Chocolate Club Meeting This Thursday the 22nd!

It is that time again. The moment you all have been waiting for....Chocolate Club Meeting! This Thursday, April 22nd, we will be meeting to discuss all things chocolate, not to mention a few tastes and pure enjoyment.

Please join us for the fun from 8:00-9:30 PM. Seneca Klassen, reknown chocolatier, will be again running the event. It is $5 for all non-member attendees, so please sign up early as spaces are limited. You will also, be able to become a member of the club at the meeting if you wish.

See you this Thursday!

Lower Your Belly Fat By Eating Chocolate?

This just in....

BellyFatAnswers.com reports:

According to Prevention Magazine and Web M.D. there are 5 food groups that fall into the category, “Flat Belly Foods” that will help you lose belly fat.

One serving of these foods, each packed with monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA's), at each meal will help reduce excess weight in your mid-section and protect you from various diseases.

Nuts and seeds, olives, avocado, dark chocolate, and healthy oils (olive oil, safflower oil, and sunflower oil to name a few) are all included on their belly fat busting list. Make an effort to include these foods in your daily diet plan.

Now if you just pick up a bag of our Almond Bark, made with 61% Dark Chocolate and Almonds, you are set to bust the fat.

The list as to why I need to keep chocolate in my diet just keeps growing longer. Oh darn, I will just have to force myself to continue with my chocolate habit.

I have a regular customer of the Danville Bittersweet to thank for turning me on to this.

Have a great weekend!

There's More...Coffee Facts!

Here are just a few of the facts on the CocoaJava.com website. Enjoy! I found them pretty informative.


"Cowboy coffee"? It was said they made their coffee by putting ground coffee into a clean sock and immerse it in cold water and heated over campfire. When ready, they would pour the coffee into tin cups and drink it.

Caffeine is on the International Olympic Committee list of prohibited substances. Athletes who test positive for more than 12 micrograms of caffeine per milliliter of urine may be banned from the Olympic Games. This level may be reached after drinking about 5 cups of coffee. Ouch! Any coffee athletics out there?

The word "coffee" was at one time a term for wine, but was later used to describe a black drink made from berries of the coffee tree. This black drink replaced wine in many religious ceremonies because it kept the Mohammedans awake and alert during their nightly prayers, so they honored it with the name they had originally given to wine.

Turkish bridegrooms were once required to make a promise during their wedding ceremonies to always provide their new wives with coffee. If they failed to do so, it was grounds for divorce! (Ouch!)

Espresso has 1/3 of the caffeine of a regular cup of coffee.

During the American Civil War the Union soldiers were issued eight pounds of ground roasted coffee as part of their personal ration of one hundred pounds of food. And they had another choice: ten pounds of green coffee beans.

Cafe Procope was the first true Paris coffeehouse. It was opened in 1689 by a former lemonade vendor, Francois Procope. The cafe faces the Theatre Francais, where it drew the artists and actors of the day.

Ugandans mix green beans with sweet grasses and various spices, dry them, and then wrap these in grass packets, which were then hung in their homes. It serves as talisman and as decoration.

Coffee most exacting rite of passage is known as "cupping" or cuptasting. It is the act of assessing the qualities of a particular batch of beans by freshly roasting, brewing, and tasting it. It is the work for serious and talented professionals.

There is a difference between the strength and body of the coffee? The strength of the coffee refers to how much coffee is there in the brew, whereas the body is a measure of the richness (or heaviness) of the coffee taste.

In the old days in Constantinople, the first coffeehouses were called qahveh khaneh (schools of wisdom) because they were the meeting places of men of arts and literature.

The requirements for making of good espresso is summarized by the 4 "M"s: Macinazione (the correct griinding of coffee blend), Miscela (coffee blend), Macchina (the espresso machine) and of course, Mano (barista).

Beethoven who was a coffee lover, was so particular about his coffee that he always counted 60 beans each cup when he prepared his brew.

When coffee supplies became scarce during the American Civil War, soldiers desperate for a cup of coffee used roasted sweet potato and Indian corn as a substitute!

Have a great weekend!

Easter Is Upon Us!

