or bitter chocolate. It contains at least 35% chocolate liquor. There is cocoa and sugar in various amounts. There really no difference between bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate. Often times they are referred as dark chocolate. The chocolate bittersweet or semi-sweet (the type baked with) is sweetened by adding cocoa liquor without adding the cocoa butter.
Sweet Chocolate---this chocolate is sometimes mistaken for bittersweet. The reason being that it contains at least 15% chocolate liquor in which cocoa butter and sugar is added in various amounts.
Milk Chocolate: This chocolate contains at least 10% chocolate liquor then cocoa butter and sugar is added in various amounts then at least 12% milk, cream, or milk powder is added.
White Chocolate: technically isn't considered a type of chocolate since it doesn't contain chocolate liquor. But it must have at least 20% cocoa butter and 14% milk with sugar added in various amounts. No wonder my white fudge never turns out!
Cocoa powder--- is really cocoa powder or unsweetened cocoa.

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Wine and Chocolate the Perfect Couple

You don’t have to be a connoisseur to participate in the latest thing to hit a candy bar since foil wrappers. You don’t have to know if white or red goes better with a good rib eye steak. You don’t have to know your Californians from your Australians from your Italians. Or your dry whites from, well, whatever isn’t. All you have to do is be a good matchmaker.
Hosting a wine and chocolate party is somewhat like being a good marriage broker. Every yenta has her “list” of eligible, desirable bachelors to choose from. Every wine and chocolate hostess should have a similar list. You can start with the wine, or you can start with the chocolates – it really doesn’t matter. I’d suggest going with whichever you are most comfortable with. If you don’t know Chablis from Champagne, start with the sweet stuff. If you aren’t quite certain just what those percentage of cacao numbers are telling you, better hit the wine cellar first. Either way you go, you can’t lose as long as you choose sweeter wines and/or a variety of chocolates. You’ll want red and white wine both, as well as some bubbly. On the chocolate side of things, try to select fro the entire spectrum – dark, milk, white, and a few of the in betweens.
White chocolate may seem like a misnomer and I’m certain Montezuma and the rest of his cacao-pioneering band of Aztecs would probably be frightened to death of the pale, ghostly stuff. It has, however, its own merits in the chocolate world. Its light, smooth, buttery creaminess helps it to stand out among its darker cousins, despite its lack of any real cocoa butter. I suppose you could say it was the pinnacle of chocolate engineering. What goes best with the stuff that’s tops of the lists – from the winning jockey to the New Year? Why champagne, of course! Now, you needn’t have the “real” stuff from the Champagne region of France. A nice sparkling domestic will do the trick just as well. If you and your guests are in the mood for something a bit noble and different, try a good Sherry. If a more subtle taste experience is desired, pairing white chocolate with a crème or chocolate liqueur is sure to delight the pallette.
Milk chocolate may seem too common for a party. After all, it’s been America’s favorite chocolate since Milton Hershey way back in the 1890’s, right? It’s that common, every man experience that makes it a wonderful addition to your wine and chocolate party, especially if all or most of your guests have never been to one before. The milder, less complicated taste and aroma of milk chocolate make it a perfect pairing with Merlot, Pinot Noir or tawny port. Port has a nuttiness that compliments milk chocolate’s caramel undertones, while the darker wines will bring out its creamy, subtle chocolate side to perfection.

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Past Of How To Make Chocolate

Everything has its origin. Did you know that even the process of making chocolate has a history? This may be your favorite thing to do now on your pastime. Or you may be even addicted to the taste of such treat. But this piece will not add up to that craving as it tries to give you a better view as to how it all started.

The Theobroma Cacao or the food from the Gods is what you all know as the cocoa tree. Its origin can be traced on America's rainforests, specifically in Central America. But historians are still debating about certain facts about this tree.

