Chocology Today

---

Ever wonder how we learned to turn this . . .

into this?

---

Most historians agree that the use of cacao (kəˈkāō) started in Central America, most likely with the Mayans, although evidence of earlier usage has been found in pre-Columbian cultural artifacts from as early as 1900 B.C. Written and pictorial evidence was provided by the Mayans however, and is where we get our knowledge about how it was first used and why. Although there is no historical evidence demonstrating who first discovered the cacao bean, you have to wonder what that day might have been like.

Mayan boy beholds the cacao pods growing on a tree at the edge of the rainforest. He gazes and wonders for days, maybe years what’s inside those pods. Then one day, a pod falls to the ground. Maybe he kicks it around for a bit. He might use it as a weapon to hunt. Or maybe he’s just curious and beats it with a stick. In any case, the pod cracks and he finds 40 brownish almond shaped beans inside. What does he do with them? Does he try to eat the beans? Does he take the pod to his leader for further evaluation? Does he crack another one just for fun?  

 We will probably never know the answer to these questions. But we do know that when it was discovered, the Mayans formulate a five-step process for making cacao paste and then from the paste concocted a frothy bitter drink, to which they added chili peppers and cornmeal. This newly invented drink was offered during the sacred ceremonies of birth, marriage and death. It was revered for it’s magical and divine properties. The Mayans began to grow it deliberately in their personal gardens. Since it grew easily in the region, everyone could drink cacao, regardless of social status. By 1400, the Aztecs had invaded many of the Mayan territories so they too discovered cacao. They required that the Mayan’s pay their taxes in cacao beans. Because the Aztecs couldn’t grow cacao trees in their homeland of what is now called Mexico City, they carried the beans in woven backpacks 900 miles to their homeland. Because it was laborious to import, cacao was reserved for rich royalty or high priests. The beans became a valuable imported resource and the Aztec began using it as currency. Aztec conquistadors left records noting, for instance, that one cacao bean could buy a tomato while 100 cacao beans could purchase a small forest rabbit. In the sixteenth century, the Spanish conquered the Aztec civilization and cacao was imported to Spain. Spaniards still consumed it as a drink, however to counteract the bitterness, they began adding honey or cane sugar. Within one hundred years, the concoction had spread throughout Europe. The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries brought us the industrial revolution and with that, new technologies for processing cacao beans were invented. This sped up the process and allowed for smoother and creamier textures. Until now, cacao had only been consumed as a drink. Van Houten’s invention of the chocolate press allowed cacao butter to be extracted from the beans, which left us with cocoa powder, the solid form of chocolate. It wasn’t long until chocolate connoisseurs began mixing cocoa powder back into the cacao fats, then adding sugars, to produce candy. By 1847, the chocolate bar was born and new methods and ways of producing it followed. Cadbury began marketing boxes of chocolates in England. Nestle, from Switzerland, added condensed milk to produce milk chocolate. Lindt made chocolate more blendable and smooth using the process of conching. These innovative times made it easier to produce chocolate from the cacao beans and enabled the delicacy to be marketed to the masses. By the twentieth century, it was more affordable since its production was becoming automated. Over the twentieth century, the word chocolate expanded to include a range of treats, which incorporated more sugar and additives. Today, chocolate is available to most everyone on the planet and has become one of the worlds most popular food types used in a variety of candies, cookies, cakes and other sweet treats. That’s quite a history! The transformation from cacao to modern day chocolate is an interesting one and we at Chocology are happy to be a part of its evolution. What do you think? Do you have an interesting historical fact? Be one of the first ten to comment here and we’ll send you a free 4-piece sampler of Chocology chocolates! Now, are you curious about the “What’s Your Favorite Chocolate” poll results?   Find them here, on Facebook. Remember to "like" us!

