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Aequare Fine Chocolates Single Origin Bars
I Paid: $4 per 1.8-ounce bar (prices may vary by region)
Aequare Fine Chocolates’ single-origin-concept candy bars are made from Ecuadoran chocolate and cost $4 for a small bar … a price a surprisingly large number of people are willing to pay, according to consumer trend reports.
That said, the “single origin” label on the bars is a bit mysterious. Some chocolate companies use the term to refer to beans harvested from a single plantation. Others use it to mean that their beans are from a single region or, in the loosest interpretation, a single country. In any case, saying something’s “single origin” is no guarantee of quality but does speak to an interest on the part of the producer to market to people who want to know where their food is from.
According to Aequare, the company’s bars are single origin in that the beans can be sourced to the Los RÃos region of Ecuador; the 70 percent bars are made from beans that come from two farms within 15 miles of each other, run by the same farmer.
But Aequare’s 55 percent bars are actually a blend of Ecuadoran Arriba and CCN-51 chocolate, the latter of which is often perceived as lesser quality.
Jeff Stern, the brand’s chef-owner, says he “cannot be dictating specs to the grower for the blends I might want because I don’t have that kind of purchasing power to dictate formulas.”
Regardless of origin concerns, the bars taste delicious. The 55% Single Origin Bar has a wonderful but not overdone sweetness, with a touch of honeylike flavor at the back—I think it would appeal to unreformed Hershey’s-lovers and chocolate snobs alike. The 70% Single Origin Bar has a nutty warmth without any dryness or other unpleasantly austere sensations (bitterness, chalkiness) that sometimes crop up at higher percentages.
The lemongrass-flavored bar offers only a slight hint of citrus until the end, at which point there’s a clean and clear bolt of lemongrass. And the mandarin orange variety, easily a train wreck in the making, is a bit goofy but ultimately pleasing, like a gourmet version of the Christmas whack-an-orange, firm but not aggressive in its citric aftertaste. Pulling off a straight-up high-intensity chocolate bar is an achievement, but doing it with added flavors is quite an accomplishment.
Oh yes. The right dark chocolate is good for you! These rats loved it! haha
According to a recent study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, rats given a course of high-flavonoid chocolate demonstrated significant reductions in blood pressure. The team of Spanish researchers reported that blood pressure improvement was on par with a leading blood pressure medication...+READ
Oh yes. The right dark chocolate is good for you! These rats loved it! haha
According to a recent study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, rats given a course of high-flavonoid chocolate demonstrated significant reductions in blood pressure. The team of Spanish researchers reported that blood pressure improvement was on par with a leading blood pressure medication currently prescribed by doctors.
Hypertension (high blood pressure)—a major risk factor in cardiovascular disease—is defined as greater than 140/90mmHG (systolic/ diastolic). In the United States, cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of adults, affecting more than 80 million people and costing tens of billions of dollars annually to treat.
In this study, rats fed 300 milligrams of CocoanOX 12%tm (a high-flavonoid cocoa powder) per kilogram of body weight experienced a reduction in blood pressure similar to the effect of a 50mg/kg dose of Captopril™, a well-known anti-hypertensive medicine.
“This is important because this drug is known to be a very effective antihypertensive treatment in clinical practice and spontaneously hypertensive rats represent…the best experimental model for essential hypertension in humans,” wrote the researchers from the Faculty of Medicine at the Universidad Complutense in Madrid.
Prepared correctly, cocoa powder is one of the world’s best sources of flavonoids, a family of antioxidant chemicals that have demonstrated beneficial effects such as increased blood circulation, lower platelet adhesion, and even anti-inflammation.
As consumers are becoming more aware of the health benefits of chocolate, more companies are introducing so-called healthy versions of their products.
But let the buyer beware. According to Dr. Steven Warren MD, DPA, “Chocolate processed under modern methods—called dutching—loses the majority of its health benefits. If you want chocolate that provides real benefits, look for a product that hasn’t been dutched or alkalized, and that has at least 70% cocoa content, with no added fats, waxes or other fillers.”
While the idea of feeding rats high-grade chocolate might appall some chocolate purists, ongoing studies in this area could provide vital clues in human heart health—particularly in the prevention of heart disease rather than the treatment after the fact.-COLLAPSE
And it's good for you! Dark chocolate (in small amounts) is a healthy food - especially this artisan stuff which is less processed than Hershey's.
Wow....qwemaididi2008...this is not the place to promote your t shirts and handbags! Wrong place buddy...
I'll def look into this chocolate bar...I've always been a Hershey's Almond girl. So we will see. hehe