Xocolat, Anyone? There are arguments that the Mayans first grew such tree in 300 AD. And the Aztecs had their turn in cultivating such in 1100 AD. The chocolate that you all know now used to be called Xocolat. This was a special beverage that was made out of chilies, anise seed, vanilla, cornmeal and some more spices. Only royalties get to be treated with such delight at the time. It was served using golden cups that were to be used only once.

Save the Chocolates The cocoa tree is sensitive to its surroundings. It will most likely grow in the shades of the canopy of the rainforest. For this reason, chocolate lovers must unite in the goal of saving the environment, especially in saving the rainforests where the cacaos will most likely survive.

This tree is unique in the sense that its fruits grow on its branches and trunk. The reason for this is because of midges. These are the tiny insects that cause the pollination process during nighttime. Did you know that the cacao tree can have approximately 10,000 blossoms but only about 10 to 50 of those will mature into fruits or the pod? This is because like an intelligent human being, the tree of cacao can regulate its blossoms to the amount that it can handle and grow. The cacao tree self regulates in this process to be able to sustain its good health. It knows what it can contain and handle. It knows just how many is enough and too much. The tree does this to preserve its internal systems and to prevent its branches from breaking or falling apart. The cocoa beans come from the fruit or the pod from the intelligent tree. Harvesters wait for the pod to ripen. They will handpick the trees and crack up the pods until they see white pulpy elements that surround the seeds. The pulps are then trashed while the seeds are kept because those are your cocoa beans, the source of your chocolate treats.

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A Tasty Introduction To Superfoods

Cacao is something that almost everyone is familiar with, as it is more commonly known as chocolate. The chocolate industry, as has often been the tendency with most industries, somehow saw the need to take something simply wonderful and unnecessarily process it beyond recognition. Although certainly not opposed to a decadent chocolate bar now and then, raw cacao is what this article is recommending and focusing on. While chocolate is truly a wonderful food, in its raw form it is truly transcendent. This is likely why it has supposedly earned the name “Food of the Gods” from an indigenous culture where its use may have originally began. It is an excellent replacement for coffee, sugar, and soda as an energy boosting supplement and in addition it acts as a marvelous appetite suppressant. A small bag of raw cacao nibs to nibble on, rather than the usual snacks, will not only make a slimmer you but will also likely boost your overall productivity in the process. Blend some raw cacao into a banana smoothie and you will be dazzled by the results. For a real treat, add a drop or two of peppermint oil or your favorite nut butter to the mix. The creative possibilities with cacao are truly delicious.
Another tasty favorite recently is the Goji Berry. While there are many varieties of Goji, the Himalayan variety seems to have found the spotlight. Goji is, in general, essentially just a commercial name for the Wolfberry. There are many ways to enjoy them and they can truly add just the right splash of natural sweetness to any dish you wish. In particular, they are a yummy topping to sprinkle on cakes or cereals. Goji juice is also a tasty and popular treat. They are reportedly rich in B-Vitamins, contain high concentrations of vitamin C, and also contain approximately 18 kinds of amino acids.

Lastly, Açaí is yet another trend that has taste buds in bliss. It seems like just about every smoothie shop around is now adding this to their standard menu. Hailing from the Amazon where it seems to have been standard dietary fare for eons, the rest of the world is finally beginning to enjoy this wondrous flavor. There is apparently debate over the nutritional sensationalism involved, so it's best to just give it a try and see if it makes you feel good. That is really the ultimate litmus test anyway. All that truly matters in the long term is if it makes the one eating it feel good.

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What’S The Big Deal About Fair Trade Chocolate?

Few of us dislike chocolate, which explains its relative popularity as well as the growing interest in fair trade chocolate. As a confection that figures into most major holidays, and as a treat that’s enjoyed by young and old year-round, its effect on the planet and the communities that produce it is significant. As consumers gain an understanding of the serious social and environmental issues associated with conventionally-grown chocolate, Fair Trade Certified and organic chocolate is gaining a loyal following.

But what is fair trade chocolate, what why is it important? Child slavery, unfair working conditions, and unsustainable farming practices all play into the concerns of a growing group of chocolate-lovers.

