Chocolate!

[Rainbow]

Go on own up you chocolate scoffers, which is your favourite? :yum:

Plus let's see if the wrappers vary still from country to country!!! :gay:

[Starry]

Sorry. Try not to eat it. Once I start, I can't seem able to stop. :devil2:

[Fauxmage]

:sparkle::sparkle: Hi Starry! :sparkle::sparkle:

:star::star::window::star::star:

Welcome!

:moonjar:

[thevegantwins]

Most definitely, Allisons Gourmet ( www.allisonsgourmet.com) organic, vegan caramels. Words can't describe how good these are.

[SinnerCal]

Sorry. Try not to eat it. Once I start, I can't seem able to stop. :devil2:
I am a bit like that! :eat:
Welcome Starry, great to see you here! :star: :starfish: :star:

[Rainbow]

Most definitely, Allisons Gourmet ( www.allisonsgourmet.com) organic, vegan caramels. Words can't describe how good these are.
They sound scrummy :yum: , one big drawback they're there and I'm here! :sigh:

Thank goodness for Green & Black's vegan selection and Organica's new plain choc.

[Tigerlily]

Mine is Tropical Source but I can't find it anywhere anymore.

I also like cheap dark chocolate, seriously. The expensive stuff is okay but way too bitter for tastes. When I want chocolate, I want something sweet!

[IndyVegan]

Green and Black's mint Dark Chocolate. :thumbsup:

[Bowwowmeow]

Chocolate Linked to Lower Blood Pressure


By CARLA K. JOHNSON (Associated Press Writer)
From Associated Press
February 27, 2006 9:50 PM EST
CHICAGO - Leave it to the Dutch to help demonstrate the health benefits of chocolate. A study of older men in The Netherlands, known for its luscious chocolate, indicated those who ate the equivalent of one-third of a chocolate bar every day had lower blood pressure and a reduced risk of death.
The researchers say, however, it's too early to conclude it was chocolate that led to better health. The men who ate more cocoa products could have shared other qualities that made them healthier. Experts also point out that eating too much chocolate can make you fat - a risk for both heart disease and high blood pressure.
"It's way too early to make recommendations about whether people should eat more cocoa or chocolate," said Brian Buijsse, a nutritional epidemiologist at Wageningen University in The Netherlands, who co-authored the study.
Still, the Dutch study, supported by grants from the Netherlands Prevention Foundation, appears to be the largest so far to document a health effect for cocoa beans. And it confirms findings of smaller, shorter-term studies that also linked chocolate with lower blood pressure.
The findings, published in Monday's Archives of Internal Medicine, are based on data collected for more than a decade on Dutch men who were ages 65 and older in 1985. The long-running Zutphen Elderly Study has been used by other researchers to look for risk factors for chronic disease.
This time, researchers examined the eating habits of 470 healthy men who were not taking blood pressure medicine. The men who ate the most products made from cocoa beans - including cocoa drinks, chocolate bars and chocolate pudding - had lower blood pressure and a 50 percent lower risk of death.
The men ate the equivalent of about 10 grams of chocolate a day.
Cocoa beans contain flavanols, which are thought to increase nitric oxide in the blood and improve the function of blood vessels.
"This is a very important article providing epidemiological support for what many researchers have been observing in experimental models," said Cesar Fraga of the University of California Davis, who does similar research but was not involved in the new study.
Buijsse noted the men eating the most cocoa products were not heavier or bigger eaters than the men who ate less cocoa.
Could the study results apply to women?
"Our study consisted of elderly men," Buijsse said. "If you look at the other interventional studies, you see the same effects in men and women, younger people and older people. It may be the findings are generalizable to women, but you never know."

[vegan heart]

Tasted this last week for the first time and in terms of sweetness and creaminess it is out of this world!:thumbsup:
http://www.veganstore.co.uk/rice_couverture.html

Ruthie

[Oracl]

Tasted this last week for the first time and in terms of sweetness and creaminess it is out of this world!:thumbsup:
http://www.veganstore.co.uk/rice_couverture.html

Ruthie
That looks like it would be :yum: :eat: :colors:

[Starry]

Tasted this last week for the first time and in terms of sweetness and creaminess it is out of this world!:thumbsup:
http://www.veganstore.co.uk/rice_couverture.html

Ruthie

A friend of mine bought me a bar. Very moorish :agree:

[Rainbow]

I'm about to try a new one from Plamil - No Added Sugar with shelled hemp seeds (!)
I will try to remember to give you feed back. :)

[thevegantwins]

http://www.eccobella.com/_Health_By_Chocolate.html :hungry:

Health By Chocolate by the, Eco Bella, a great company except for its use of beeswax and carmine :sigh: , is quite tasty. I won 2 bags of the mini-bars at a fundraiser last weekend. The beautiful bones bar has a slight orange flavor and the women's wonder bar has a slight mint bar. I preferred the beautiful bones.

