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The post Giveaway : win a luxury hot chocolate hamper appeared first on The Expater.

Chocolates, panettone, and more to add a little sweetness to the yuletide season.

The post 5 sweet treats to bring to your festive gatherings this year appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Chocolates, panettone, and more to add a little sweetness to the yuletide season.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

Good news for those with a sweet tooth — a study has discovered that chocolate might be good for you.

British and American researchers suggest that cocoa or, more precisely, the flavanols found in cocoa beans, could increase the mental agility of healthy adults.

The research, carried out by scientists at the University of Birmingham and the University of Illinois, and published in the journal, Scientific Reports, comes at just the right time. In fact, chocoholics may no longer have to feel guilty about their daily habit, not to mention the excesses of the festive season.

Scientists have found that flavanols naturally present in cocoa could not only improve brain blood oxygenation, but could also make you smarter... or, at least, have a positive effect on cognition. Cognitive function encompasses mental abilities such as memory, reasoning, language, decision-making and problem-solving.

[caption id="attachment_212763" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Assorted chocolates. (Image: Jessica Loaiza/ Unsplash)[/caption]

Eighteen healthy male volunteers were recruited based on specific criteria to take part in the study. Age 18 to 45, the volunteers were non-smokers with no previous history of cerebrovascular, cardiovascular or respiratory disease. They were not taking long-term medication, nor suffering from blood-clotting disorders, and had no known infections at the time of the study. Participants were asked to fast for 12 hours before each study visit, and to exclude certain foods and drinks from their diet so as not to skew the results.

The volunteers were tested before and after consuming cacao flavanols on two occasions. On one of those occasions, the subjects were given a cocoa drink enriched with flavanols, while on the other, they were given non-enriched cocoa. The experiment was conducted as a double-blind study, so neither the researchers nor the participants knew who consumed what.

[caption id="attachment_212766" align="aligncenter" width="683"] Time to reach for that hot chocolate. (Image: Sam Hojati/ Unsplash)[/caption]

A brain boost for the most difficult tasks

The scientists first set about analysing blood oxygenation response in participants' brains by asking them to breathe air containing higher levels of carbon dioxide than usually found in the air. They found that the majority of participants had a faster and greater brain oxygenation response after drinking the flavanol-rich drink, compared to other participants, and compared to before consumption.

Next, the volunteers were given a series of cognitive tests. Here, the scientists discovered that participants who consumed the flavanol-enriched cocoa performed better in the more complex cognitive tasks, in comparison to tests carried out before cocoa absorption and to participants who had only consumed low levels of flavanols.

[caption id="attachment_212764" align="alignnone" width="683"] Cacao fruits, from which cocoa beans are derived. (Image: Ly Le Minh/ Unsplash)[/caption]

The study has its limitations, however. The scientists saw no significant difference for the easiest cognitive tests. Similarly, participants who already completed the most difficult tasks before the study didn't see their scores improve.

Flavanols in fruit

Before you reach for your chocolate stash, note that, as well as being found in cocoa, certain fruits and vegetables are also rich in flavanols. Foods containing high levels of flavanols include green tea, fava beans, blackberries, grapes, cherries, raspberries, plums, strawberries, apples and apricots.

(Main and featured image: Ismael Trevino/ Unsplash)

The post Eating Chocolate Could Make You Smarter, According to Research appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Good news for those with a sweet tooth — a study has discovered that chocolate might be good for you.

British and American researchers suggest that cocoa or, more precisely, the flavanols found in cocoa beans, could increase the mental agility of healthy adults.

The research, carried out by scientists at the University of Birmingham and the University of Illinois, and published in the journal, Scientific Reports, comes at just the right time. In fact, chocoholics may no longer have to feel guilty about their daily habit, not to mention the excesses of the festive season.

Scientists have found that flavanols naturally present in cocoa could not only improve brain blood oxygenation, but could also make you smarter... or, at least, have a positive effect on cognition. Cognitive function encompasses mental abilities such as memory, reasoning, language, decision-making and problem-solving.