Child slavery

Fair trade chocolate is definitely a social issue, especially in regions like Africa where most of the world’s chocolate is grown. According to the organization Global Exchange, the US State Department recently reported that 15,000 children aged 9 to 12 were working as enslaved laborers in plantations that grow chocolate, cotton, and coffee. In addition to the child slaves, as many as 284,000 children are working on cacao farms with their parents because their parents cannot afford school.

Working conditions on these farms can be quite hazardous. Dangerous tasks like working with machetes and applying toxic chemicals like insecticides and pesticides without protective gear are common. These children also work long hours at very strenuous tasks with little nourishment. And amazingly, although these children work with cacao for years, they have never tasted chocolate.

Unfair pricing

Yet children aren’t the only ones suffering without fair trade certifications. Adult farmers see a disproportionately small amount of profit for their labors and are also forced to work in unfair and unsafe conditions. Non-fair trade chocolate companies have refused to establish stable and sufficient prices for cocoa, and as a result, prices fluctuate and are often well below production costs.

According to Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International, only one penny from a typical candy bar will go to the farmer. This forces cacao farmers to adopt additional industries to support their families, like raising livestock or growing alternate crops.

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What's the Best Tea for You?

Black Tea
With greater than 75% of the tea produced in the whole world, the black variation can be referred to as pekoe or orange pekoe. Because the leaves are fermented before drying, black tea contains the tiniest accumulation of the antioxidants that can improve your health. When matched to all the teas, black tea possesses the highest amount of theaflavin, which is considered to limit the threat of cancer and cardiovascular disease. According to a long-term study conducted by the Netherlands National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, correlations were recognized between daily consumption of black tea and a lower risk of having a stroke. Research in Saudi Arabia also showed the chances of devoloping coronary heart disease had been reduced by 50%.

Oolong Tea
Because oolong tea undergoes a partial fermentation, there is still a fair quantity of antioxidants to treat and prevent a collection of medical problems. A high level of polyphenol is associated to the drinking of oolong tea, which has a connection to the deterrence and handling of heart-related diseases. When drinking a cup of oolong tea every day may arise in a lowered risk of high blood pressure (or hypertension) by nearly 50%. This variety of tea also works against embarassing skin conditions and tooth decay.

Green Tea
Green tea does not enter a conversion of fermentation, which leads to a higher amount in healthy features than the black and oolong variety. A large amount of catechin is included inside a cup of green tea and it is because of this ingredient that you get the fullness of anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. Drinking green tea could also help various patients fight rheumatoid arthritis, high cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease, infection, and a weakened immune system.

White Tea
When harvesting the ingredients for white tea the youngest buds and leaves are left untouched. Due to this the biggest accumulation of antioxidants is present inside a cup of white tea. White tea has the power to fight against fungi, viruses, and bacteria. The white variety of tea also elevates the anti-bacterial and anti-viral resistance of some of the most used toothpastes on the market. Studies done on the polyphenols in white tea have revealed the potential to eradicate cancer causing cells.
It can be extremely difficult to decide the appropriate tea when they all have innumerable potential healthful benefits. I would recommend that you should regularly consume the tea that you feel is most enjoyable. Tea is a drink that must be savored not just considered a medicine. I would also recommend you to pick several days each week to sample a different tea. This way you can get some of the conceivable values of all the teas and you could even find a new preferred tea.

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Tea Type

Black Tea
Black tea is withered, fully fermented and dried. Black tea least resembles the natural tea leaf. The manufacturing processes and varieties of black tea differ considerably among the various growing regions. Black teas should give a strong, hearty and bright, reddish or amber-colored brew.