Easter is this Sunday, April 4th! Wow, time flies. We still have some great and very cute items in the store, but time is running out. Stop in today to pick up your favorite treat before they are all gone. We still have Solid Chocolate Bunnies in all sizes and in both milk and dark, little gift collections and various Chocolate Pops and Eggs. I picked up the cutest little Bunny Ears for place settings at the Sunday Easter dinner table.

Items are disappearing, so please don't delay. Your little chicks and honey bunnies deserve the best chocolate in their baskets.

Happy Easter and Happy Passover to all!

Dogs vs. Chocolate

When we were kids, we loved to slip Fido our broccoli under the table. Do not worry, I won't tell your parents. ( But something tells me they already know.) But BE CAREFUL!!! Giving your dog human food is not always a bad thing but letting them get into chocolate can be very dangerous and even deadly.

Chocolate contains Theobromine, a stimulant that occurs naturally in cocoa beans. It affects the central nervous system and heart as well as increased urination. They cannot metabolize chocolate. Although it depends on the type of chocolate, the size of your dog, and the amount ingested; it is good to know the signs and symptoms that your pup has been digging into the chocolate drawer.

Dogs get upset tummies too. But there may be more indications.
*Unusual nervousness or trembling
*Vomiting and/ or diarrhea
*Excessive thirst
*Muscle spasms
*Seizures
*Coma

Do not give your dog even the smallest piece of chocolate. Like humans, it only leaves us wanting more. Keep all chocolate out of your pets way. We all love our pets, and we want to continue to love them.

More Coffee Facts

I have been having fun scouring the internet to bring some fun and insightful information to you. Here is another site with some fun facts about coffee, whose trading at one time ruled commerce.

* When shopping for perfume, take some coffee with you in your bag and have a good sniff in between smelling each perfume to refresh your nose!

* Sprinkle spent coffee grounds around the base of your garden plants and it will stop snails and slugs from munching them!

* A mixture of coffee grounds and sugar, fed to a pot plant and watered regularly, will revive houseplants that have turned yellow in winter.

* Some of the worlds most powerful business, including Lloyds of London and the New York Stock Exchange, started life as a coffee houses.

* The aromas in coffee develop at the 10th minute of roasting.

* Coffee increases in volume during roasting by 18.60%.

Coffee is...

• The second most widely used product in the world after oil.
• It was worth 6 million tonnes per year in the mid 90's.
• It is worth €30 billion per year to the producing countries.
• It is a living to more than 100 million people.
• It is consumed at the rate of 1400 million cups per day.
• The world's second most popular drink after water.

Check the justaboutcoffee.com site for more fun facts.

Have a great week!

More Fun Facts For You

Try and say that 5 times fast....I'm waiting... No really....

Well, Easter facts were fun, so here are some really fun coffee facts. Stop by the oatmeal website. They have some great cartoons and facts. You can enjoy yourself while learning something new.


Now wasn't that fun? Go to the oatmeal website for more...

Have a great day!

Fun Easter Facts

Here are some fun Easter/Passover Facts and Traditions that I found on a website. It is neat to find out why we do some of these things. Enjoy!

- Many pagan traditions have found their way into Christian religious observances. Rabbits are one such symbol. Rabbits symbolize the fertility of springtime. The rabbit is also the symbol of the Egyptian moon — and the moon is used to determine the date of Easter each year.

- The hare (rabbit) is a very important Easter symbol in Germany, almost as important as Santa Claus is in the United States for Christmas. The hare is responsible for laying eggs and hiding them. This probably evolved from children hunting for Easter eggs and scaring away rabbits which happened to be in the area. The hare and egg provide a link between the pagan faith's welcoming of spring and Christianity's Easter celebration.

- The custom of decorating eggs goes back many thousands of years. When you add a few strokes of icing to the surface of a chocolate Easter egg, you are carrying on an age-old tradition. Long before the Bible was written, the egg was a sacred object and it was ornamented as part of numerous religious and superstitious practices.

