Dark or Milk?

Deadly Sushi

Formerly The Giant Mojito
What chocolate do you prefer?
Dark? Milk? White? Something else?

AND.... in what form? On a strawberry? In milk? Simply by itself?

ALSO...... DID YOU KNOW:

Eating 2 ounces (50 grams) a day of plain chocolate with a minimum content of 70% chocolate solids can be beneficial to health, providing protection against heart disease, high blood pressure, and many other health hazards as well as essential trace elements and nutrients such as iron, calcium and potassium, and vitamins A. B1, C, D, and E and it's a lot tastier than boring old vitamin pills too. A 1 1/2-ounce square of chocolate may have as many cancer-fighting antioxidants as a five-ounce glass of red wine.

About 50% of all food cravings are for chocolate, far more than cravings for "something sweet" (16%), salty foods (12%), baked goods (11%), and fruit (4%). Some people go so far as saying they are addicted to chocolate. But that's no license to go on a chocolate binge. Eating more dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure. Remember, you do have to balance the extra calories by eating less of other things.

What is it that makes chocolate so irresistible? A large part of chocolate's allure, of course, lies in the taste - a deliciously rich concoction that satisfies the most intense craving. But several chemical reactions are also at work. For one thing, chocolate stimulates the secretion of endorphins, producing a pleasurable sensation similar to the "runner's high" a jogger feels after running several miles. </SPAN>The question arises: Why is chocolate such a powerful food? And what makes it the most commonly craved food? (About 40% of women and 15% of men report chocolate cravings.)
chocolate%20bars.jpg
 

BigAl

New member
In Panama on the island where my home is we have Cao Cao trees which is where chocolate comes from .I actually like the fruit which taste nothing like chocolate in its natural dried form . You can buy freshly fermented and dried chocalate balls of pure chocolate here . The best "OH MY GOD brownies" I have ever eaten were made using it :thumb:.
It you ever get a chance to buy it in the pure form ,the cooking possibilites are endless .
 

waybomb

Well-known member
80% cocoa or above.
Also, bittersweet.

I can't stand milk chocolate.

When I win that stay in that island paradise, I'll be expecting to try some of those chocolate balls and the fruit!
 

Deadly Sushi

Formerly The Giant Mojito
In Panama on the island where my home is we have Cao Cao trees which is where chocolate comes from

:heart::heart::heart: Simply fantastic! Now have you picked them? And what have you done with them after that? VERY interesting. Whats your process of getting them into your prefered final product?

I can't stand milk chocolate.

Me too Mr. Bomb. Well I can enjoy it IF its high quality but that is very few and far between. The dark stuff is just amazing! :thumb:
 

BigAl

New member
:heart::heart::heart: Simply fantastic! Now have you picked them? And what have you done with them after that? VERY interesting. Whats your process of getting them into your prefered final product?

Ok ,The first time you see a Cao Cao pod and I break it open you may want to say it is the most digusting thing you ever saw . It looks like cow brains . Very slimey. Inside that you will find good size beans with a Cotton Candy like coating surrounding the bean . You suck off the coating and eat it .Spit the bean out . It is very sweet but nothing like chocolate .The local children are always stoppping by and asking if they can pick some . Its like having a never ending candy dispenser on the property .
The choclate is made by placing the beans in a wire covered shollow box and let them ferment outside . Then they are dried and roasted . At that point you have raw pure chocolate .
 

BigAl

New member
Get that guest house ready for my wife and me........................

Yep , Its a fun place to relax for a few days . Most people think the most photographed site in Panama is The Canal . It is not .

The most photographed spot in all of Panama is straight off my front deck 1/2 mile ,called Hospital Point on Solarte Island which my homes faces from Bastimentos island .
If you make it down in March or April will we be there !
 

BigAl

New member
Im hoping to snag a one-way ticket. :lol: hey do you have internet there? :confused:

Wireless internet . The house may be "off the grid" and generates its own Power and it has its own 2600 gallon rain water collection system ,but it lacks nothing and has every modern conveniece and then some ! Solar electric power is the only way to go .:thumb:
 

Doc

Administrator
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
I like milk chocolate. Dark chocolate is okay but I like white chocolate better. Recently I saw a report where white chocolate is not chocolate at all, and is rather bad for you.

