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Post by cameron1974 on Mar 24, 2009 22:16:06 GMT -5
[Spam Snipped]
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Post by cheebs on Mar 24, 2009 22:32:31 GMT -5
um, no. thanks.
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Post by Brad on Mar 25, 2009 1:31:19 GMT -5
Hey everybody, I'm all for learning. Cameron1974 is spouting off a lot of facts, and seeing as we are all on this forum to learn and make our own chocolate, maybe Cameron1974 can share the exact details of the following: 1. Exactly how traditional chocolate processing destroys antioxidants. 2. Exactly how xocai is processed such that it doesn't destroy antioxidants. 3. Exactly what chocolate bars here in North America actually USE wax as he so claims. 4. Which chocolate makers actually use cocoa powder to make chocolate. This is a VERY important question, because the Xocai web site claims that Dutching the cocoa is what removes the antioxidant benefits thereby making chocolate unhealthy. To the best of my knowledge, and as a professional in this industry, it's COCOA that gets the alkalization treatment, not the beans or nibs. Personally I know of no chocolate company that goes through all of the trouble to remove the cocoa butter from their beans, dutch the cocoa powder, and then add it in again and make chocolate, and I know of no GOOD chocolate companies that use cocoa powder PERIOD to make their chocolate. 5. If the chocolate is cold processed, how are the beans sanitized to eliminate the risk of salmonella, ecoli and other pathogens? My understanding is the only way to do this would be through heat in excess of 165 degrees Farenheit. Please educate me Mr. Cameron1974, and don't try B.S. because people in this forum know better. I eagerly await your response. "Just keepin' it real" Brad Churchill www.SoChoklat.com
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Post by kellymon on Mar 25, 2009 13:15:08 GMT -5
Hey Brad, that was pretty good reply You are much more the Gentleman than I am. This is Spam. This is a multi level marketing scam like so many before it. Same Game, New Name. I doubt that he will ever return to answer any of your questions about the claims. namaste, robert
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Post by Alchemist on Mar 25, 2009 14:52:40 GMT -5
Thank you Alan and Brad. I didn't even get to read it but I suspect I might have had a few choice words to say.
Thanks again.
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Post by reelchemist on Mar 25, 2009 17:37:13 GMT -5
Brad, Cadbury's here in Australia uses cocoa powder in their formulation of their dark choc. Check it at www.cadbury.co.nz click on products, then nutritional info then search for 'old gold' which is the name they give to the dark choc range and click the old gold 70% bar and this will bring up the ingredients list. I think some other big brands do this too N-e-s-t-l-e and Whittakers. I can't think why other than flavour uniformity and cost as cocoa powder is dirt cheap - but then again you have to add the expensive part back to call it chocolate so....... Actually, if you are in for a laugh check out www.oldgold.co.nz they just released their latest add for dark choc, so much is wrong with it! Enjoy.
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Post by cheebs on Mar 25, 2009 18:56:33 GMT -5
Actually, if you are in for a laugh check out www.oldgold.co.nz they just released their latest add for dark choc, so much is wrong with it! Enjoy. wow... that's really... wow how disrespectful, inaccurate and insulting that blurb is the advert hack that wrote that deserves to be kicked down a pyramid
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Post by Brad on Mar 26, 2009 0:33:55 GMT -5
AAAAAWWWWWwwwww.....
Geeez John!
You should have left the xocai chocospam ad in for entertainment!
Reelchemist, thanks for the insight into Australian chocolate! See? We all learned something new today!
As an observation, I recently had some Hague's chocolate brought back from Aussie Land. Given what I've just learned about cocoa powder being used in other Australian chocolate, I can now see why Hague's is so popular!
Have fun keeping it real everyone!
Brad.
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Post by reelchemist on Mar 26, 2009 4:41:26 GMT -5
Haigh's is the top of the dung heap so to speak, they are lightyears above what is commonly on offer - if you don't count Lindt which is ok. We do have access to Cluizel and Valrhona if you look very carefully. That is why I have to make my own.
What Haigh's did you try, I find on the whole they use too much vanillla in everything and way to much malt in the milk chocolate. At least they make it from the bean. Their truffles are way too sugary - like really bad cake icing sugary.
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Post by rabarber on Mar 28, 2009 8:20:53 GMT -5
Check this out, It's not about Xocai, but probably not possible with a Santa, but here they are talking about increasing the antioxidant levels. www.flex-news-food.com/pages/14808/method-increase-antioxidant-activity-chocolate.htmlThe present invention relates to a novel method for conching chocolate, whereby a chocolate mass is submitted to a conching method that comprises the following steps: - a dry conching step performed at a temperature of between 50°C and 70°C, - and subsequent a wet conching step performed at a temperature of between 60°C and 110°C, more in particular at a temperature between 60°C and 90°C, wherein the dry conching temperature and the wet conching temperature are comprised within the range(s) defined by the graph of figure 13 (see shaded or hatched regions). Most preferably the dry conching step is performed at about 60°C and the wet conching step at about 60°C or about 90°C. Advantageously, this adapted conching process conserves and even increases the antioxidant activity of a chocolate, in particular a dark chocolate. Consequently, the present invention further relates to a method of conserving and/or increasing the antioxidant activity of chocolate and to chocolates processed accordingly.
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Post by daniel on May 5, 2009 23:19:48 GMT -5
An acquaintance wanted me to sell xocai. It's multi-level marketing (MLM), so I'm staying far away.
Their corporate marketing is full of nonsense and half-truths. I pushed back for some real answers. Bottom line: they're adding small amounts of "Natural cocoa powder" to some of their products. That is, it seems to be unfermented, un-roasted beans, ground up. The rest all have açaí and blueberry powders. They registered with Health Canada for a Natural Health Product number, so they can make health claims.
I looked into this, and it seems that you can easily register a compound if the ingredients have been verified. So, nothing's stopping anyone else from adding açaí and/or blueberry powders to their chocolate, registering and selling it as a premium health food.
I tried a sample and while it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, many hobbyists here could do better. As we try to coax out the most flavour from our beans, we may also be preserving more anti-oxidants. Our conching is generally at much lower temperatures. Roasting beans for longer at lower temperatures (at least after the initial ramp-up) may do more for chocolate than adding flavours that then have to be masked.
Xocai may prove there is a market for chocolate as a health food. Hopefully more interesting, non-MLM companies will soon occupy that market.
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Post by daniel on May 14, 2009 12:28:17 GMT -5
From the last copy I received from this acquaintance:
""" Xocai products are: - registered in Canada as a Natural Health Product - full of antioxidants - use no processed sugar (diabetic friendly) - certified kosher, vegetarian and vegan approve, and gluten free """
I checked the no processed sugar claim... they use dehydrated cane juice "crystals". At 98% sucrose, that doesn't make it very diabetic friendly.
Having independent distributors allows the parent company to have outrageous claims made about their products while denying legal responsibility.
As for being vegan/vegetarian and gluten-free... well, if your dark chocolate doesn't qualify, you're doing it wrong.
Sigh.
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