- The word "Easter" is derived from Eostre or Ostara - the Anglo-Saxon goddess of the dawn. The festival in her honor was celebrated on the first day of spring. It was she who changed a bird into a rabbit, and thus this four-footed little creature joined the egg as another Easter symbol. In our Easter baskets we always include delightfully decorated eggs and rabbits. At the beginning of the 19th century, the first sugar and pastry Easter bunnies became popular in southern Germany.

- In France, children carry eggs to their churches on Holy Saturday at their first confessions for the priests' blessings. Other children hunt for eggs in the church garden, for it is said the eggs had been dropped by the church bells that were silent from Maundy Thursday.

- Although there are no records of Easter eggs as a general custom in Western Europe before the 15th century, there is a tribe in Africa that colors eggs at Easter. They are Mohammedans now, but were once Christians hundreds of years ago. It is also recorded that in the year 1307 King Edward I of England had 450 boiled eggs dyed and covered with gold leaf.

- Like Easter, Passover is celebrated in the spring. The Seder, the traditional meal celebrated in Jewish homes on the first day of Passover, includes the eating of hard-boiled eggs as a symbol of the hope and joy that things are to grow again. It is likely that Jesus' Last Supper was a Passover meal.

- While candy and confections are not identified with the Jewish celebration of Passover the way they are with Easter, many Seders are ended with the eating of chocolate products that are "Kosher la pesach" — Kosher for Passover. No corn syrup or lecithin can be used in the preparation of this chocolate that can be either dark or light — Kosher dairy. Passover confections include chocolate bars with nuts, raisins and dried fruit. Recently, Matzo bread (an unleavened flatbread), dipped or half-dipped in chocolate, has become a popular product.

- Every time you purchase, make or consume chocolate eggs and rabbits, or give Easter baskets or Passover chocolates, you are joining with your ancestors in helping to welcome the arrival of spring — and the joyous Christian and Jewish festivals of hope, rebirth and deliverance. Be proud of your glorious traditions, which link you to an ancient and honorable past.

The Easter Bunny Has Arrived!

It is that time of year again and on April 4th, the Easter Bunny officially does his duty, but until then, swing by Bittersweet to get all those little gifts that you need.

Looking for a cute little something to give to a coworker or friend? We got it! That special little gift that shows you care? We got it! Or the tasty treat for a loved one? We got it!

Spring has definitely sprung. The beautiful weather is the perfect time to get your garden back into shape. Bittersweet has the gifts for the gardening gurus in your life.

We even have a fun Bunny Hunt Game with chocolate rewards. This one is fun for the whole family to play together. And for the little baker in the bunch, a cute bunny or chick filled with cookie cutters and chocolate.

You may not see any chocolate bunnies in this post but we have them aplenty in the store, milk and dark. Every size and shape you are looking for, including the cute little placesetting ones that are so popular.

And in this time of sun and warmth don't forget to drop by for a fabulous milkshake or sundae. The perfect way to cap of a lovely day in the park.

See ya soon!

How much caffeine is in chocolate?

I recently came across a posting by the California Academy of Sciences, in conjunction with the Chocolate Exhibition, about some interesting chocolate health facts. Here are a few excerpts. Feel free to follow the link to get all the information.

"Does chocolate cause cavities? Not necessarily. According to a recent study, cacao contains antibacterial agents that actually fight tooth decay. However, most mass-produced chocolate contains sugar, which probably counteracts the benefits of these agents."

"Will the caffeine in chocolate make me jittery? Probably not. Cacao does contain a number of stimulants, such as caffeine and theobromine, but in small amounts that are diluted even further when processed into chocolate. In fact, one ounce of milk chocolate contains about the same amount of caffeine as one cup of decaffeinated coffee. Interestingly, one study has shown that the smell of chocolate may actually relax you by increasing theta waves in the brain."

"Will I live longer if I eat chocolate? Perhaps. A Harvard University study found that men who ate chocolate lived one year longer than those who didn’t. Scientist think that chocolate contains chemicals that help keep blood vessels elastic and increase beneficial antioxidants in the bloodstream, but research is underway and no conclusive results have been found. "

Enjoy!

Follow Our Coffee Blog

We are proud to announce Bittersweet's new Coffee Blog! Ian Riley our roaster extraordinaire is blogging about his exploits and discoveries in the world of coffee roasting.

