Interesting facts about chocolate is a collection of sweet facts and tasty information about chocolate.
Chocolate is one of those products I can’t imagine life without. I’m a really sweet tooth and chocolate enthusiast in every form, and what’s important, I’m not ashamed of it at all. During our numerous travels, we visited various places related to chocolate, such as the Lindt Swiss Chocolate Factory in Zurich or the Valor Chocolate Factory in Spain.
Below, I’ll tell you about chocolate and some interesting facts and trivia about it. I suspect that some of them you might not have known, just like I didn’t until I stumbled upon them. On the other hand, if you know any information that could be included in our article, feel free to share, and I’ll gladly add it to the list.
Interesting facts about chocolate and its origins
- Chocolate has been known for over 4,000 years.
- Chocolate first appeared in ancient Mesoamerica, which is present-day Mexico.
- The first people to master the technique of making chocolate from roasted and ground cocoa beans were the Olmecs, an ancient culture considered the oldest civilization in Latin America.
- Initially, chocolate was used during prayers and rituals. It was also considered a medicinal remedy.
- The ancient Mayans adopted the technique of making chocolate from cocoa from the Olmecs and began to use it widely.
- The Mayans believed that the drink made from cocoa and additives was given to them by the god Quetzalcoatl to heal them, bring them joy, and give strength to warriors.
- Originally, chocolate was made from flour obtained from roasted and ground cocoa beans and water. Later, water was replaced with milk, and corn and honey were added. This drink was called Xococalit, meaning bitter water.
- At one point in the history of Latin America, chocolate served as currency.
- The drink made from cocoa beans was considered a potent aphrodisiac.
Interesting facts about chocolate in Europe
- Chocolate arrived in Europe with the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus.
- Initially, the cocoa beans brought from America and prepared according to the Aztec recipe did not appeal to the inhabitants of Europe because they did not know how to consume it. For many, it was too bitter.
- It was only in the 17th century that roasted and ground cocoa beans began to be mixed with sweetened hot water.
- One of the reasons for the bad taste of early chocolate was the excess fat in cocoa beans, which significantly affected the taste of the product. In the 19th century, techniques were developed to separate the excess fat from cocoa beans, improving the taste of chocolate.
- In the 17th century, the custom of drinking chocolate at the French court became popularized by Louis XIV, who enjoyed the bitter drink. Soon after, the consumption of chocolate in various forms became popular among the French nobility, and shortly thereafter, in other European courts, including Switzerland.
- During the same period, the fashion for small establishments where chocolate was consumed emerged.
- In the early 19th century, Dutch chemist Coenraad Johannes van Houten developed a technology for processing cocoa mass using alkaline salts. This made cocoa much more soluble in water. The resulting mass is now called Dutch chocolate, and the residual fat from this process is called cocoa butter.
- The first solid chocolate was produced by Francis Fry of Bristol, England, in 1847.
- The process of producing chocolate in an industrial manner, similar to what you see on store shelves today, was discovered in Switzerland in 1876.
- Another important invention was the development of a method for processing chocolate mass called conching. It involves prolonged heating of chocolate and continuous stirring. This results in a velvety and very delicate mass. Swiss company Lindt, among others, uses this method.
- By the end of the 19th century, Switzerland became the capital of European chocolate. Companies such as Lindt & Sprüngli and Camille Bloch were established during this time.
- The first chocolate café in Poland was opened by Ernest Karol Wedel, a man whose family created the most famous Polish confectionery brand.
- In 1940, Forrest Mars invented chocolate-coated candies enclosed in a sugary shell that could be carried by soldiers without melting. Today, they are known as M&M’s.
Interesting facts about cocoa beans
- Cocoa beans are the seeds found in the fruits of the cocoa tree.
- In one cocoa fruit, there can be up to 60 seeds covered with a soft, mucilaginous pulp.
- Right after harvesting, the seeds have a pale purple or purplish colour, and it’s only after drying that they attain a dark chocolate hue.