Want to help Chocology kick off its North American online store? Well you can and we hope you will! By now, you may be getting to know us a little better. You’ve learned about our family, our staff and our values. We love all things chocolate and want to expand our research and bring fun education and great chocolates to our customers. Now, you can help by letting us get to know you. We’ve tried every kind of chocolate, from bacon dipped delights to rose petal truffles. With so much to choose from, your input is invaluable. While we at Chocology love all chocolates, we do have our preferences. And we know you do too. What would you like to see line the Chocology shelves? We strive to satisfy your chocolate wishes. How better to do that to cultivate a direct relationship with you and find out what you like? Are you more conservative with your chocolate or do you like to live on the edge? Do you want to stick with what you know or try new things? Please take a moment to scan through our poll and give us your thoughts in the "Leave a Comment" section. Poll Questions: [polldaddy poll=8157805] [polldaddy poll=8157814] [polldaddy poll=8157860]   Thanks for your responses. As we get to know you better, we feel confident we can better serve you and your chocolate needs. The results of our poll will be posted in a future blog post and of course will be reflected on our Chocology shelves.

We at Chocology are committed to and love the study of chocolate – extending that love and knowledge to the world in a new and exciting way is our passion. Chocolate has acquired a reputation over time as a food that should be avoided rather than revered. Most of the candies you find at the checkout line have very little cocoa in them, sometimes as little as ten percent. Instead they are packed with white sugar and milk solids, making them a nice occasional treat with little nutritional value. And still, millions of us consume them in vast amounts on a daily basis. True cocoa, however has been held in high esteem since the days of the ancient Mayans. Used for spiritual and medicinal purposes, it was and still is recognized as one of the super foods of the world. The higher the cocoa content, the higher the health benefits. How do we come to appreciate higher cocoa contents and flip our paradigm from “chocolate is bad” to “chocolate is nutritious”? The art of chocolate encompasses all of our senses; it truly is a sensory experience. We start where we are and become present when we eat chocolate in any form. Mindfully tasting chocolate can be a rewarding experience when we slow down and appreciate it. When we are accustomed to popping it into our mouths heedlessly, we miss the adventure of skillfully tasting this super food. Chocolate tickles the senses and the cocoa in it provides nourishment for our bodies. We want to learn to like the good stuff, right? But going from a highly processed milk chocolate to an eighty-five percent dark chocolate bar is quiet a leap. That’s why we acknowledge where we are now and begin the process of recalibrating our taste buds, moment by moment. Let’s begin by engaging our senses and paying attention to what we are experiencing here and now. We’ll shift the emphasis to the tasting experience itself rather than reaching an anticipated end goal. Perhaps you can close your eyes, pay attention to your breath and then begin the process of tasting. Choose the highest quality chocolate possible. Even if it is one of the popular grocery store brands, it’s a start. Our first goal is to experience chocolate in the moment, with reverence and appreciation. As we expand our awareness, we can choose higher cocoa contents and different brands to experiment with. Rather than popping it into your mouth right away, why not take a moment to evaluate its packaging. Is it a box of truffles or a slick sleeved bar? Is there writing on the container? What does it say? In what region of the world did the cocoa grow? What is the percentage of cocoa in your candy? Unwrap your chocolate slowly. Listen to the rustle of the paper or the crinkling of the box as you open it. Can you anticipate what you will see? Now, ponder the color, texture and shape of your chocolate. Is it dark brown or light? Does it appear smooth or bumpy? Did the artisan design the shape or color in an unusual way? Have they added nuts or fruit? What does that look like? Next, bring the chocolate to your nose. While some of the flavor aromas are “trapped” inside of the cocoa butter until melted in your mouth, there will be others you can detect. Do you know what they are? Can you identify them? Then, break off a small piece. Listen. Does it snap or is it pliable? How does in feel in your fingers? Is it light? Heavy? Filled with ganache or cream? Finally, place the chocolate on your tongue and bite into it gently but don’t chew. Try to experience the taste and not judge it as good or bad. Allow the chocolate to slowly coat your tongue and the roof of your mouth. What flavors do you taste? Is it bitter? Can you taste sweetness? A hint of salt? What sensations do you have in your mouth after you’ve swallowed? Has the taste evolved even further? Do you want to try it again or would you prefer something else? Each time you taste, your ability to decipher new flavors and nuances grow and your appreciation of the quality expands with it. Tasting chocolate is an experience much different than just eating it. While we don’t want to over think it, mindfully considering the elegance of chocolate can leave us feeling satisfied. It satiates our desire for sweetness and provides our bodies with nourishment. Our incessant need for more diminishes and the appreciation of what is in front of us increases. When we contemplate art, we do it slowly and appreciatively. Quality chocolate is an art form worthy of our presence and full attention. The feeling of happiness and well-being grows when we acknowledge appreciation in our lives. Appreciating the chocolate in our lives is good for us and assists us in making the leap to finer and higher quality with each mindful taste.