If you would like to learn more about how it is done, check it out and follow along.

Chocolate May Make Some Strokes Less Likely

Yet again another health benefit to eating dark chocolate.

In news, reported by HealthDay, that's sure to delight chocolate lovers, a Harvard study finds that a couple of squares of dark chocolate a day might reduce the risk of a hemorrhagic stroke, by 52 percent.

"There are several possible mechanisms, but the effect of rich cocoa on cardiovascular health seems to be through its effect on blood pressure, and the capacity to improve the flexibility of the blood vessels," said study author Dr. Martin Lajous, a doctoral candidate at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.

"In the context of an appropriate intake, eating small amounts of cocoa could be beneficial," Lajous said. "There are several possible mechanisms, but the effect of rich cocoa on cardiovascular health seems to be through its effect on blood pressure, and the capacity to improve the flexibility of the blood vessels."

Wow! Good for your brain and for your heart. Why wouldn't you eat dark chocolate daily?

Breathable Chocolate?

Who would have thought they would come up with this one? NPR reported yesterday on a new product available online. It is called Le Whif and it has gotten some favorable reviews. It definitely is new and interesting. It is chocolate in the molecular form and placed in a tube. Open the tube and inhale, you get all the smell and flavor of chocolate without eating it. There are 8-10 "whiffs" per tube.

But does it really satisfy?

Check it out and decide for yourself. I still prefer the edible kind.

Test your knowledge!

Question 1: What kind of chocolate is also called "brut" chocolate?
A: Semisweet
B: White
C: Bitter
D: Milk
Question 2: About how many beans does an average cocoa pod contain?
A: 1
B: 10-20
C: 30-40
D: Over 50
Question 3: What is the minimum amount of cocoa that chocolate must contain to be considered "dark"?
A: 22%
B: 43%
C: 62%
D: 85%
Question 4: What does "theobroma," the botanical term for "cocoa," mean in Greek?
A: Food of the gods
B: Foreign tree
C: Acidic bean
D: Brown fruit
Question 5: Besides cocoa and water, what did xocoatl -- the original drink brewed from cocoa beans -- contain?
A: Alcohol
B: Salt
C: Animal fat
D: Corn
Question 6: What continent produces the most chocolate?
A: Africa
B: Asia
C: North America
D: South America
Question 7: Which country consumes the most chocolate per person per year?
A: Belgium
B: Switzerland
C: United States
D: France
Question 8: In what film was chocolate syrup used for blood?
A: "Citizen Kane"
B: "The Day the Earth Stood Still"
C: "The Maltese Falcon"
D: "Psycho"
Question 9: In 1659, where did chocolate first become available to the masses?
A: London
B: Vienna
C: Paris
D: Salzburg
Question 10: When was the first Hershey bar made?
A: 1900
B: 1905
C: 1926
D: 1929










1.C 2.C 3.B 4.A 5.D 6.A 7.B 8.D 9.A 10.A

Blood for Chocolate?

Bittersweet Cafe is proud to be teaming up with the American Red Cross on March 25th at our Danville location. You can click on the link to set up an appointment time to donate.

Blood is such a valuable commodity these days and needed by so many. Please stop by and take the time to give the gift of life.

Shopping For Quality Chocolate in the East Bay

The Monthly, East Bay's Premier Magazine of Culture and Commerce, has posted a wonderful and informative article about finding great chocolate not far from home. Of course we are proud to be mentioned among some other local favorites.

Valentine's Day may be over, but the love of chocolate continues. This is the perfect Chocophile's "Cacao Crawl". Take a day and discover what amazing chocolate is near you. The article lists some of my favorites and, who knows, maybe you can show your someone special where to shop for you next year.

Chocolate and Salted Caramel - A Match Made in Heaven.

Pizza and beer.
French fries and ranch dressing.
Beans and rice.

All great flavor mixes, but I can't think of a better combination of two flavors than chocolate and salted caramel; and now we have a drink that brings the best of both together!

Our hand-made caramel uses all natural ingredients with an ever-so-slight touch of fleur de sel to compliment its sugary sweetness. Combine that with our already awesome chocolate and what you get is divine goodness in a cup.

