An eclectic assortment of stuff: food, archaeology, fun, books, history, geekery, etc.
From the Telegraph: Chocolate ‘can help prevent stroke’.
A study of nearly 50,000 people found that those eating chocolate were 22 per cent less likely to suffer a stroke than those that didn’t.
And those who did suffer a stroke but had indulged in chocolate were 46 per cent less likely to die as a result. [continue]
This [...]
Posted in chocolate, food, history & archaeology on Nov 12th, 2007
From the Telegraph: Earliest chocolate drink found.
Our love affair with chocolate began at least 500 years earlier than previously thought, and was combined with a love of alcohol too, according to traces of the treat found in pottery shards uncovered in Honduras. (…)
Today, researchers say that residue of the chemical theobromine, which occurs in Mesoamerica [...]
Posted in chocolate on Jul 4th, 2007
From Canada.com: Chocoholics have new tool to find their next fix.
A new Canadian service is providing a treasure map for chocolate lovers that instantly allows sweet-toothed travellers to locate the nearest place to get their next fix.
Charting the world’s chocolate shops using Google Maps technology, Chocomap.com also gives users access to a brief description of [...]
From the BBC: Chocolate lowers blood pressure.
A mouthful of dark chocolate each day could reduce blood pressure, cutting the risk of stroke, research suggests.
Forty-four people with raised blood pressure were put into two groups. One ate six grams of dark chocolate daily, the other the same amount of white.
The first group saw blood pressure fall [...]
Oooh, this Chocoatl place sounds like it’d be worth a visit. From the Vancouver Sun: Sweetness from way down south.
When Thelmis Velgis opened Chocoatl in Yaletown a year ago, he dove deep into chocolate and history. Figuratively speaking.
The shop specializes in chocolate drinks long established in Mexico (going back a couple thousand years), but new [...]
From the Beeb: Cocoa nutrient for ‘lethal ills’.
A nutrient in cocoa called epicatechin appears to lower the risk of four common killer diseases, work suggests.
Among the Kuna people of Panama, who can drink up to 40 cups of cocoa per week, rates of stroke, heart disease, cancer and diabetes are less than 10%.
The Kuna also [...]
Posted in chocolate on Feb 23rd, 2007
From Deutsche Welle: German Cuisine Gets Molecular Makeover.
Licorice is paired with salmon. Caviar gets served atop white chocolate or warm ice cream. If a dish sounds like it defies the laws of nature, it’s likely a matter of molecular gastronomy, an approach to cooking that has entered the mainstream over the past few years.
The most [...]