[caption id="attachment_233" align="alignleft" width="271"] Pizza and Ice Cream Party![/caption] Madeline’s Innovative Thinking Pays Off We at Chocology pride ourselves on personalizing every experience. Our 12-year-old cofounder, Madeline is no exception. With her big ideas and out of the box thinking, she keeps us hopping with new possibilities. Madeline and her mom Linda had just attended a girls club meeting where a party for the girls was being planned. Madeline was in charge of providing the treats. As she and her mom drove home, Madeline sat in the passengers seat deep in thought. Conversation bubbles seemed to dance above her head. Pizza party or ice cream social? What should I choose? What would be the most popular option? What will get everyone excited? Suddenly, Madeline exclaimed, “I’ve got it, Mama! Why can’t we have both? Chocolate on top of pizza crust with ice cream!” Linda smiled and veered off the road toward their favorite Whole Foods grocery store. With loving care they picked out all natural light multigrain cocoa pop cakes, which would become the pizza crust for their new creation. They also chose a variety of chocolates; dark, semi-sweet and milk. Ingredients in hand, they set out to make Madeline’s creation a reality. Since the Johnson family normally eats dark chocolate, the milk chocolate proved to be a bit tricky to work with on their “pizza dough.” But their diligence paid off and the pizza crusts were brought to fruition. Next, they worked on presentation. Linda had the idea to call their favorite pizza place in New York and tell them what they were doing. To make the pizza experience fun, she asked to buy 10 personal pizza boxes to present Madeline’s treats in. The pizza place loved it. “Come on in…,” they said. When they arrived, Linda and Madeline were surprised that the pizza shop not only provided boxes for the girls, but plates, bags and t-shirts as well. With ice cream in tow, Linda and Madeline made their “pizza” delivery to the girls club. The delight on the girls’ faces was all Madeline needed, to know that her idea was a success. Madeline’s drive to create limitless possibilities is an inspiration at Chocology. She knows that sometimes we don’t have to choose. Sometimes we can have it all! Linda’s “Ooops” Moment So much goes into starting a new business; planning, purchasing, advertising and much more. Linda loves her chocolate business, but at times her mind spins with the conversions that are necessary for the operation of Chocology, an international company.

• Time Zone conversions
•  Kilos/Pounds
• Inches/Centimeters
• Euros/British pounds/US Dollars

It was time to get ready for the big U.S. launch promotion. Needing to order chocolates that would be offered as samples to potential customers, she sat down with her computer to make the online purchase from her Belgian Chocolatier. Making her selections was fun. Her focus on personalizing her sample products was at the forefront of her mind. She excitedly hit the place order button. Ahh. The order was complete. The confirmation flashed to the screen. She did a double take. Wait! Did I just order 1,440 pounds of chocolate? Oh NO!! I’m ordering samples, not stocking all of the Whole Food Stores in the U.S.! Grabbing her phone she hit speed dial to her Belgian supplier. They laughed over her blunder and then got it corrected. All was right in the world. Luckily Linda knows that these things are bound to happen when running a business. We are human after all. Mistakes turn to learning experiences and she definitely learned one here. Always double-check the Kilo/Pound conversion. Always… Our North American promotional chocolate will be going out the second week in July. If you would like to try a sample, please contact us at Linda@chocologyunlimited.com. Bon appétit!