[Rainbow]

Hmmm that Plamil bar with the hemp seeds, well I'll give you a clue...I've still got some left :rofl:
The hemp seeds were a pleasent addition trouble was for me they didn't mask the taste of that particular make of choc enough! :laugh:

So I've scoffed a G&B plain hazelnut & currant this afternoon - scrummy :yum:

[ChenLi]

Green & Blacks Dark Mint Choccie and "Dairy Free Rice Crackle" choccie you get from Tescos or Morrisons.

[paul]

.montizuma's choclate buttons and plamil chilli , well any plamil choc really

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n137/paulpic_2006/22.gifhttp://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n137/paulpic_2006/22.gifhttp://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n137/paulpic_2006/22.gifhttp://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n137/paulpic_2006/22.gif

[Oracl]

Cute jumping critters, paul! :D Are they hamsters? :bhead:

(We don't have hamsters in Australia but when I was a kid in England I had a much loved hamster. :smallheart: )

[paul]

i think they are hamsters,
you will have to come back to england and look after some more.

more loverly vegans are needed in england:agree:

or help your self to any of these ones, i think the bottom ones are gerbils:rubchin:
a link for montys, just to show you loverly folk the chocolate montys do:dribble:
www.montezumas.co.uk

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n137/paulpic_2006/22.gif

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n137/paulpic_2006/3.gif

http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n137//paulpic_2006/1.gif

[Oracl]

Thank you, paul. :) You say the nicest things. :friends:

[thevegantwins]

I was just searching for a recipe for vegan nut brittle to make for some friends when I found this chocolate shop that makes some vegan chocolates and ships. :choc:

Harbor Candy (http://harborcandy.com/shop/candy/viewCat_P.asp?pageName=shop&idCategory=16)

[Cherie]

haha, funny that there's a chocolate-eating smiley. ;)

i haven't much felt like chocolate lately. where's my PMS at? hmm.

also, I'm really tired of companies offering organic but not fair-trade. I found one at a hfs about 25 min. away that was a chocolate bar that was organic and fair-trade, was pretty good, but I'll only get it if I go there.

I have to pay $10 for my shipment of maple extract - these shipping costs are horrendous! and THEY only pay like $2.

[paul]

I was just searching for a recipe for vegan nut brittle to make for some friends when I found this chocolate shop that makes some vegan chocolates and ships. :choc:

Harbor Candy (http://harborcandy.com/shop/candy/viewCat_P.asp?pageName=shop&idCategory=16)

looks gooooood:rock: :eat:

[Oracl]

I was just searching for a recipe for vegan nut brittle to make for some friends when I found this chocolate shop that makes some vegan chocolates and ships. :choc:

Harbor Candy (http://harborcandy.com/shop/candy/viewCat_P.asp?pageName=shop&idCategory=16)
The chocs on that page look really yummy! :agree: :yum:

[Fauxmage]