(It's even MORE awesome on ice...)

The caramel is not limited to this drink though! Now you can have our artisan caramel in ANY of our drinks for an additional $1.00! Stop by today!

Posted by Jay, Manager at our Danville store

Valentine's Goodies Are Here!

Now in the stores are those unique chocolate gifts that can only be found at Bittersweet Cafe. It is that time of year again. Really, the day that is for gifting chocolate, Valentine's Day, the day to celebrate love.

We have some very cute gifts for everyone you know and those little unique collections for your special Valentine. As you can see, there are beautiful Chocolate Hearts, and fun Conversation Pops, then we have amazing Truffles to choose from and more.

Come in and find that perfect gift for everyone on your list, from grandchild to life partner. We select only those chocolates that we ourselves would be proud to give, quality chocolate that will satisfy the most discerning palates.

We look forward to seeing you in Bittersweet and helping you find your perfect gift.

Chocolate & Beer!!!

Come join us on February 6th for a classic but underexplored combination! Tickets and more information here...

Chocolate Club Mention

Diablo Magazine came by for a little talk and gave a nice mention in their recent issue. It is about our fabulous Chocolate Club (meeting coming up this week!). This is an event that is so much fun and a great way to get together with friends to have a good time while eating and learning about chocolate. What could be better?

We are meeting this Thursday at the Rockridge store from 8:00-9:30 PM. Be sure to sign up early as space is limited for each meeting. We look forward to seeing you here!

Did you know?

• The word "Chocolate" comes from the Aztec word "xocolatl", meaning "bitter water."

• Some of the earliest European cocoa-makers were apothecaries seeking medicinal uses of the plant.

• Each pod is about the size of a pineapple and holds thirty to fifty seeds - enough to make about seven milk chocolate or two dark chocolate bars.

• The seeds of the cacao tree grow not on the end of its branches, but directly off the branches and the trunk.

3.5 - million pounds - the amount of whole milk used every day to make chocolate by U.S. chocolate manufacturers

3.3 - billion lbs. - The amount of chocolate eaten in the U.S. in the year 2000!

51% - the percentage of Americans who choose what chocolate they eat by the shape of the piece

40% - the percentage of women who regularly crave chocolate

15% - the percentage of men who regularly crave chocolate

5, 026 - pounds - the weight of the largest chocolate bar ever made, According to the Guiness World Book of Records. It was produced by Elah-Dufour United Food Companies at Turin, Italy, in March 2000.

Because Life is Bittersweet!

Thursday, January 21st marks our 5th Anniversary! Please come in and join us as we celebrate this wonderful occasion. We will be sampling all day as well as special events from 5-9.

We will be offering:
Chair massages
2 Classics for $5.55
And many other great surprises.

Can't wait to see you there!

Puerto Plata Bars for Haiti!

We here at Bittersweet want to do our part to help the people of Haiti. Our own Bittersweet Origins Puerto Plata Bar comes from the Dominican Republic and that is why, starting tomorrow and for the next week, we are donating all of the profits from the sales of that bar, both 65% & 75%, to the International Rescue Committee's Haiti Fund.

The International Rescue Committee has deployed its Emergency Response Team to Haiti to deliver help to the devastated city of Port-au-Prince. Their team includes experts in emergency health, shelter, and children’s welfare. They will be working with local aid groups to provide vital help to survivors of the massive earthquake that struck Haiti January 12. Meanwhile, the IRC has committed to raising $5 million for reconstruction work in Haiti over the next year.

Please help us help others in their greatest time of need.

Patric Chocolate Event at Fillmore Store!

Hello Chocolate Lovers!

We are excited to announce an upcoming event with Alan McClure, chocolate maker and owner of Patric Chocolate. Alan will be visiting with us at Bittersweet in San Francisco, and we'd like to invite you along to chat about his bars, unique sourcing, processes and the profusion of interest in fine chocolate!

Bittersweet San Francisco
2123 Fillmore Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
Monday, 1/18
7:30 pm

Space for this event will be quite limited, so if you'd like to attend, email us at info@bittersweetcafe.com as soon as you can. Hope to see you there!