“With the health of a nation deteriorating, studies are showing that cacao contains interesting health benefits that could reverse the effects of a fast-paced lifestyle.” Center for Flavonoid Research, White Paper Supplemental: University Studies At Chocology, we are interested in all aspects of chocolate, including reasons why we want to and should eat it. Spawned by an article in the Huffington Post, “17 Reasons You Should Eat Chocolate Every Day” we went on a search to prove why we really should eat chocolate every day. Who doesn’t love chocolate? It’s rich, luscious taste and consistency has enamored young and old alike for centuries. We all feel a little guilty when we eat it, don’t we? But what if indulging in chocolate is not as bad as we originally thought? In fact, what if it actually saves lives? In recent years, the study of the effects of cacao on the human body has increased at Universities around the world. A publication from The Center for Flavonoid Research suggests that eating cacao daily provides many health benefits including the healing of certain chronic ailments.  Another article published by Dr. Bret S. Stetka at Medscape.com also suggests benefits of eating chocolate and even offers amounts that should be consumed daily to attain these benefits. So what are the benefits? Here are just five benefits of eating quality chocolate on a daily basis.

Lowers Blood Pressure

In his article on Medscape, Dr. Stetka references a study that suggests that 3.5 ounces of dark chocolate per day for a month can lower blood pressure by 2.27/2.20 mm HG. That’s quiet impressive! The blood-pressure-lowering properties are attributed to the flavanols found in cacao.

Lowers Risk of Mortality Due to Heart Failure

According to Stetka, a study published in European Heart Journal found that “daily dark chocolate consumption over a 4-week period improves endothelial and platelet function in patients with congestive heart failure. Chocolate consumption has also been associated with a lower incidence of myocardial infarction and mortality from coronary heart disease.” Now there’s a great reason to eat chocolate every day!

Improves Mental Acuity

Professor David Kennedy of Northumbria University in England conducted a study exploring the benefits of chocolate on the human brain. His group suggests that high levels of flavonoids found in quality dark chocolate can improve brain function when performing mentally challenging tasks, such as counting backwards from 999. They also found that subjects were less tired after performing these tasks.

Lowers Risk of Stroke

As stated by Stetka, Neurology published a study reporting that individuals who eat at least 1.8 oz of chocolate per week have a 17% lower risk for stroke compared with people who ate less.

Lowers BMI (You’ve got to be kidding!)

No, we’re not kidding. Frequent chocolate consumption is associated with a lower body mass index (BMI). The antioxidants found in cacao are believed to contribute to metabolic health, which in turn can help you stay trim. Universities around the world have recognized and proved some of the benefits of eating chocolate and studies are still being conducted.  Knowing your chocolate can yield great benefits not only to your palate but also to your health. Go ahead and have a bit every day! You may be very glad you did. Reference Websites: http://adampaulgreen.com/wp-content/resources/University_Studies_White_Paper.pdf http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/10/chocolate_n_5118120.html  

Meet Natalie -This morning we met with Natalie who was flying in from Cape Town—bless her heart after flying for 22 hours on Easter morning she still wanted to take her time to meet with us.  Natalie will be bringing in new business with Chocology.  Natalie was magical as David’s PA here in England.  She would always believe that something is possible and somehow she made it so.  I love her positive attitude and trust our new clients couldn’t be in better hands. Our final destination of this trip is the London Eye!  Madeline and I had the most lovely afternoon tea, the staff was charming and we were in the center of absolutely everything. After our hour ride we stolled along the River Thames and enjoyed the street fair (in the rain) and indulged in the sites and smells of the rich indian foods and the diversity of people only to be found in London.  It’s no wonder Madeline wants to move back here. Happy travels, Linda and Madeline

