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No one
"does" Chocolate like Joseph
Schmidt! |
by Sally Jechura / Webspresso Web Design Too Much of a Good Thing is..... Wonderful!! WOWza! Even after 8 years, the 2008 ALL CANDY EXPO®, never ceases to amaze! What's not to love about 3 whole days filled with sugar, chocolate, gum, mints, chips, meats, and pickles! Yes, pickles - I discovered that partaking of the pickle samples is the perfect way to cleanse one's chocolate coated palate. The vinegar cuts through the residue and clears the way for the next gooey treat! Since it's only been 8 months since the last All Candy Expo, there's nothing much that has really changed as far as trends go. But here's my observations on this year's show. Good For You, Good for the World, and Politically Correct Candy: Due to some findings that dark chocolate may actually have health benefits, everyone is jumping on that band wagon. Some researchers discovered that cocoa and chocolate is rich in flavonol, which can promote healthy blood flow the same way aspirin does. Wouldn't you love for your doctor to say "eat 2 candy bars and call me in the morning"? Researchers have found a way to make dark chocolate that keeps 95% of the flavonol intact during the cocoa processing (which normal destroys the flavoniods). In order to help diminish global poverty and promote sustainability for farmers, many companies are only buying fair trade cocoa beans. Here are a few companies that are part of this socially conscience movement:  Maramor Chocolates, available
at GNC, their Dark chocolate Squares include Omega-3, the good fat!SweetRiot - A tin of their luscious cocoa-nibs contains only 140 calories. Check out this socially conscience company at: sweetriot.com Energy Gummies - Loaded with vitamin B12 & C, and also Guarana (a natural caffeine), you can boost your energy with a couple of these. Figamags are a new healthy way to enjoy chocolate. They did taste very nice, moist and rich. They are much lower in fat and do contain some iron, calcium and fiber. /  Glee Gum is all natural chewing
gum made with sustainable harvested rainforest chicle. Pure Fun, makers of Organic Candy Canes, use no artificial ingredients, dyes or chemicals in the creation of their candies. Dark is the new Milk! I would estimate that at least 75% of the new chocolate items at the show were of the dark variety. Much of it has to do with the above mentioned findings.  When
I was younger, I much preferred dark chocolate over milk. But 30 years ago, dark chocolate
tasted like Nestle's Semi-sweet Chips - over time, most dark chocolate is much less sweet.
My fav pics this year for dark chocolate is Toblerone Bittersweet - it comes very close to that taste I crave,
plus it has the luscious Italian nugget. My choice for the best milk chocolate this year
is the same as last year, Green
& Black's Organic Chocolate. Very nice with a slow and rich melt. Other
chocolate favorites - Mallowcups, Premium M&Ms, Toblerone, Hershey's and all of the
Classics!I call it the kitchen sink trend. You can get chocolate with so many non-traditional additions or infusions: Chocolate & Thyme; Red Pepper; Tea; Lavender, Ginger, Currents...the list goes on. Check out Dan's Chocolates, or NewTree Chocolate Bars. The Dove Chocolate booth offered wine and chocolate parings. It was fun to try the 3 combinations they offered. Speaking of Dove, you MUST try their new foil wrapped filled chocolates - the best is the Bananas Foster. Dove is offering some new interesting new flavors including Blueberry Almond, and Chocolate Mousse. Also, watch for the Dove Promises Pink Foil, which will carry messages from Breast Cancer Survivors on the inside of the wrappers. The company gathered the messages from their website submissions. PEEPS® Buzz Old Favorites: Did you know? |
Contest Fun
Here's
what's going on with everyone's favorite marshmallow treat: PEEPS® Chocolate Mousse
Bears, Chocolate Mousse Bunnies, Orange Chicks, Green Bunnies. For Christmas, be on
the lookout for the clever Joy Peeps; the three individual letters J-O-Y shaped in
marshmallow. Halloween should bring orange sugar-free Pumpkins and Ghosts. I recall
enthusiastically writing about the sugar free Peeps after sampling them at the show back
in '06, but I have yet to encounter them at retail stores. I hope to find them in the near
future. 
I
stopped by a beautiful small booth belonging to 
I
flipped over 
Black
Liquorice - you either love it or hate it. I happen to love it, and no one does it better
than the Aussies! If you need to get your anise fix, try Tubi's Tire Treads.