Some cocoa may improve blood flow in the brain, researchers say


By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID (AP Science Writer)
From Associated Press
February 18, 2007 8:04 PM EST
SAN FRANCISCO - A nice cup of the right kind of cocoa could hold the promise of promoting brain function as people age.
In an increasingly aging world, medical researchers are seeing more cases of dementia and are looking for ways to make brains work better.
One potential source of help may be flavanols, an antioxidant found in cocoa beans that can increase blood flow to the brain, researchers said Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Ian MacDonald of England's University of Nottingham reported on tests given to young women who were asked to do a complex task while their brains were being studied with magnetic resonance imaging.
Among the women given drinks of cocoa high in flavanols, there was a significant increase in blood flow to the brain compared with subjects who did not drink the cocoa, he said.
This raises the prospect of using flavanols in the treatment of dementia, marked by decreased blood flow in the brain, and in maintaining overall cardiovascular health, he said.
The next step, MacDonald said, is to move from healthy subjects to people who have "compromised" blood flow to the brain.
Norman Hollenberg of Harvard Medical School said he found similar health benefits in the Cuna Indian tribe in Panama. They drink cocoa exclusively.
But the cocoa typically sold in markets is low in flavanols, which usually are removed because they impart a bitter taste, Hollenberg said. He also said the findings do not mean people should indulge in chocolate.
"Chocolate is a delight. It can never be a health food because we have a calorie problem," Hollenberg said.
But, he added, in cocoa a lot of fat is removed from the chocolate. "I see a bright future for cocoa," he said.
Hollenberg, an expert in blood pressure, studied the Cuna because those who live on native islands do not have high blood pressure.
He said he found that when tribe members move to cities, their blood pressure rises. A major difference is the consumption of their own prepared cocoa, which is high in flavanols. In native areas, that is all they drink; in cities they adopt the local diet.
In addition to having low blood pressure, Hollenberg said, there are no reports of dementia among the native Cuna.
Henriette van Praag of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies discussed the effects of a specific flavanol, Epichatechin, in tests in mice.
She said when that chemical was added to their food, the mice showed improved ability to solve a maze and remembered it longer than mice without the flavanol. She said Epichatechin affected the hippocampus, the brain area important in memory.
In a study reported a year ago, older men in the Netherlands who ate the equivalent of one-third of a chocolate bar every day had lower blood pressure and a reduced risk of death.
The researchers said, however, it was too early to conclude that chocolate led to better health. The men who ate more cocoa products could have shared other qualities that made them healthier.
Hagen Schroeter of Mars Inc., the candy company that paid for some of the research reported Sunday, said that cocoa long has been studied for potential medical benefits. He noted that in addition to cocoa, flavanols occur in other foods such as fruits, tea and wine that have been associated with dilation of the arteries.
Mars last year announced plans to market a line of products under the name CocoaVia which is high in flavanols. Other major chocolate companies, including Hershey's, have started promoting the flavanol content of their dark chocolates.

It looks like cocoa is the REAL brain food. :agree:

[Oracl]

:agree: :yum:

[Gliondrach]

That could explain my great brain power.

[veggiesosage]

Does it work if you eat high cocoa Gren and Blacks choccy bars?

(Trivia point; I went to 'Englands University of Nottingham' but never heard of that prof)

[Gliondrach]

Does it work if you eat high cocoa Gren and Blacks choccy bars?

(Trivia point; I went to 'Englands University of Nottingham' but never heard of that prof)

The bars of chocolate should be good. Like solid cocoa.

[Cherie]

Equal Exchange dark chocolate with almonds.

[thevegantwins]

Funny, Cherie. I just was on your blog and saw your post about that chocolate. I haven't seen it around here yet but do want to get a bar eventually.

I'm sure in NYC, I'll find it! :choc:

[Gliondrach]

These organic raw chocolates are only available in the US, apparently.

The site says they are vegan, kosher, gluten and soya free, no refined sugars and made in a nut free facility.

They have acai, goji and caramel truffle bars.

The acai bar's ingredients are:

Himalayan Pink Salt
Organic Raw Agave Nectar
Organic Raw Cacao
Organic Raw Vanilla Bean
And Acai

earthsourceorganics.com/

[Gliondrach]

If you want an excuse to eat chocolate, see post 155 in the link below

http://www.thesaucyvegan.com/showthread.php?p=68722#post68722

[gabbles]

That will please a lot of people here. :yum:

[FatPassionFishPoet]

That will please a lot of people here. :yum:


Oh, so true.


Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate :colors:

Mummykins has promised to order in a lot of vegan chocolate for the festive season, since I larked on about goodwill for an hour, then about how fabulous chocolate is. V.v.v.v.v. excited: love chocolate.... :smallheart::smallheart:

Though, I was looking on E-bay, and found some white chocolate which was labelled 'vegan' but in the discription said that it was topped with honeycomb - surely that's not vegan?

[Gliondrach]

Why would they have bits of wax on chocolate? Perhaps 'honeycomb' is just the pattern? If it is honey, it won't be vegan.

[FatPassionFishPoet]

Mmm, maybe it is just the pattern. Might message the person...did look sort of honey-ish though, so I was a tad bit doubtful about the whole thing.

On another note, just discovered the website for the old dark mint chocolate that I loooove and that they stopped selling in Tescos! SO happy, going to order a ton later!!! Plus, I found white chocolate vegan buttons! So my life is now absolutely complete and perfect.

[paul]

Oh, so true.