London Chocolate Tour We are staying out by the airport for the duration of our trip so that tomorrow morning we can meet an old friend and possible Chocology team member out at Terminal 3 at 10am. Yes, today is once again back to work—we must indulge again in more chocolate.  We engaged in secret shopping in order to check out some of the competition.   Madeline even drew some images of the competitors products on the iPad! Yes, I know our products and how we wish to service our customers but I also want to know what our customers are doing.  I don’t want to miss anything.  When I was an Inn Keeper in Maine I was sure to sleep (and shower) in every room just so I would know how each guest might experience their room. As we were entering the tube station Madeline said to me “Mama why do you always tell me where we are going—every little detail?”  I stopped, then asked her to close her eyes and then I turned her around a couple of times to disorient her and then started dragging her along with me.  She looked at me with a big question mark on her face and I explained to her how Knowledge is Power and don’t you feel more in control when you know where you’re going and what’s coming next?  She said “yes” and then I had her get us into Leicester Square.  Now she knows her way around the London tubes like a local. Happy travels, Linda and Madeline

London to Bath to Glastonbury -After breakfast we took the tube to the train to meet our dear friend Michelle and her family.  We met Michelle and her family when we moved to Port Jefferson, New York 8 years ago and Madeline went to school with her boys.  Sadly (for me) in October they moved home to England to be nearer Michelle’s mum. But now it appears to be a positive as Michelle will be packaging and shipping our Chocology orders here in UK!  I love that we are all connected as coworkers AND as people.  Life is good! When I mentioned to Michelle how much we love Indian food, her husband Joe whipped together a lovely Indian meal and we all enjoyed catching up and making Chocology plans.  It felt so good to be in a home and with good friends. Madeline and the chaps stayed up playing games until midnight!  It was so cute in the morning when they all said staying up late was great fun but “it wasn’t worth it in the morning.” Happy travels, Linda and Madeline

London -When we lived here the first thing I would do when anyone from America came over to visit was send them on the Big Bus Tour—which is exactly what I wanted for Madeline to do.  It’s a great way to get your sense of direction and at the very least get to see the sites of London.  Madeline loved spending the entire day sitting on the top of the double decker bus seeing all of London’s famous landmarks! I’d have to say Tower bridge was probably Madeline’s favorite.. and I’m confident that’s because for her 10th birthday we had a big ‘ol Lego party and the final mystery build was 18 kids building the 4,287 pieces Tower Bridge. It’s still sits proudly in my office at home. Pretty much as soon as I moved over to London I learned the best Indian food comes out of London and guess what?  Marriott Regents Park restaurant features Indian food and Chef Ali's Chicken Tika Masala was out of this world.  Oh it was good to just take a day off and enjoy a fabulous dinner at the hotel and then sleep like rocks. Happy Travels, Linda and Madeline p.s.  Madeline absolutely love, love, loves London.  She says "The people are so refined, and helpful and the city is busy and quiet at the same time".  She also loves how the people respect history.  She'd move here in a heartbeat.

Our First day in London -First thing this morning I met with our web designer, Denise.  I’m so happy she’s going to stay on and work with us as well as take on the responsibility of the Chocology Unlimited site.  She’s so positive; she didn’t even flinch when I asked her to be sure the website looks good not only on a desktop but on the iPads and Smartphones as well… After a lovely breakfast, we were frustrated because we STILL couldn’t get Madeline’s wifi working.  The hotel staff as well as their tech department couldn’t get it working and then Madeline said “Ethernet Cable!” and all was well with the world.  Just a short taxi ride over to St John's Wood High Street we picked up a British phone and sent some chocolate home to some of Madeline’s friends.  Then we went immediately over to the Apple store on Regents Street.  As always, they were just as impressive as the other Apple stores and spent an hour explaining the differences between US and UK network access. Later we enjoyed a scrumptious dinner at Fortnum & Mason and were very happy to be able to read the menu.  Back in the hotel that evening, Madeline created a business flow chart of how our Chocology orders will flow.  It was very easy to understand.  Her diagrams, illustrations and logical sequence process was spot on!  I love the way she thinks! Happy Travels, Linda and Madeline p.s. Any questions?  Drop us a line at:  info@chocology.uk.co or email me at linda@chocology.co.uk