Al, your place does indeed sound like paradise. The low in the winter is probably around 75 degrees F.
 

BigAl

New member
I like milk chocolate. Dark chocolate is okay but I like white chocolate better. Recently I saw a report where white chocolate is not chocolate at all, and is rather bad for you.

Al, your place does indeed sound like paradise. The low in the winter is probably around 75 degrees F.

I sure did not know that white chocalate was not considered real chocolate . :confused:
Doc , 75 degrees would be about right , but the water is always nice and toasty warm . If the wind comes up and it really starts blowin hard it can seem a lot colder then it actually is . Anything grows year around down there which makes it nice if you like fresh fruit .
 

BigAl

New member
About the only time we can take off for a week or so is around Christmas / New years.

Thats a terrible time to visit the Island of Bocas Del Toro . Huge 12' waves and rollers in the bay and "lots" of rain . But it is still warm :respect:. They have little micro climates on the islands compared to the mainland . What the weather seasons are doing in Panama City may be the exact opposite in Bocas Del Toro . Really strange weather at times .
The best months are March/April/May and Sept/Oct/ Nov . These months really see a lot of tourist booking trips to Bocas . Carnival just ended in Panama and it can be quite a crazy time to be here . Everything shuts down and it is one continus party for a week . A single guy would need to take vitamins before coming down during this time :heart:!!!
 

rapunzel47

New member
MMMM...dark chocolate, please, the higher the cocoa content the better. Although, I don't dislike milk chocolate, as long as it is high quality stuff.

That little paradise of yours sounds pretty wonderful, Big Al.
 

Stussy's_Angel

New member
I like milk chocolate. Dark chocolate is okay but I like white chocolate better. Recently I saw a report where white chocolate is not chocolate at all, and is rather bad for you.

Al, your place does indeed sound like paradise. The low in the winter is probably around 75 degrees F.

It's true, white chocolate containe NO REAL chocolate. It's made of nothing but coco butter, milk solids and sugar. There is no chocolate liqur or cocoa solids in it which are what make chocolate... chocolate.

I love dark chocolate. My favorite is 60% and I enjoy it most all by itself.
 

Jim_S

Resident Curmudgeon
Gold Site Supporter
It's true, white chocolate contains NO REAL chocolate. It's made of nothing but coco butter, milk solids and sugar. There is no chocolate liqur or cocoa solids in it which are what make chocolate... chocolate.

Good stuff if you are allergic to regular chocolate like my brother in law.

Jim
 

Linda1946

New member
Would you all think I'm a little weird if I told you I'm not really a big fan of chocolate? If I eat chocolate, my throat gets all phlegmy.

I do however like my mom's home-made chocolate pie made with cocoa and I like hot chocolate made at home with cocoa.
 

waybomb

Well-known member
No, she's saying she's wierd!

But really, you may have a sensitivity to chocolate. Chocolate is not an allergen.

However, it may be wise to read the label. There may be trace nuts in that chocolate you buy. You may be highly allergic to nuts.

Nuts are highly allergenic to certain people. People die from this allergen.
 

waybomb

Well-known member
Would you all think I'm a little weird if I told you I'm not really a big fan of chocolate? If I eat chocolate, my throat gets all phlegmy.

I do however like my mom's home-made chocolate pie made with cocoa and I like hot chocolate made at home with cocoa.

You may want to get tested for allergies - NOTE THE "TIGHTNESS IN THE THROAT" symptom:
What's a Reaction Like?

The histamine then causes symptoms that affect a person's eyes, nose, throat, respiratory system, skin, and digestive system. A person with a food allergy could have a mild reaction - or it could be more severe. An allergic reaction could happen right away or a few hours after the person eats it. Some of the first signs that a person may be having an allergic reaction could be a runny nose, an itchy skin rash such as hives, or a tingling in the tongue or lips. Other signs include:
  • tightness in the throat
  • hoarse voice
  • wheezing
  • cough
  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • stomach pain
  • diarrhea
 
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