ChocolateBet: June 14, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:
2 "sticks"
Pieterman (Holland)
King-Lion - 10 quality sticks (cocoa "cigarettes")
Good+; these are better than I thought they'd be, and they're a bit of fun
Wt: 5 grams for 2; 25 grams (7/8 oz.) total "pack" of 10
Calories: ~31 cals (estim. - no calorie info listed on pack)
Cost: ?
Purchased from: ? possibly candy shop in Burlingame that may have closed.

Hmmm. I need to find my old receipt for this one.

This year I've planned several chocolate-related theme weeks. I contemplated doing a "chocolate and smoking" week. But, I couldn't find enough chocolate or cocoa cigars, cigarettes and matches in time to get this started today. I don't smoke; but I do eat chocolate. These Pieterman "cigarettes" are skinny milk chocolate sticks wrapped in white papers. So the chocolate inside looks a bit like tobacco. (See image above and to the right.)

Re: other brands of candy cigarettes...
After doing a Google search on Pieterman, I found this web page (see link below).
http://cardhouse.com/a/candy/foreign/f43.htm
You can scroll through a wide variety of images of candy/cocoa cigarettes from different parts of the world.

ChocolateBet: June 13, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 serving/round bar
Colts Chocolates
Colts Bolts Chocolate Peanut Butter and Almonds
Good + - Very Good
Wt: 2 oz. (56 grams)
Calories: ~300 (not marked)
Cost: $ (~1.95? - have to double check/find receipt)
Purchased from: ?, in Burlingame, CA last year*

*Note: I think the little candy store where I bought several items in Burlingame last year (2007) may no longer be in business, or may have been "replaced" by Powell's Sweet Shoppe - which opened a Burlingame location in early 2008. This little place had the same idea as Powell's - and lots of candy and chocolate items from decades past, ice cream, and other novelties.

TCHO chocolate
TCHO is a chocolate manufacturer with technology/Silicon Valley roots.

I stopped by the TCHO office (www.tcho.com) in San Francisco, CA, late this afternoon after a meeting. I parked the car and walked along the wharf area until I found their office, and opened the door to see if anyone was in. (I had stopped by earlier a few months back, and their office was closed.) I opened the door which immediately caused a small wind tunnel effect. And the two people I met there (Louis Rossetto and a woman - sorry I didn't want to further bother you by asking for your card) very generously tolerated my interrupting them (likely during non-visiting hours).

My intention was to say that I thought what they were doing was great. However, while I was there Louis very kindly offered to let me sample some nibs and chocolate they have in beta test phase. Very interesting, very pure flavors. Thank you to the folks at TCHO for the impromptu visit, and I look forward to hearing more about your chocolate factory - the only pure manufacturing plant actually in San Francisco from what I gather.

ChocolateBet: June 12, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

12 pieces
Cadbury
Snaps (milk chocolate thins/curves)
Good +
Weight: 39 grams for 12 pieces/thins/curves; 117 grams in total box
Calories: 197 calories (estimate) in 12 pieces
Cost: $9.95 (expensive in the U.S.)
Purchased from: Cottage of Sweets, in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA

ChocolateBet: June 11, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Masterfoods
Bounty (dark chocolate, coconut candy bar)
Good + - Very Good
Wt: 57 grams (~ 2 oz.)
Calories: ~268 calories for 2 pieces/1 bar or pkg.
Cost: $2.95
Purchased from: Cottage of Sweets, in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA

When I eat a combination of chocolate and sweetened coconut like this, I always tend to want to eat this with some raw, or toasted unsalted, almonds on the side. Maybe it's to cut the sweetness a bit. (I do the same thing with certain flavors of rich, sweet ice cream.) I'm not sure why. But, it works.

Chocolate and Health News
Last night I listened to a public radio program ("Forum" with Michael Krazny) about chocolate. (Thanks to James and Preeta who told me this was being aired.) One listener called in with a question about heavy metal contamination of chocolate. News to me; but apparently cocoa can be exposed to lead and other metals, in the cultivation, fermentation, processing and transportation phases. One of the radio guests (Timothy Childs from TCHO in San Francisco I believe) mentioned that this was true, and that they tested their cocoa for metals.

Interesting. Here is something else to test my blood for after all this chocolate eating I've been doing. On balance, as noted last year, my blood lipid and sugar profiles improved after eating chocolate every day for the first year. I haven't been tested for lead or other heavy metals (those metals that are at least 5 times heavier than water and generally considered toxic in large enough quantities). Other than the fact that too much chocolate might interfere with bone health/calcium absorption (oh yes, and result in weight gain and other bad things from extra sugar and fat calories that might be consumed), this is the only other bad thing I've heard about eating chocolate every day. So, just call me a lead guinea pig I guess!

ChocolateBet: June 10, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

1 bar
Nestle
Lion (candy bar)
Good + (tastes a bit like a Nestle Crunch bar wrapped around some additional ingredients)
Wt: 55 grams (~1.7? oz.)
Calories: 277 calories for 1 bar
Cost: $2.95
Purchased from: Cottage of Sweets, in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA

(Postscript: This bar contained wheat, lactose and barley malt.)

ChocolateBet: June 9, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:
1 piece/patty
Bridgewater Chocolate
Peanut Butter Patties (Dark Choc.)
Very Good
Wt: ~1.1 oz.
Calories: ~ 170 cals.
Cost: $2.28 for 1 patty/piece
Purchased from: CocoaBella Chocolates in San Francisco, CA

Chocolate Related Art
A few blocks away from CocoaBella, the shop where I purchased this chocolate, is the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). While walking through the museum exhibits, I couldn't help but take note of a pair of molded sculptures (called "Lick & Lather") by Janine Antoni. The first bust (of the artist?) was made of chocolate and the second almost identical bust was made of soap. They seem to have stood up rather well given that they were made some years ago.

ChocolateBet: June 8, 2008

Chocolate of the Day:

2 pieces
Texas Brags - Price Fine Chocolates* (Texas)
Pecan Brags (Milk Pecan Brags - milk chocolate, pecans, caramel )
Good + - Very Good
Weight: 1 oz. (28 grams) total in small box
Calories: 135 calories (estimate - no calorie info available)
Cost: $3.49 for 1 oz. box
Purchased from: Piazza's Fine Foods, in Palo Alto, CA

*Note: Manufactured by Cocoa Factory, in Fort Worth, TX