Chocolate Lore

Each box of The Chocolate Garden’s truffles comes with a card that contains a bit of chocolate lore. The cards are randomly attached so you are likely to get a different one each time you order. There are currently 9 cards in the mix and more will be coming in the future. We’ve created an audio version of many of the lore cards. If you don’t have RealAudio, you can download a free version below.

Baby oh Baby!

Ok, so we know that chocolate has some health benefits, and it certainly makes us feel better, but now we've learned that it can lead to sweeter babies! That's right, a new study shows that moms who ate chocolate every day while pregnant had babies who smiled and laughed more. And stressed-out moms who indulged daily had calmer babies. Now that's what we call exceptional prenatal care!

Food of the Gods

Aficionados know that chocolate is a heavenly substance indeed, worthy of the accolade, “food of the gods.” But that’s not just our lofty opinion, it’s rooted in science. Named in 1753 by the Swedish naturalist Carl von Linné, the scientific name of the cacao tree (the tree that bears the fruit that produces chocolate) is Theobroma Cacao. Theobroma literally translates to “food of the gods.” Aren’t we lucky they shared?

What’s Love Got to Do With It?

The inventor of milk chocolate was a candle maker until he fell in love with the daughter of a Swiss chocolatier. Once smitten, Daniel Peter converted his candle factory into a chocolate plant and quickly became a success. In 1867, he began experimenting with milk as an ingredient. 8 years later, with the help of his neighbor, Henri Nestlé, he introduced his new product, garnering numerous awards. His original formula is still in use today. Ain’t love grand?

Count Your Blessings

We know that you would never take chocolate for granted, but consider the following: 1) The cacao tree (the tree that gives us chocolate) only bears fruit within a narrow band of approximately 10 degrees of the equator. 2) It takes 400 cacao beans just to make 1 pound of chocolate. 3) Each year, the cacao tree produces roughly 6,000 blossoms. Only about 30 will eventually bear fruit. With statistics like these, you can see why many consider chocolate a blessing indeed!

Passionate About Chocolate?

Throughout history, chocolate and love have been closely linked--from its consumption as an aphrodisiac by Montezuma in the 1500s to its current favor as a valentine. Turns out, there is good reason. When you are happy, and especially when you are in love, the level of phenylethylamine (PEA) in your brain rises dramatically. Scientists now know that chocolate is loaded with this bliss-producing substance. So rest assured, if chocolate is your one true love, it will never betray you!

A Little Bit of Heaven

The Aztecs believed that Chocolate was a gift from the god, Quetzalcoatl, who brought the seeds of the cacao tree from heaven and showed his people how to make chocolate. The Mayas considered the trees so valuable that their beans were used as currency. Today, chocolate is still prized throughout the world. Truffles are particularly valued as the true royalty of the chocolate world--the ultimate chocolate indulgence. To some chocolate connoisseurs, and certainly those of us at The Chocolate Garden, truffles are nearly a religious experience!

A Long and Happy Life

Scientists now report what chocolate lovers have long known: that chocolate leads to a long and happy life. Harvard University’s School of Public Health recently studied 7,841 men. They found that those who ate sweets lived longer than those who didn’t. Some credit the Phenol in chocolate (also found in red wine) which acts as an antioxidant and lowers the risk of heart disease and cancer. While moderation is recommended, one can now argue that chocolate is practically a medical necessity. So, as we like to say here at The Chocolate Garden, take 2 truffles and call us in the morning.

 Why are They Called “Truffles?”

Chocolate truffles were named after the rare European fungus (tuber melanosporum) due to their unparalleled delicacy, high price tag and their lumpy, bumpy, unassuming appearance. Today, many truffles are dipped or even molded, creating a more consistent, “perfect” shape--but often at a price. True chocolate connoisseurs will notice a slight waxy taste in the hard outer coating of some truffles, but not ours. At The Chocolate Garden, our truffles are handmade and rolled in pure, coarse chocolate for an extraordinary taste and sensuous texture. And their unique look is truly befitting their name.

A Truffle a Day...

...keeps the pounds away?! It seems so. Just ask The Chocolate Garden’s Official Taste Tester, Charlie Propsom. She recently lost 18 pounds on her own innovative weight loss plan. She simply ate sensibly throughout the day then rewarded herself at night with her favorite truffle--Dark Chocolate Raspberry. At approximately 160 calories each, these extraordinary handmade delicacies are a real caloric bargain (a can of root beer has more calories than that)! So forget the grapefruit diet and ditch the cabbage soup diet. Doesn’t the truffle diet sound like one you could actually stick to?