• Assam (India) -- rich, bold aroma, full-bodied with a strong malty taste, and a clear, dark red brew. It is delicious with a spot of milk.
• Ceylon (Sri Lanka) -- very aromatic, golden-amber brew with a rich, full astringent flavor that is sometimes described as "fruity" or "biscuity." Goes great with a little milk.
• Darjeeling (India) -- the rarest and most prestigious of black teas. Its quality is excellent due to the growing climate and altitude. It has a distinct taste for each growing season; First Flush, light and astringent with an amazing aroma and a green muscatel, sometimes "flowery" taste, and Second Flush has a darker, more round, less astringent, and "fruitier" full-bodied flavor. Both provide varying degrees of muscatel and wood flavors, along with a rich, golden-red brew.
• Keemun (China) -- has a subtle orchid aroma and a rich, red brew. The flavor is mild with a hint of sweetness, full-bodied, and wine-like.
• Lapsang Souchong (China) -- a dark tea with a distinct smoky fragrance and flavor, due to the tea leaves being withered over open fires of pine. Gives a rich, red brew.
• Nilgiri (India) -- gives a bright and smooth, well-rounded, "fruity" mellow flavor.
• Yunnan (China) -- has a brisk, rich, slightly peppery or "spicy" taste with a pronounced floral aroma. Named the "mocha of tea" it has a red-amber color, and is full-bodied.

Oolong Tea
Oolong tea is withered, partially fermented and dried. Oolongs fall between black and green tea in color and taste, have low caffeine, and give an orangy-brown to dark brown brew. Oolong tea should give a very mellow, delicate and "fruity" flavor. Some varieties give a deliciously "nutty" finish.

• Darjeeling (India) -- excellent oolong with a flavor finish of unripened fruit. The brew is pale yellow.
• Formosa (Taiwan) -- undergoes a longer fermentation period than other oolongs and therefore is darker in appearance. It has a bright, brownish-amber brew and possesses a delicate, "fruity," sometimes "nutty" taste and a superb aroma.
• Pouchong (China) -- the least fermented oolong, therefore it falls somewhere between green and oolong tea. It's often used as a base for jasmine tea as well as other scented teas. It has a very mild, smooth, sweet flavor, and gives a pale, orangy-brown brew.

Green Tea
Green tea totally skips the oxidation process. After it's been withered, if at all, it's immediately steamed or heated via firing or pan frying to prevent oxidation. It is then rolled and dried. Green tea most resembles the tea leaf in its natural state. Higher grades of green tea have a fuller, more complex flavor, and can usually be steeped more times than the lower grades. Green tea should give a pale, yellowish-green brew, and the taste should be smooth and fresh -- very light and delicate.

• Bancha (Japan) -- very similar to Sencha but of a lower quality and caffeine content, and a weaker flavor.
• Chun Mee/Precious Eyebrows (China) -- gives a smooth taste with a clear, pale yellow brew.
• Genmaicha (Japan) -- a medium quality Sencha tea, mixed with toasted rice and popped corn. It gives a light brown, refreshing brew with a slightly "smoky" or "nutty" flavor.
• Gunpowder/Pearl Tea (China) -- gives a strong, greeny-coppery brew with a pungent taste.
• Gyokuro (Japan) -- is the most refined and expensive of Japanese tea. It has a subtle aroma and a very smooth, sweet, mild taste.
• Lung Ching/Dragon Well (China) -- has a delicious aroma and fresh, mellow flavor. The brew is clear yellow with a slightly sweet aftertaste.
• Matcha (Japan) -- powdered tea made from Gyokuro leaves, used in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies. The brew has a jade green color and the flavor is very strong -- makes excellent iced tea.
• Sencha (Japan) -- has a mixture of subtle sweetness, bitterness and fresh green scent. The taste varies in strength according to the season in which it is plucked. The brew is a clear and bright, light green.

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Chocolate - Friend or Foe?

