Chocolate Shop

Chocolate is a food made from the cocoa beans that grow on tropical cacao trees.  It has an intense flavor, contains a small amount of caffeine, and is often used in baking, sweetened and eaten as candy, or used to flavor beverages and desserts.  The two most popular forms of processed chocolate are dark chocolate and milk chocolate (which is dark chocolate with added condensed milk or milk powder).  White chocolate contains cocoa butter but no cocoa solids.  A mark of high quality gourmet chocolate is the use of real vanilla beans rather than vanillin as a flavoring agent.

Chocolate candy is available in the form of fudge, bars, molded shapes, and dipped confections.  It ranges from popular-priced chocolate you can find on the grocery store shelves to gourmet chocolates you can find at chocolate shops and other specialty retailers.  Some specialty chocolate is combined with other flavors and candy such as toffee, coffee, caramel, fruit, and nuts.  Other chocolate confections, made for people with special dietary needs, are nut-free or don't contain sugar.

In recent years, researchers have discovered important health benefits associated with dark chocolate.  At a 2002 meeting of the AAAS, scientists reported that the flavonoids present in dark chocolate can help improve circulatory system health.  Later, in 2004, a UCSF clinical trial confirmed these results, demonstrating the heart-healthy benefits of eating 1.6 ounces of dark chocolate per day.  As a matter of fact, some experts believe that chocolate can reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad" cholesterol) levels and raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or "good cholesterol) levels, as well as lower blood pressure and diminish the risk of blood clots.  Those are some amazing benefits for something that tastes so great!  However, these benefits are present only in dark chocolate.  Milk chocolate does not have the same heart-healthy benefits.  So how do you know that the chocolate you are eating is good for you?  Choose chocolate that is 70 percent or more cocoa solids.  While most chocolates do contain sugar, try to avoid ingredients like palm-kernel oil, hydrogenated oil, and milk fats.  Because chocolate is so "addicting," be sure to limit your portions, and be aware of how much you eat.  Avoid eating large amounts of chocolate, because it is high in calories and fat, and too much chocolate is not good for your waistline.

Chocolates are a popular gift, especially at holiday time, because gourmet chocolate makers design special shapes and confections for holidays.  Here on ChocolateShop.us you can shop for a great selection of chocolate confections, creations, and gifts from leading chocolatiers.

Gourmet Chocolate Shops

• Dan's Chocolates
  
  Fresh, hand-made gourmet truffles, delivered directly from Dan's Chocolates to you.
  www.DansChocolates.com
• zChocolat.com
  
  Handmade French chocolates with high cocoa content and relatively little sugar and fat.
  www.zChocolat.com
• Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker
  
  Features premium American-made dark chocolate.
  www.ScharffenBerger.com
• Chocolate Necessities
  
  Gourmet chocolate truffles and other chocolate gifts, made with fine Belgian chocolate.
  www.ChocolateNecessities.com
• See's Candies
  
  California chocolate shop offers famous old time candies.
  www.Sees.com
• Godiva Chocolatier
  
  This popular chocolate shop offers fine chocolate gifts.
  www.Godiva.com
• Ghirardelli Chocolate
  
  Manufacturer and marketer of premium milk chocolate and dark chocolate products.
  www.Ghirardelli.com
• Lindt USA
  
  Well-known maker of premium Swiss chocolate since 1845.
  www.LindtUSA.com
• Neuhaus
  
  Belgian chocolates by Belgium's master-chocolatier.
  www.Neuhaus-Online-Store.com
• Lake Champlain Chocolates
  
  This upscale chocolate company offers chocolate truffles and other gourmet chocolates.
  www.LakeChamplainChocolates.com
• Hershey's
  
  Offers a wide range of popular chocolate candy products.
  www.Hersheys.com

Chocolate and Cocoa Organizations

• Fine Chocolate Industry Association
  
  Supports professionals in the fine chocolate segment of the chocolate industry.
  www.FineChocolateIndustry.org
• Cocoa Merchants' Association of America
  
  Founded in 1924, this organization fosters the trade and welfare of the cocoa industry in the USA.
  www.CocoaMerchants.com
• International Cocoa Organization
  
  This global organization, composed of cocoa producing and cocoa consuming nations, works toward a sustainable world cocoa economy.
  www.ICCO.org

Chocolate Shop Sign Credit

• La Rue du Chocolat
  
  448 South Coast Highway
  Laguna Beach, California 92651
  Offers Handmade chocolate and truffles.

Related Chocolate Sites

• Chocolate Chip Cookies - cookie recipe and gourmet cookies.
• Chocolate Gifts - gift baskets with chocolate confections.
• Chocolate Retailers - chocolate and cocoa retailers in the USA.

Chocolate Shop - Gourmet Chocolate Gifts