[caption id="attachment_212763" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Assorted chocolates. (Image: Jessica Loaiza/ Unsplash)[/caption]

Eighteen healthy male volunteers were recruited based on specific criteria to take part in the study. Age 18 to 45, the volunteers were non-smokers with no previous history of cerebrovascular, cardiovascular or respiratory disease. They were not taking long-term medication, nor suffering from blood-clotting disorders, and had no known infections at the time of the study. Participants were asked to fast for 12 hours before each study visit, and to exclude certain foods and drinks from their diet so as not to skew the results.

The volunteers were tested before and after consuming cacao flavanols on two occasions. On one of those occasions, the subjects were given a cocoa drink enriched with flavanols, while on the other, they were given non-enriched cocoa. The experiment was conducted as a double-blind study, so neither the researchers nor the participants knew who consumed what.

[caption id="attachment_212766" align="aligncenter" width="683"] Time to reach for that hot chocolate. (Image: Sam Hojati/ Unsplash)[/caption]

A brain boost for the most difficult tasks

The scientists first set about analysing blood oxygenation response in participants' brains by asking them to breathe air containing higher levels of carbon dioxide than usually found in the air. They found that the majority of participants had a faster and greater brain oxygenation response after drinking the flavanol-rich drink, compared to other participants, and compared to before consumption.

Next, the volunteers were given a series of cognitive tests. Here, the scientists discovered that participants who consumed the flavanol-enriched cocoa performed better in the more complex cognitive tasks, in comparison to tests carried out before cocoa absorption and to participants who had only consumed low levels of flavanols.

[caption id="attachment_212764" align="alignnone" width="683"] Cacao fruits, from which cocoa beans are derived. (Image: Ly Le Minh/ Unsplash)[/caption]

The study has its limitations, however. The scientists saw no significant difference for the easiest cognitive tests. Similarly, participants who already completed the most difficult tasks before the study didn't see their scores improve.

Flavanols in fruit

Before you reach for your chocolate stash, note that, as well as being found in cocoa, certain fruits and vegetables are also rich in flavanols. Foods containing high levels of flavanols include green tea, fava beans, blackberries, grapes, cherries, raspberries, plums, strawberries, apples and apricots.

(Main and featured image: Ismael Trevino/ Unsplash)

The post Eating Chocolate Could Make You Smarter, According to Research appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Surprise the gastronomes on your gift list with delicacies that are sure to please. We’ve picked out a few items that many gourmands likely consider kitchen essentials: cheese, wagyu, chocolate, truffles, and a bit of wine. Our choices include the best of the best. No one will fault you for doubling your purchase in order […]

The post Gifts Ideas for the Gourmand appeared first on Upscale Living Magazine.

Chocolate might soon become a guilt-free indulgence.

From vegan to lactose-free and sugar free alternatives, a growing number of artisan chocolate-makers in France are crafting the chocolate of tomorrow when removing the very ingredients that usually satisfy our taste for sugar and fat. And they're replacing these with natural ingredients such as fruit, avocado oil and soy milk.

It took Meilleur Ouvrier de France (Best Craftsman in France), Nicolas Cloiseau, nine months to develop his 100 percent plant-based collection. That was back in 2018, when the head chocolatier of France's La Maison du Chocolat was the first big name to shake things up in the chocolate world. The starting idea was simple: To concoct a chocolate selection every bit as delicious as those usually hailing from La Maison du Chocolat, but without using even a hint of cream or butter in the ganaches.

[caption id="attachment_211086" align="alignnone" width="1024"] La Maison du Chocolat unveiled its first collection of plant-based chocolates in 2018. (Image: La Maison du Chocolat)[/caption]

Accompanied by a nutritionist, Nicolas Cloiseau developed recipes for five ganaches that only use natural ingredients to achieve the perfect taste and texture of a chocolate. As for sugar, Chef Cloiseau looked to honey and maple syrup to deliver just the right hit of sweetness.

[inline_related_article article_id="211048,210418"]

Fruit, plants, infusions

When crafting the chocolate of tomorrow, chefs above all draw on the rich flavours and aromas of nature to help them perfect the taste and texture of a ganache. Nicolas Cloiseau uses enough quantities to round out his creations to perfection, reaching up to 74 percent in treats such as his squash seed praline. Whether as pulp, juice or nectar, fruit is used in all kinds of ways and is often matched with spices. Turmeric, for example, is combined with mango to bring an acidic hint to a dark ganache, while aloe vera is twinned with green apple, and pomegranate is combined with raspberry and aronia berry juices. Perhaps the most unusual addition is propolis, a resinous substance produced by honeybees and used to build and maintain the hive.

