From candy bars and coffee to cookies and ice cream, chocolate is all around us.
Chocolate is the favorite flavor of Americans. However chocolate is popular around the world. Europeans are known for their expensive specialty chocolates. Companies like Hershey's have made chocolate popular with everyone. Milton Snavely Hershey once said "Caramels are only a fad. Chocolate is a permanent thing."
Chocolate beans comes from the dark, purple-colored seeds of the cacao tree. The scientific name of the cacao tree is Theobroma which means "food of the gods." Native to Central and South America, there are three main varieties:
1. Forastero - This common tree accounts for nearly 90% of the world's production of cacao beans. 2. Criollo - Cacao beans from these trees are the most highly prized because of their aroma and delicacy. The best chocolate makers from around the world seek out these beans. 3. Trinitario - This cacao bean is a cross between the Criollo and the Forastero.
Although many people think that the Mayas developed chocolate around 500 A.D., some think chocolate may have been developed earlier by the Olmec civilizations. At was probably first consumed as a drink mixed with water and wine. The word chocolate was probably derived from the Aztec word chocolati. Christopher Columbus brought cacao beans back to Europe on his fourth voyage in 1502. While these beans were used as local currency in the Central America, the Spanish didn't see their value for many years. However by the 1800s, chocolate became commonly used in pastries, cakes, and sorbets. Today, the beans are grown on farms and send around the world.
Chocolate production involves a number of steps including:
Here are two other links related to chocolate:
Learn about The Field Museum Chocolate Exhibit.
The Topic: Chocolate has some great chocolate links.