Like most of you I love chocolate, but did you know good chocolate is heart healthy plus has a host of other benefits? It was noticed in the 1600's that it reduced angina and heart pain...
I am not talking about the run of the mill chocolate from Coles or Woolies here. Milk chocolate particularly is full of sugar, and often that is high fructose corn syrup, a known cause of health problems. And often too it is "Dutch' processed. To make the chocolate dark and get rid of the acid/bitter taste an alakali is added. In fact lots of "dark" choclates are just dutched and have added sugar to boot...
Result? A sticky mess that clogs your arteries because it is so high in fat and sugar!!! However, there is "real" chocolate available that can deliver real health benefits...
In fact, the list of our cocoa beans health lifting powers just keeps growing. Research indicates that its active ingredients can help the following conditions '
- High blood pressure - Stroke - Clogged arteries - Heart disease - Infectious diseses - Dementia - Prostate and lung cancer - Blood clots - Liver problems - Inflammation - Allergies - Asthma
There is another benefit researchers have discovered. As you may know one of the big problems with type II diabetes is the way it cuts down blood circulation to extremities. When I was in the heart ward of the Gold Coast Hospital for nine days back in early 2006, I was amazed at how bad the legs and feet of some of those blokes were. (Most were diabetes sufferers and they were in there with heart problems as a result). A couple of them were looking at amputations according to the doctors, on top of all their other problems. Yuk. My ears pricked up when I heard of a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology discovered that cocoa significantly enhances blood flow in folks with type II diabetes (Balzer et al. "Sustained Benefits in Vascular Function Through Flavanol-Containing Cocoa in Medicated Diabetic Patients: A Double-Masked, Randomized, Controlled Trial." Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2008. 51:2141-2149) In that study, researchers divided diabetes sufferers into 2 groups - one group had 1000 mg of cocoa a day (in three doses a day) and the other 25 mg. At the end of one month, the higher cocoa groups circulation had normalised (from "severly impaired") while the low cocoa group had no changes.

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The Different Ways To Make Chocolate

The first thing that needs to be done is to harvest the cacao beans. Large companies buy these from farmers or buy the farm and harvest these themselves. They then put these in an oven at a temperature between 120 to 163 degrees Celsius that is about 250 to 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 to 35 minutes.

Naturally, you will gradually lower the temperature and stop roasting them when the beans start to crack.  There are two reasons why cacao beans stay in an oven at varying times.  First is to prevent them from burning. Naturally, you will gradually lower the temperature and stop roasting them when the beans start to crack. Naturally, you will gradually lower the temperature and stop roasting them when the beans start to crack.  Second, the cooking time of cacao beans varies depending on the type of bean that is being used.  Since companies produce chocolates in vast quantities, the cacao beans are stored in drums and then rotated over a gas grill. After they are roasted, the beans must be cracked into small bits better known as nibs while those that can't are removed.

The next step is to grind the nibs into a cacao liqueur. For that, you will need a machine to liquefy this and at the same time separate the remaining husks that were not removed after roasting. You then conch and refine the chocolate so you are able to give the chocolate its distinct taste. This is what makes Hershey's chocolates different than for example M&M which can be achieved by using a powerful wet grinder.

You first have to melt the chocolate and the cocoa butter in the over at about 120 degrees Fahrenheit. You should then mix non fat dry milk powder, sugar, lecithin and a vanilla pod for about an hour. This mixture is then poured into a grinder together with some heat to keep the chocolate in liquid form. This should be refined for at least 10 hours but not more than 36 hours.

When it is ready, you then temper the chocolate so it looks shiny and soft enough to easily melt in your hand. The second to the last part in making chocolate is to mold this into whatever shape or form that you would like. To produce these in vast quantities, chocolate companies but custom made molds. The chocolate is then poured there and after this is cooled, this is then packaged and ready for delivery to stores. Some companies even sell these in the form of blocks so people can buy them, melt it and mold this to whatever shape they desire.

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Hot Trends In Table Favors

Choosing the right gift to show your appreciation for your wedding guests can be a challenging task. You want the gift to be appropriate, meaningful and tasteful. But most of all you want it to reflect your personality and flair.