Though, I was looking on E-bay, and found some white chocolate which was labelled 'vegan' but in the discription said that it was topped with honeycomb - surely that's not vegan?

Most honycomb is vegan as it doesnt contain honey, another name for it is cinder toffee, theres a recipe for it on this very fourm:whistle::dribble::chef:

[Gliondrach]

I think Fry's chocolate creme and peppermint creme are vegan.

[FatPassionFishPoet]

Most honycomb is vegan as it doesnt contain honey, another name for it is cinder toffee, theres a recipe for it on this very fourm:whistle::dribble::chef:

Ahhh, thanks! Good to know :p I'm relatively rubbish at knowing all these things :p I need to keep a list >_>

Gliondranch - I think it is...I really hope so...haven't had any in yonks, but that stuff tastes fantastic!

Do people on here eat stuff that says 'might contain traces of milk protein, etc' ?? Personally, I tend to avoid them, but I was just curious about other vegans views on these things...

[Gliondrach]

I've had Maya gold chocolate after it started putting that on the packets. It usually means it is made in the same equipment as milk chocolate. It's to cover them in case anyone has milk allergies - where just one molecule might set them off.

[Fauxmage]

Do people on here eat stuff that says 'might contain traces of milk protein, etc' ?? Personally, I tend to avoid them, but I was just curious about other vegans views on these things...
I don't worry about that. It's mostly a shared equipment disclosure, and is intended to cover the company in case their cleaning procedures accidentally leave enough of a residue to set off a reaction in a very sensitive person. I actually can't think of any exclusively vegan food packaging company. Soy milks get put into cartons at cow milk plants, dairy free chocolate gets wrapped at milk chocolate plants, and so on. It can't really be avoided, unless you want to go raw, or make all your food yourself. You just have to trust that they clean their equipment thoroughly, kinda like how you have to trust that the plates you get your food on at restaurants get washed properly between customers!

[FatPassionFishPoet]

Ahh I see. I was just interested, because I just tend to avoid them out of habit, and a vegan pal (the one single real vegan I know in RL!) also avoids them...she's all crazy-vegan though, kinda scary sometimes :p

Mm, I think I'm going to have a look at the chocolate down the supermarket tomorrow and make a list of what I can see that's vegan, since they've got practically everything on massive displays because of Christmas! Gotta be the worst time in the vegan year!

[Gliondrach]

You could send them an e-mail to ask what is suitable for vegans. Or you could say you have an allergy to dairy and eggs, and ask them which chocolates contain neither of those things. They might be extra careful thinking that if they give you the wrong advice you might end up in hospital and sue them.

Someone mentioned that ruse here a couple of years ago.

[Fauxmage]

Ahh I see. I was just interested, because I just tend to avoid them out of habit, and a vegan pal (the one single real vegan I know in RL!) also avoids them...she's all crazy-vegan though, kinda scary sometimes :p
Personal purity is really important for some people, and I think that's ok. It can make life tough though!

[Gliondrach]

Various studies have found that chocolate - dark chocolate - can help to protect the heart of healthy adults; suggest that it can reduce blood pressure and reduce fasting blood glucose levels in overweight or obese adults; that it can reduce various stress indicators in the body, including stress-related gut microbe activity; and can reduce the risk of death in people who have had their first acute heart attack. Other studies found that the various types of chocolate sold in the USA have varying amounts of anti-oxidants. In order, from highest to lowest they are:
1 cocoa powder, 2 unsweetened baking chocolate, 3 semi-sweet baking chips, 4 dark chocolate, 5 milk chocolate, 6 chocolate syrup. Dutched cocoa, also known as alkalised cocoa, contains slightly less anti-oxidants than natural cocoa. Dutching is done to reduce the bitterness and increase the darkness of cocoa.

Cocoa is not drinking chocolate. Drinking chocolate has sugar and sometimes milk in it. Cocoa is pure cocoa powder.

[sastearns]

I like NO Whey! Candies. They are a small operation. They have chocolate that looks and tastes like milk chocolate using Absolutely no animal products or derivatives of any kind.
http://www.veganlightchocolatenowhey.com
:cheer:

[Bowwowmeow]

Oh thanks for that link, I have never heard of them. The photos are beautiful, and the candies look delicious!

[Bowwowmeow]

Wow, I had more of a look around that chocolate website, and there is lots of really good vegan information there. :cheer:

[Gliondrach]

Lots of lovely choccies.