- The first fruits appear on very young plants, sometimes as young as 3 years old. However, the highest yields come from plants several years old.
- Cocoa contains two stimulating components, theobromine, and caffeine.
- Theobromine found in cocoa has stimulating properties and aids in body recovery, especially after physical exertion.
- The best cocoa beans, after harvesting and washing, are left in the sun to develop a strong aroma. Subsequently, the hard shells are removed, and the pulp is processed into a paste and transported to factories in this form, where it undergoes further processing using various methods.
- Currently, cocoa trees are cultivated on plantations in tropical regions of both Americas, the Far East, India, and Africa.
Interesting facts about the effects of chocolate on our body
- Ancient Aztecs already appreciated the health benefits of chocolate. They believed that drinking a beverage made from ground cocoa seeds helped cure diseases, strengthen the body, and provide energy.
- In the 19th century, chocolate was sold in pharmacies, advertised as a strengthening and stimulating product.
- Chocolate has stimulating effects due to its caffeine content.
- Chocolate products help combat troublesome coughs because the compounds in it relax the smooth muscles of the bronchi.
- Despite containing a fair amount of fat, chocolate does not contribute to an increase in cholesterol levels in the body; on the contrary, it may help combat it (this applies to dark chocolate, unfortunately).
- The amino acid tryptophan, found in chocolate, supports the synthesis of serotonin, the happiness hormone, which is why eating chocolate improves mood.
- Contrary to common belief, chocolate does not contribute to tooth decay; on the contrary, it may help fight it (we’re talking about dark chocolate here).
- Chocolate and chocolate products satisfy hunger and alleviate hunger pangs. That’s why a bar of chocolate is part of soldiers’ rations.
- It has been proven that chocolate improves memory; apparently, even its scent alone is sufficient.
- Eating a square of dark chocolate daily can reduce the risk of a heart attack by up to 30 percent.
- Unlike us, animals cannot digest chocolate. It is fatally dangerous for dogs.
- Chocolate is very calorie-dense, but this largely depends on its type.
- Dark chocolate contains 480 kilocalories.
- Milk chocolate contains 530 kilocalories.
- White chocolate contains 550 kilocalories.
- Filled chocolates can contain over 600 kilocalories.
- Over 600 substances have been found in chocolate that have a direct or indirect positive effect on our bodies.
Other facts about chocolate
- A product can be called chocolate if it contains no less than 25 percent cocoa solids.
- Few people realize that microwaves were discovered thanks to chocolate. During research on radar signals, it was noticed accidentally that chocolate melts within the range of the beam. Today, these waves are used in microwave ovens.
- In the past, before chocolate began to be produced on a large scale, only the wealthiest could afford a chocolate bar.
- For over a hundred years, there has been a dispute between the British and the Swiss over where the first chocolate bar was created.
- The largest chocolate block ever produced weighed over 5 tons.
- The most expensive chocolate is Cadbury. A bar can cost up to $600.
- Statistically, Americans consume the most chocolate.
- In the USA, almost half of all chocolate products produced worldwide are sold.
- Chocolate has a day dedicated to it, which falls on April 12th.
- White chocolate appeared in stores in 1930. Technically, it’s not even chocolate because it doesn’t contain a gram of cocoa.
- White chocolate production does not involve cocoa, only cocoa butter.
- The first milk chocolate bar was produced in 1975 by adding condensed milk to chocolate mass.
- Belgium is considered one of the largest chocolate producers. Over 20,000 people are employed in the chocolate industry there.
- More than 30 percent of all produced nuts and almonds are used as additions to chocolate.
- The global chocolate market is worth well over $100 billion annually.
- The largest chocolate shop is located in Dubai, covering almost a square kilometre.
- Napoleon Bonaparte was a chocolate enthusiast.
- In Europe, the Swiss consumes the most chocolate, over 10 kilograms per person. The average German consumes 8 kilograms of chocolate per year, while Hungarians only consume 3 kilograms.
- “Chocolate facts” is one of the most commonly searched phrases on the Internet.
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