How have the mighty fallen? OT.

[Mary Fisher]

Not 'cocoa solids' though.

I occasionally drink it but never with sugar - ugh!

It doesn't give the same chocolate flavour as chocolate does when used in baking or cooking.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Sounds like Mailspeak. Most makers love to substitute the expensive core constituent for something cheaper or to reduce the percentage in other ways. Water in ham and bacon, for example. Jams containing little in the way of fruit. Fruit juices called say a 'cranberry drink' which contain only 5% cranberry. The list is endless.

A directive on the minimum amount of the constituent which the foodstuff is called after is no bad thing. But *of course* some makers will call it restricting choice, etc, and certain parts of the meja will take it as an opportunity to have a pop at the EU...

[Helen Deborah Vecht]

"Mary Fisher" typed

I think that's because much of the flavoursome components are fat-soluble and cooking with cocoa powder doesn't mix it adequately with the fat. Perhaps emulsifiers like egg yolk are needed to get a good mix.

[marvelus]

You are wrong, I've got some and its only ingredient is cocoa

[Helen Deborah Vecht]

Steve Firth typed

I take it that a plonker is one who does the plonking...

[Steve Firth]

Oh indeed, the other party is the plonkee.

[Guy King]

The message from Steve Firth contains these words:

You're not suggesting he's a plonker, are you?

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "Tournifreak" saying something like:

Istr that's the reasoning behind coating wounds with honey to prevent sepsis. Apart from some slight antisepsis effect in the honey, the high conc of sugar kills bacteria by osmosis through the cell wall.

[Mary Fisher]

There's some basis of fact in that but it's not the whole story. And sugar syrup doesn't work in the same way ...

Mary

[Pete C]

A bit of single cream works mixes with it quite well, as it contains a fair bit of fat.

Then after adding milk and heating in a microwave, one of those cappuchino frothers mixes it better still.

cheers, Pete. (who will have cocoa tonight instead of Twinings chai for a change...)

[Mary Fisher]

I've got the chocolatier's response to my asking:

"Cocoa solids refers to the chocolate compound of cocoa mass and cocoa butter which are reblended after the cocoa bean has been ground. Cocoa mass is the solid part of the cocoa bean which has the 'chocolate' flavour, and cocoa butter is the fat of the cocoa bean.

"Depending on the quantities the cocoa mass and butter are reblended gives the different grades of chocolate.

"Cocoa powder in tins is basically a powdered from of cocoa mass and does not contain any cocoa butter."

I'm not sure I'm any better informed :-) Except that I've never had anything from a tin of 'cocoa' which has tasted anything like the fine chocolates I prefer (not Bourneville).

Mary

Mary

[Alan Holmes]

My Cadburys cocoa says that as well!

Alan

[Alan Holmes]

How on earth can you drink it without sugar, I have to have at least four spoons of sugar!

Alan

[Mary Fisher]

I'm not keen on sweet drinks. To me sugar masks the flavour of what I'm drinking. I'm not even keen on sweet wines.

Mary

[June Hughes]

In message , Alan Holmes writes

I only use it for making cakes and biscuits. Reminds me too much of the camping we used to do during the very brief time I was a sea ranger.

(Have just noticed that this is cross-posted to uk.d-i-y and I am useless at that but have left the cross-posting anyway. Perhaps something will rub off and make me a bit better at it).

[Fitz]

Well said. Mint in chocolate is just plain wrong.

I can't understand the people who think that 'after eights' are the dogs pods and yet wont touch a chocolate coated coffee bean. Weirdos.

[Mary Fisher]

I wouldn't be so rude about them.

I'd ignore them :-)

Mary

[Owain]

I believe a good cup of tea brings out the flavour of the sugar.

Owain

[Ophelia]

Well hello Mary:)) How are your bees:))

[Alan Holmes]

Blimmy, I hadn't seen that at all, perhaps I need new glasses!(:-)

Alan