Alter Eco and the El Ceibo Cooperative

We are carrying a delicious new deep milk chocolate that tastes good and is good for farmers in developing nations. The bar, called Dark Chocolate Velvet, is a 46% milk chocolate made from organic fair trade cane sugar from Paraguay and organic fair trade cocoa from Bolivia. It is the result of a collaboration of Alter Eco in France and the El Ceibo Cooperative in Bolivia. As one of my new favorite chocolate bars here at Bittersweet, I am glad to read about the sustainable practices that go into making this chocolate. That and the bar is our only one from Switzerland and its velvety texture is truly a testament to the centuries of chocolate craft tradition in the region.


Alter Eco is a fair trade organization based in France. It started in 1998 and quickly built up its name in the Fair Trade Movement thanks to its unique marketing and extensive product range. Considered to be one of the strongest Fair Trade brands on the market, Alter Eco offers over 100 products that are sourced from 42 cooperatives in 37 countries. The organization took the Fair Trade Movement forward in 2006 when it approached Brazilian retailers to sell Brazilian products under Fair Trade terms, hereby creating the first South-South Fair Trade arrangement. All Alter Eco products are Fair Trade Certified by TransFair USA.

The El Ceibo Cooperative formed out of the ashes of the Brazilian government's cocoa coop, which went bankrupt in the 60s. After its bankruptcy, farmers were forced to sell to local middlemen because of the difficulty of transportation to La Paz coupled with their lack of knowledge of market prices. In the early 70s, farmers in the Alto Beni region in northeast Bolivia formed small cocoa coops, and in 1977, 37 of these small coops united to form the stronger El Ceibo Cooperative. In 1988 El Ceibo became the first certified organic cocoa cooperative in the world. Since then, the coop has reinvested its profits into its community: they provide allowance for school fees to their members, give out yearly bonuses to members over 65, reinvest in trucks and improvements in their processing facilities, operate a technical assistance program in agroecology and forestry, research alternative cultivation methods, and provide all members with health and accident insurance. Today, El Ceibo is responsible for 70% of the organic cocoa production in Bolivia.

Staff pick of the week!

Jake, one of our wonderful baristas has chosen his favorite chocolate bar. He picked the 65% Puerto Plata of Bittersweet Origins. This bar is made by our very own Seneca Klassen. It is from the Dominican Republic but roasted and created all in-house. Earthy tones bring out the subtle flavors of dried berries, sour cherries, and wlanuts. Come on in and ask for a sample!

Time To Get Healthy In The New Year!

It's that time again. Time for resolutions and changes to keep healthy and stay on track. This recent article by RealAge.com spouts, yet again, the health benefits of chocolate and why we should be making it a part of our regular diets.

Apparently there are 3 new reasons to keep eating dark chocolate.

• Chocolate makes you smarter. Ample research suggests that the flavonols in dark chocolate increase cerebral blood flow, which in turn may trigger the creation of new blood vessels and brain cells. And a new study showed that older adults performed better on cognitive tests after eating small portions of the sweet stuff. Talk about a nourished noggin! (Here's why opting for semisweet or unsweetened chocolate may be even better for your brain.)
• Chocolate weakens heart attacks. Although more research is needed to confirm this one, a new study showed that regular chocolate eaters who had heart disease were less likely to die following a heart attack compared with the people who didn't treat themselves to the dark and dreamy stuff. (Here's more on chocolate's heart-smart qualities.)
• Chocolate has a cavity-fighting compound. Okay, so you don't necessarily want to trade in your toothbrush for a chocolate bar. But some interesting new research shows a compound in chocolate -- theobromine -- may be just as good as fluoride at hardening tooth enamel. So the compound could find its way into toothpastes and mouthwashes one day. Until then, keep in mind that most commercially prepared chocolate has lots of sugar in it. Get healthier teeth and gums with these three easy dental tricks.

Most of us knew it was good for your heart, but fighting cavities and making us smarter? There is no reason not to eat dark chocolate, in moderation. That is the key. Anything you eat can be overdone and it is easy to do with the delectable taste of chocolate, but keeping it to a daily moderate level will still give you all the health benefits you need.

Happy and Healthy New Year!