One thing is now certain in today's modern day weddings, when it comes to table favors anything goes. Your choices can now range from soap favors, box favors, tulle favors, candle and glass favors. You could choose from personalized boxes containing mints, truffles, potpourri and different fruit. Let's not forget the famed bridal coffee packs and tea bags, or the fortune cookies with special messages enclosed.

But the latest hot trend in wedding table favors is — printed chocolates. They have gained such popularity because of their versatility as decorative, tasteful and unforgettable personalized gifts.

Anne-Marie Tremblay, President of Cacao Design, says "our printed fine chocolates have become a very popular choice with couples looking to give a sentimental and unique table favor for their wedding guests."

Her Montreal-based firm is the only manufacturing company in North America to specialize in printed chocolates. Available in white, dark or milk Belgium chocolate the designer, high-quality products can be imprinted with the couples' names, initials, special messages or unique custom designs. A wide choice of colors and wrappings are available to match the custom colour scheme and image you desire.

A delight to the palate and the eyes these high-quality chocolates become a delicious personalized reminder of a beautiful evening.

"It was fun to watch the reaction of our guests as they discovered our initials and thank you message on the chocolates," said Marie François, who chose decorative boxes of printed chocolates as table favors for her wedding guests last July. "We received a lot of great comments from our guests who had never seen anything like that before. I really wanted to give something personal and unique."

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The Chocolate Diagnosis

Eating chocolate is one of the world's most popular passions. The typical Swiss eats more than 21 pounds of this chocolate each year. Even the average Belgian or Brit downs some 16 pounds annually. In the United States, consumption weighs in at roughly 11.5 pounds per year. The earliest record of chocolate was over fifteen hundred years ago in the Central American rain forests, where the tropical mix of high rainfall combined with high year round temperatures and humidity provide the ideal climate for cultivation of the plant from which chocolate is derived, the Cacao Tree.

The Cacao Tree was worshiped by the Mayan civilization of Central America and Southern Mexico, who believed it to be of divine origin, Cacao is actually a Mayan word meaning “God Food”, hence the tree's modern generic Latin name “Theobrama Cacao” meaning 'Food of the Gods’. Cacao was corrupted into the more familiar “Cocoa” by the early European explorers. The Maya brewed a spicy, bitter sweet drink by roasting and pounding the seeds of the Cacao tree (cocoa beans) with maize and Capsicum (Chilli) peppers and letting the mixture ferment. This drink was reserved for use in ceremonies as well as for drinking by the wealthy and religious elite, they also ate a Cacao porridge.

Chocolate is full of mood-enhancing chemicals. To start with, it is loaded with sugar, which is a carbohydrate and triggers the release of seratonin. Chocolate also contains fat, which in itself provides a feeling of satisfaction since it answers the urge for calories. Chocolate is also said to have the same mood-enhancing chemical that is found in marijuana, although in much smaller quantities. To test the theory that chocolate enhances mood, a study was conducted at the University of Pennsylvania. Students who felt the urge to eat chocolate were given either milk chocolate, white chocolate (which contains no cocoa, just cocoa butter and flavoring), and pills containing stimulants found in chocolate.

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Chinese Tea And Cancer

Chinese tea and breast cancer: Scientists have long noted that breast cancer is much less common in countries where green tea is regularly consumed. One Japanese study found a decreased risk of recurrence for early-stage cancer patients who drank three or more cups of green tea. This suggests at least the possibility that regular green tea consumption may help prevent recurrence of breast cancer in early-stage cases. A Chinese study found that women who consumed at least 26 ounces of green tea leaves each year had a 39-percent reduced risk of breast cancer compared to nondrinkers. Twenty-six ounces of dried leaves per year equates to only 300 cups of green tea over the course of a year, which equalsless than one cup per day.

