Candy Dish Blog

Yesterday we invited Washington, DC area food and lifestyle reporters to see our new Georgetown offices, share a meal with us and exchange information about trends in candy, chocolate, cocoa and gum.

There was much conversation around our community table. The chocolate and cocoa related conversation went like this:

• Top rated entree of the day: Cocoa, rosemary and soy marinated tenderloin of beef. This dish was proof that cocoa is a welcome addition to the entire dinner table, not just dessert.
• Chocolate is America’s favorite flavor (vanilla is #2) with Americans relatively evenly split between a love for dark or milk chocolate.
• Sweet and savory combinations are mighty fine. We sampled bacon, brie and chipotle filled truffles–one of each.
• Interested pairings are making their mark, such as chili, lavender, sesame, green tea infused chocolates.
• Chocolate and cocoa are international foods. Cocoa was celebrated by the ancient Mayans over 2000 years ago. Cocoa trees are grown in small communities in very hot humid climates near the Equator in West Africa, Asia and Latin America. Chocolate or cocoa are immensely popular in the Americas, nearly all European countries and there is growing interest in Asia where green tea and chocolate are popular combinations.
• Cocoa trees are delicate, requiring the loving care of the farm families who tend them. They are susceptible to pests and diseases and need careful pruning and constant attention to ensure a healthy tree. Most cocoa farm families grow other crops, such as hardwood trees, bananas, other fruits, cassava and plaintain to provide shade for the cocoa trees as well as a year round income for the families, since there are only two cocoa harvests a year.
• Definitive research shows that cocoa butter, the natural fat in the cocoa bean, does not raise blood cholesterol levels in the body. (Cocoa beans, by the way, are a fruit and grow inside pods shaped like footballs from the trunks of cocoa trees.)
• Chocolate, in particular dark chocolate, and cocoa contain flavanols, a type of antioxidant which can affect good cardiovascular health.
• Our experts predict that additional research will show a positive effect on blood pressure and mood (we don’t really need the experts to tell us chocolate makes us happy!).
• The antioxidant properties of the cocoa bean make it a beneficial addition to many skin and beauty care products such as lotion, anti-aging creams, soaps and shampoos.

We had a great time and hope our guests did, too. We hope some of you will be able to join us at our table in the future. In the meantime we know that really, almost everyone is a chocolate expert. What chocolate trends are you willing to predict?