Watch step by step how a chocolate rabbit is made by a commercial confectioner.

Theresa Lisenby
Duchess of Chocolate

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I feel much better. I’ve been under the weather lately. Thank you Nick for posting. As I posted previously my late husband was a chocolate fanatic, and did in depth research. Here was one of his posts that he never published.

He was a student of chocolate. My dear husband craved to learn every step in the process of producing chocolate. Today we start with the raw cocoa bean. First, the raw cocoa beans must be separated into their two classes: cocoa for use (Forastero) and cocoa for refining (Criollo). The Criollo cocoa beans for refining are the most appreciated and expensive, but there are fewer of them available on the world market. These beans have a fine aroma and lingering aromatic substances. They are principally grown in Central America and Southeast Asia and bring high prices.

The Forestere cocoa bean makes up 90% of the world’s production and is used as the basis in the different chocolate mixtures. The majority of the African production of this bean goes to the European markets. Brazil, increasing its production every year, supplies primarily the United States and Asian markets.

The big business of buying raw cocoa beans is conducted at the world’s most important stock exchanges.. The major multi-national food chains and industrialists buy future shares in each crop. In the late 1970s and the 1980s high prices of the cocoa bean encouraged new plantings. Subsequently, an abundance of the beans resulted in declining prices and lower income for the 2.5 million farmers who produce almost 90% of the world’s cocoa plant on small farms of 5-10 acres.

However, in 2007 a shortage of cocoa beans seems imminent because of political unrest in the Ivory Coast and a drought in Western Africa. Concern over a shortage has the cocoa bean trading at three year highs.

Consumers are also changing their habits as scientists have pointed out that dark chocolate is healthier. It has more flavonoids and antioxidants which are believed to lower blood pressure.

I know this post is a bit complex, and a bit over my head as well, but my husband understood it all.

Love Ya

Theresa Lisenby

Duchess of Chocolate

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Hello there girlfriends,

My babies just came back from summer camp today. I’m going to cook for them soon. They are washing up before dinner. It’s been hectic here as usual. I’ll take this time to post something. My husband was a very detailed researcher. He researched everything about chocolate. One area he concentrated on was chocolate manufacturers.

He liked to follow the mergers and acquistions of chocolate manufacturers. Chocolate is big business. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide. A number of familiar household names make chocolate. You may even recognize some of their products.

Cadbury Schweppes is a UK based company. It started out as Schweppes which manufactured carbonated water and Cadbury brothers who was into tea, coffee and chocolate business. Later they merged in 1969 to form Cadbury Schweppes. Their most famous product is chocolate milk.

Godiva, a Belgium based chocolate company, was purchased by the Campbell Soup Company in 1972. The chocolates are made with the best ingredients and gift packed in expensive wrappings. Their signature package is the Gold Ballotin.

Hershey’s is by far the largest chocolate company in the US. The company makes Cadbury’s brand of chocolate in the US. The company is an American icon.

Kraft Foods is the manufacturer of the popular brand of chocolates like Toblerone, Milka and many others. It is the second largest food and Beverages Company in the world. Its chocolates are made in more than 155 countries around the world.

The popular Mars brand not only manufactures chocolate but also pet food, and other food products. It is one of the largest privately owned US corporations. The famed chocolates include Snickers, Milky Way, Twix, Skittles etc.

Nestle, the world’s largest food and beverage Company also manufactures chocolates. The company is based in Switzerland. It was initially set up to manufacture instant infant food. Now it is a trusted brand for many other types of food as well. The popular brands are Kit Kat, Nestle etc.

My husband was avid in following chocolate companies, and avid defender of the consumer, especially when it came to chocolate.

Hugs and Kisses

Theresa Lisenby
Duchess of Chocolate

tags: chocolate, chocolate corporations, chocolate companies, nestle, mars incorporated, hersheys, kraft foods, godiva, Cadbury Schweppes, chocolate, chocolate corporations, chocolate companies, nestle, mars incorporated, hersheys, kraft foods, godiva, Cadbury Schweppes

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