Chinese tea and lung cancer: A study published in 2003 found that smokers who drank four cups of decaffeinated green tea per day demonstrated a 31- percent decrease in biomarkers of oxidative DNA damage in white blood cells as compared to those who drank four cups of water. Oxidative DNA damage is implicated in the development of various forms of cancer. A study published in 2007 in the Journal of Inflammation found that black tea had a positive preventive effect. In this study, guinea pigs were subjected to cigarette smoke exposure and then given water or black tea to drink. The cigarette smoke, needless to say, caused damage to the guinea pigs’ lungs, which was prevented when they were given black tea infusions to drink instead of water.

Chinese tea and prostate cancer: Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer affecting men. More than 230,000 American men are diagnosed with this disease each year, according to the American Cancer Society. A study published in the December 1, 2004 issue of Cancer Research showed that the polyphenols present in green tea help prevent the spread of prostate cancer by targeting molecular pathways that shut down the proliferation and spread of tumor cells, as well as inhibitingthe growth of tumor-nurturing blood vessels.

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How To Distinguish The Different Kinds Of Chinese Tea?

In the past five years, most laboratory and experimental animal studies that supported the conclusion of a health benefit of Chinese tea drinking, especially in chemoprevention against cancer and obesity, have used fresh high-antioxidant green tea or the green tea antioxidant, (-)- epigallocatechin gallate, EGCG in short, as the bioactive testing material to conduct the research. Black tea is not that effective. While the epidemiological evidence is supportive of the benefits of drinking high-antioxidant green tea for cancer prevention, the data on black tea and oolong tea drinkers are not supportive of the benefits of tea drinking for this purpose.

There are three major kinds of Chinese tea, namely green tea, black tea and oolong tea, all derived from the same species of tea tree, commonly known as Camellia sinensis or as Thea sinensis on the FDA list of generally recognized as safe (GRAS) substances. Tea originated in China. As written in ancient medical texts, it was used as a health aid in 2737 BC. Tea became a major commodity in Tang Dynasty (617- 907 AD) when tea drinking gradually evolved into a form of art, but was still largely confined to the privileged elite of the society.

In the old days, fresh leaves directly plucked from the tea tree were boiled journey with constant agitation over the choppy warm ocean water in humid hot weather, the high quality "Pekoe" green tea probably had turned into half-black tea with its characteristic bitter taste as a result of oxidation and degradation when the ship arrived in Holland. It is no wonder that some Europeans would put sugar and milk into the bitter tea from China.

Shortly before and after the downfall of the Ming Dynasty in 1644,oolong tea that was purposely briefly oxidized (half-black tea) and the fully oxidized black tea were introduced for the often hungry peasants in the South as a calorie-preserving beverage and for foreign exports, in about 1650 A.D. As the society turmoil in China led to repeated famines, the poor peasants learned quickly that they should avoid drinking green tea which is an irritant to an emptystomach, and started to drink the half-degraded oolong tea or the fully oxidized black tea instead, in order to preserve the badly needed body fat tosurvive.

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Tea Basics

With over 3000 different varieties of tea in the world, how do you choose? Do you choose by the particular type of tea, or do you choose by the taste you like best?

Surprisingly, all tea comes from the same evergreen plant -- Thea sinensis, of which two varieties are the most common -- Camellia sinensis and Camellia assamica. The type and taste characteristics of each tea are determined by the growing region -- climate, soil, and altitude -- as well as how the tea is processed.

The first step in any tea production occurs when the tea is harvested or "plucked," by hand, once the top two leaves and bud have sprouted. The leaves are then spread out on long trays in warm temperatures, to promote moisture loss of about 50%. This is known as withering. The withered leaves are then sometimes rolled, by machine, to help release the leaves' oils and juices and then they are left out in the open air for several hours. This open air process is known as "fermentation." It's not really a "fermenting" process per say -- it's actually an oxidation process that occurs in the tea leaves, whereby the leaves absorb oxygen, which changes their chemistry, and therefore affects both the taste and color of the tea. After the fermentation stage, the leaves are then passed through a dryer to stop the oxidation process. Once thoroughly dried, the tea is then ready to be sorted, and taste-tested.

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