Eating as little as a quarter of an ounce of chocolate each day -- an amount equal to about one small Easter egg -- may lower your risk of experiencing a heart attack or stroke, a new study has found. For best results, the chocolate should be dark, experts say.

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Say It With Chocolate! Is There Any Better Way?

Welcome to canadianchocolate.net

Your one-stop-shop for everything about Canadian Chocolate and the companies who make them. Whether you are looking for the history of chocolate, the ingredients of white chocolate, milk chocolate or dark chocolate, chocolate bars , chocolate cakes or chocolate cookies we have you covered.

We have supplied some links to some Canadian chocolate companies on the left of each page to help you purchase your favourite chocolates, chocolate bars and chocolate candy online. Amazon.com also has some great chocolate treats and books on chocolate and baking with chocolate, check out their link at the bottom of the page. I have also added links to a few good books on chocolate on the "contact" page

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Let's start with how chocolate got it's beginning in Canada

James and Gilbert Ganong opened a small retail and grocery business in 1873 in St. Stephen, New Brunswick. At first, buying and selling candy was just a small part of their business. The brothers soon realized they had to specialize in certain products to gain an edge on their competitors. Selling fresh oysters was one of the things they tried, as well as making and marketing their own brand of soap.

But it was when they began making their own candy that the foundation was set for what is now Canada's oldest family owned candy-maker. To that they added a distinguishing hallmark that has lasted more than a century: Quality - above all else.

Over the years, Ganong has been the first to do many things, which have made candy and chocolate history including:

*Introducing a heart-shaped box to hold chocolates - 1932 - originally introduced at Christmas! - now the symbol of Valentine's Day.

*Using cellophane packaging imported from France - 1920.

*Developing and introducing the first Canadian lollipop - 1895.

*Inventing and introducing the first chocolate nut bar in North America

*The first 5 cent chocolate bar - 1910.

*Introducing pink, cinnamon flavored candies with bittersweet chocolate in the centre - Chicken Bones - in 1885.

*Using real fruit, in puree form, to make fruit snacks – 1988

*Using the Acadian heroine Evangeline as their symbol, or logo, for 75 years (retired in 1978).

Some interesting facts about chocolate include:

>The cocoa tree grows 20° either side of the equator, cocoa pods contain 20 to 30 beans each, and about 400 beans are required to make a pound of chocolate.

>Brazil and the Ivory Coast(part of Africa) are leaders in the cocoa bean belt, accounting for nearly half of the world's cocoa.

>In the early 1500's, cocoa beans were used as currency - about 100 beans would buy a slave.

>In the 1700's people in the colonies (later the U.S.) drank chocolate as a medicine.

>Pure chocolate is virtually free of cholesterol and salt.

>Chocolate manufacturers currently use 40% of the world's almonds and 20% of the world's peanuts.

>While the United States leads the world in cocoa bean importation and chocolate production, Switzerland continues as the leader in per capita chocolate consumption.