Chocology: What started as a dream is now a sweet adventure. Know Your Chocolate, Acknowledge Your Dreams. Yield to Chocolate, Realize Your Dreams! Oxford, England. April 9, 2014 Chocology ltd., first launched in Oxford Covered Market in 2001 and is reemerging and rebirthing its efforts to provide the most exquisite chocolates, servicing farms shops, independent chocolate shops and discriminating chocolate connoisseurs all across the UK. Linda Johnson, Owner and Managing Director of this online shop Chocology, along with her 12 year old daughter, Madeline hope to empower their customers to contemplate chocolate in a new way. Their dream of a family business, where Madeline could be a full participant, has been realized through Chocology and they want to inspire their customers to see that chocolate can assist them in reaching their dreams as well. Linda says, "I've wanted to have a family business ever since I can remember; life such as it is, the timing was never quite right. The moment I discovered Chocology, I knew it was the ideal business for our family. Madeline is passionate about chocolate, the smell, taste and the look of it and so am I! Chocology provides us an exceptional opportunity to study chocolate and bring our customers along with us for the ride. The future of Chocology encompasses endless possibilities...our dream come true." This Mother-Daughter Duo plan to launch several new products throughout the next year. Chocology products go beyond your normal run-of-the-mill chocolate. Each chocolate, a miniature work of art, is packed to order and never warehoused. Chocology chocolates are hand finished, containing 100% cocoa butter and cream combined with the highest quality natural ingredients available. Each decadent morsel is hand finished with careful artistic style. High in cocoa mass and low in sugar content, this chocolate is actually healthy. Scientific research has recently confirmed chocolate is good for your heart. Johnson states, "For the past several months we've worked very closely with former owner John Partington. We want to keep what's working-working and expand on that." Last week Johnson and Madeline spent time touring and tasting chocolate in Belgium--the chocolate capital of the world. Linda describes that experience saying, "We loved visiting our Chocology chocolate supplier and learning all about the science of how they make our chocolate so special--we even collaborated to develop a unique new product." "Chocology--the study of chocolate," says Madeline, "need I say more? It doesn't get any better than that!" As a family owned business, Chocology prides itself on its unique approach to the chocolate business, focusing on exceptional chocolate, personal customer service and superior quality. Chocology will soon be offering something special for everyone, Best gift ever--monthly themed chocolate gifts. Enhance your gift giving experience, with a 5% off coupon for your first order. The Johnson's have big lans for the future. Chocology Unlimited will be expanding to the Americas in summer 2014. For more information please contact Linda Johnson at linda@Chocology.co.uk or linda@ChocologyUnlimited.com Follow them @ ChocologyToday.wordpress.com    

Brussels, Belgium -Madeline slept in late and this afternoon she and I took a chocolate workshop! The shop was within walking distance of our hotel and it was good to step away from everything and clear my head.  We made our own truffles and discovered even more secrets of the chocolate makers. FINALLY at 7 o'clock in the evening, our dreams came true and we were officially the new owners of Chocology Limited in the UK. John and I spent hours going through paperwork until seriously, I couldn't see straight anymore. It was a fine day! Happy travels! Linda and Madeline Owner and Managing Director http://www.Chocology.co.uk Know Your Chocolate, Acknowledge Your Dreams.  Yield to Chocolate, Realize Your Dreams!