At Paris-based Edwart Chocolatier, Edwin Yansané also works with fruit purées, as well as infusions. His debut vegan selection features hibiscus and pepper, as well as fresh, just-roasted coffee.

"The ganaches were a real challenge! With my team, we had to get really creative to find and work with a plant-based base capable of holding all the flavours, even the most subtle," explains the Edwart Chocolatier founder. His box of 25 chocolates costs €28 (HK$256).

[caption id="attachment_211088" align="alignnone" width="819"] The first vegan selection from Edwart Chocolatier. (Image: Edwart Chocolatier)[/caption]

From soy milk to avocado oil

To replace cream — since no butter was used in his creations — chocolate-maker Edwin Yansané decided to use soy milk to get a creamy and silky consistency. The young artisan carried out various tests with coconut milk, oat milk, almond milk and plant-based mascarpone.

For his part, Nicolas Cloiseau is working on another idea in the form an upcoming vegan chocolate selection. Unveiled back in January, the collection uses avocado oil to replace animal fats in the "La Vie en Vert" collection, due early 2021. The range includes concoctions featuring Burgundy blackcurrant, passion fruit and raspberry purée. The box is priced €27 for 16 chocolates (HK$247).

Playing with proportions

To make a lactose-free chocolate spread, Pierre Chauvet decided to increase the percentage of hazelnuts in his product to obtain sufficient oil and an adequate emulsion. The chocolatier, based in Aubenas in France's south-eastern Ardèche region, chose to use 60 percent hazelnuts compared to the usual 43 percent.

"The more you increase the proportion, the greater the creaminess," explains the chocolate-maker. Indeed, since the nut already contains fat, all you have to do is prepare a praline — i.e., caramelise the nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, pecans) then blend them up. Then, after a few seconds, an oil rises to the surface transforming the powder into a paste.

[caption id="attachment_211087" align="aligncenter" width="769"] 'Délices d'Arthur' chocolate spread by Pierre Chauvet. (Image: Pierre Chauet/ AFP)[/caption]

"Generally, we would use soy lecithin to make lactose-free options. But I didn't want to use that. And, in these recipes, you only use 10 to 25% nuts," explains Pierre Chauvet, who kept costs down by using hazelnuts from the Middle East rather than from Italy's Piedmont region. The spread costs €7.90 per 110g jar (HK$72).

La Maison du Chocolat also made use of the hazelnut and its oil content to perfect the texture of its first plant-based collection. Alongside this, Nicolas Cloiseau uses chicory fibre, also being put to use in the "La Vie en Vert" collection.

Pierre Chauvet isn't stopping at the lactose-fee spread, and is now working on a range of lactose-free ganaches. "Instead of milk, we add water, coconut milk, couverture chocolate, cocoa. Everything still needs to be gauged," explains the chocolate-maker.

Indeed, it seems that the chocolate of tomorrow still has plenty of surprises in store.

(Main image: La Maison du Chocolat; Featured image: Tetiana Bykovets/ Unsplash)

The post French Chocolatiers are Shaking Up the Confectionery World with Healthier Options appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

The Lindt Home of Chocolate, a 65,000-square-foot museum complete with interactive exhibitions, the world’s largest Lindt chocolate shop, a ‘Chocolateria,’ and the world’s largest chocolate fountain, will open its doors in Zurich on September 13. Designed by Basel-based architectural firm Christ & Gantenbein, the contemporary, light-filled museum building in Zurich’s Kilchberg suburb will complement the […]

The post Zurich to Open The World’s Largest Lindt Chocolate Shop and Museum appeared first on Upscale Living Magazine.

In every corner of the world, chocolate is one of the favorite desserts of all-time. Though it’s use is dated back to 450BC, modern chocolate [...]

The post Most Expensive Chocolates In The World appeared first on Most Expensive Thing.