Chocolate Bars Have An Illustrious History » Chocolate Treats

Who hasn’t tried and fallen in love with a chocolate bar? The answer would surely be none. This packaged food that may have multiple layers of nuts, fruits, grains as well as coconut, marshmallow, caramel, and much more, has given much pleasure to many and will continue to do so in the future.

The chocolate bar came about in the beginning of the 19th century. During the early 20th century, it became a commercial venture that has grown ever since and never looked back. There are still many chocolate bars being sold today that are unchanged in form and content since those early days. Up until just after World War II, one could purchase one for a nickel.

Thousands of Different Varieties

There are thousands of chocolate bar varieties being manufactured today, but there are a few big manufacturers that have got a stranglehold on its production, very often gobbling up smaller companies and reproducing their popular products. One can easily purchase a chocolate bar from a vending machine, and now some of them have been supplemented with nutritional content that contains protein as well as many vitamins while still retaining their sweet taste.

The Hershey’s chocolate bar has made people happy for years, and is available in numerous flavors. It all began with the Hershey’s milk chocolate bar, with Milton S. Hershey developing a recipe in 1900 that has since become a classic. The making of the chocolate bar today would entail selecting one of the twelve suitable beans, and roasting them according to the type of bean. This would be followed by winnowing, grinding, conching, tempering and molding and packaging.

It may also be surprising to learn that many companies engaged in manufacturing chocolate bars, may be using the same recipe to make the chocolate. They only differ in the cocoa that may come from different plant varieties, as well as from different parts of the world. A company such as Nestle has three bars that come from three different countries. Chocolate manufacturing companies may also be making chocolate bars in one country and packaging them in another.

Some of the necessary ingredients that go into a chocolate bar include cocoa paste, cocoa butter, and sugar, as well as optional ingredients such as vanilla, and lecithin. Most bars are wrapped in foil that may often leave a metallic taste in the mouth, while plain paper is prone to go bad easily; waxed paper may be more preferable. Thus, it is important to find the right bar for you, and you will certainly know by the taste.

Associated News Items

The Chocolate Conundrum (The Post-Journal)
Chocolates claiming to be high in antioxidants are everywhere. How do we reconcile boosting chocolate’s antioxidants, which supposedly help lower risk of heart disease and cancer, with possible weight gain, which may increase the risk of these diseases? ...more

Campbell looking to sell Godiva? (International Herald Tribune)
Premium chocolatier may not fit with the world's largest soup maker, whose growth strategy focuses on emerging markets and healthful foods. ...more

Biz Scene: Biz Unusual (RedNova)
Chocolate photo A chocolate with your picture on it might be a perfect gift on Valentine's Day, and a Beijing student has made such gifts a successful business. According to Fu Xiaopan, a student from Beijing Film Academy, her chocolates are all from Belgium. ...more

Fire at chocolate factory (The Mercury)
A minor fire has been reported at Blommer Chocolates in East Greenville. ...more

Cold stone ice cream is a new mix-in treat (Bar Harbor Times)
SOUTHWEST HARBOR — Last year, Ali Goodwin expanded her online retail operation by opening up the storefront business, Harbor Treats, to sell delicious Seattle Chocolates and Schokineg’s fine drinking chocolate. ...more