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Chemists in a Big World |
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A Sweet
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Cuckoo For Cocoa Puffs |
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Have you ever experienced that intense craving for chocolate? Fortunately there are many different forms of chocolate available to assuage this insuppressible urge. Chocolate candy bars, chocolate cake, chocolate milk, chocolate mousse, chocolate cookies, brownies, chocolate covered fruit, hot chocolate, chocolate sauce, chocolate pie, chocolate filled pastry, chocolate �clairs or chocolate cupcakes are just a few choices to choose from. Judging from all the different varieties of chocolate available it would seem that we have all gone a little crazy for this luscious treat. |
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The History of Chocolate |
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Chocolate has been enjoyed for almost 2,000 years. Historians believe that the Mayans were the first people to make chocolate. They would gather the beans from the cocoa trees and dry them. But the Mayans did not eat the chocolate they drank it. They ground the cocoa beans then mixed them with other ingredients such as: water, chili peppers and cornmeal to make a spicy bitter beverage. The lower and upper class alike where allowed to savor this brew. Unlike modern times this beverage was not just a pleasing food but a part of their religious and social customs.
The next people to discover chocolate were the Aztecs. Since they could not grow the beans themselves they had to be imported. They not only used chocolate as a luxury drink but also as money, offerings to the gods and payment to rulers. Aztec rulers required ordinary citizens and conquered peoples to pay a tax, also called �tribute.� Cacao was so valuable that the conquered peoples who lived in cacao-growing areas where required to pay tribute with cacao seeds. Unlike in the Mayan society only the Aztec elite (rulers, priests, decorated warriors, and honored merchants) held the social status and economic position to savor the drink.
After the Spanish conquered the Aztecs cocoa became one of the spoils of war. Spanish soldiers claimed the cocoa and began to demand it from the same people the Aztecs collected it from. This led to cocoa being introduced to the people back in Spain were people discovered how to sweeten up the bitter brew. They added cinnamon, sugar and other spices to the beverage and the result was the celebrated drink: hot chocolate. It took 100 years for this secret to spread from the Spanish court but soon it became a fad in all the royal courts in Europe. It remained a drink only accessible to royalty till the Industrial Revolution were it was made more available to the public. As its popularity spread, more people starting experimenting to find out what else could be made with chocolate. As a result of this experiementing there are many different chocolate products available today. |
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The Chemistry Behind Chocolate |
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It is clear that eating chocolate can have considerable influences on mood by enhancing pleasant feelings and reducing tension. Many people even claim to be addicted to this delightful treat, labeling themselves chocoholics. Though an addiction is unlikely where does that feel- good feeling come from when you eat chocolate? Scientists have wondered the same thing and their speculating has led them to look at what components of chocolate cause our sensory and internal experiences
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