Chocolate culture

Pic from http://www.thenibble.com/

Wow! I'm totally amazed by this place and I'm not the only one. People magazine saluted it in one of its issues. Max Brenner is an Israeli chocolate chain with stores located in Australia, Israel, the United States, the Philippines and Singapore. The stores have a layout similar to regular cafes. The interior design is cozy and decorated with cool art and chocolate from floor to ceiling. Pipes along the ceiling are painted dark brown to convey the idea that they carry chocolate. They specialize in chocolate drinks and desserts- all over the top and well done. Commonly found sweets include fondues, waffles and cookies. My fav. is the Montana milkshake. It's a chocolate milkshake with vanilla ice and melted chocolate on top of it. They serve "real food" but what's the fun of going there if you only eat a chicken salad? You can get anything from hot coco to chocolate pizza- I think I found heaven on earth. There is no real Max Brenner. He’s a concept. Max Brenner was founded in 1996 in Ra'anana, Israel by Max Fichtman and Oded Brenner. The company distributes products to prestigious hotels and gourmet stores around the world including British Airways and Harrods in London.

Too see more log on to http://www.maxbrenner.com/

Chocolate Trivia

• The Aztecs considered chocolate an aphrodisiac and subsequently all chocolate based foods were strictly forbidden to women.
• Ironically, according to several studies, chocolate is the number one food craved by women.
• Chocolate contains the same mood lifting chemical, phenylethylamie, produced by the brain when you fall in love.
• Chocolate is an excellent source of vitamin E and a good source of phosphorous, calcium and iron.
• There is no proof that chocolate causes or aggravates acne. Nor that it causes tooth decay. In fact, there are indications that the cocoa butter in the chocolate coats the teeth and may help plaque from forming.
• Research at the University of California has found that chocolate carries high levels of chemicals known as phenolics, or antioxidants like those found in red wine, and may help lower the risk of heart disease.
• White chocolate is not true chocolate because it contains no cocoa solids. Instead, it's usually a mixture of sugar, cocoa butter, milk solids, lecithin and vanilla, hence it's sweetness.
• Chocolate should be stored, tightly wrapped, in a cool, dry place. If stored at warm temperatures, chocolate will develop a pale grey "bloom" caused when the cocoa butter rises to the surface. Under ideal conditions, dark chocolate can be stored for 10 years. However, because of the milk solids in both milk chocolate and white chocolate, the shouldn't be stored for longer than 9 months. Taken from www.ninemsn.com.au