Solution to 11th-Century Mystery: Hot Chocolate

Call it a 'super-fruit,' researchers say

(NEWSER) - Chocolate lovers, rejoice: Your beloved treat may actually be healthier than fruit juice. A comparison of cocoa products to fruit juice powders suggests dark chocolate has more antioxidant power than juices, as well as more of certain chemicals that are good for your heart, the New York Daily News reports. But take note: The study was conducted by Hershey. More»

American and Peruvian researchers scour the Amazon for wild cacao trees

(NEWSER) - In 2008 and 2009, American and Peruvian scientists joined forces on a hunt for sweet treasure—new kinds of chocolate. They explored the Amazon Basin, searching for wild cacao trees—which produce the beans that go into chocolate—and discovered 342 specimens from 12 watersheds, reports NPR . Each new cacao type could potentially grow into a new delicious strain of chocolate, but it'll be several years before the slow-sprouting trees hatch beans. More»

Many see right through US bars, actually made by Hershey

(NEWSER) - Serious chocolate fans responded warily to the news of Kraft's bid for Cadbury—especially in the US, where aficionados reject the domestic brand anyway. It’s made by Hershey, not the British firm itself, and that just won’t cut it for hardcore devotees of the British brand, the Wall Street Journal reports. "If you were to hold a gun to my head, and say, 'Eat this Hershey bar!' I'd say: 'Shoot me,'" vows one fan. More»

(NEWSER) - Sure, the global economy might collapse spectacularly and send us all back to a barter system. But that’s inefficient, Greg Sabin writes on Mental Floss, and “almost all civilizations have come up with currencies.” A sampling of what might be in your wallet next week:

• Shells: "From China to Africa to the Americas," most people used "small, transportable, and rather unremarkable specimens," with value added by "the time and effort spent on tying the shells together to form belts, necklaces, and tapestries."

Soaring cocoa prices slim down candy makers' profit margins

(NEWSER) - Soaring cocoa prices have left chocolate makers wondering how far they can hike prices without souring business, the Wall Street Journal reports. Crop woes in Africa have kept cocoa pricey despite the global commodities slump. Chocolate companies are mostly holding prices steady for now but many are expected to fatten their slim profit margins after the Valentine's Day rush. More»