Chocolates! Even thinking about them can make us crave them. Despite their delicious taste, chocolates certainly have a lot more to offer. Almost everyone loves chocolate! It is enjoyed in all corners of the world, whether as a drink, chocolate bar, cake, or powder. Chocolate is used as a key ingredient in many chocolate-based recipes. Many people tend to stereotype that eating chocolate will only make you fat. This may be true for eating excessive amounts of chocolate. But if eaten in moderation, chocolates have many health benefits.
Chocolate is made using either solid cocoa or cocoa fat. As we all know that there are many varieties of chocolates available in the market. The way manufacturers create these varieties is by using different amounts of cocoa in production. Chocolates with less cocoa are generally cheaper and don’t taste as good as those made with a higher amount of cocoa. The quality of the cocoa also plays a crucial role in the varieties of chocolate.
The first step in the production of this delight begins with the extraction of the beans from the cacao trees, which then undergo several manufacturing steps before obtaining the final product. The first evidence of cocoa drinks by the first civilizations dates back to 1900 BC. C. by the Mokaya and the pre-Olmec peoples. Some research also suggests that chocolate was first used in Central America over 2,500 years ago. The Mayans placed a high level of importance on chocolate and considered cacao a divine gift. The Mayans gave it the name ‘Cacao’ which means ‘food of god’. After its introduction to Europe in the 16th century, the Latins called the cacao tree ‘Theobrama Cacao’, which means ‘food for the god’. It is believed that the word cacao we use today is due to a misspelling of Cacao.
Here are some fun facts about chocolates:
- The shelf life of chocolates is about one year, which means you can leave your chocolate in the freezer for a year without having to worry about it.
- Eating chocolate can improve your memory and lower blood pressure.
- Those are not the only health benefits. Many studies have been conducted and they reveal that chocolate contains healthy antioxidants that reduce the chances of getting cancer and heart disease. These are just a few of the many health benefits that chocolate can offer.
- Chocolate is poisonous to dogs. Theobromine that can be found in chocolates may be too much for dogs or other pets. Now that your dog can’t eat the chocolate, you can have more for yourself!
- It contains chemicals that when consumed make us feel happy.
- The largest chocolate bar ever made weighed 5,026 pounds and was produced by the Elah-Dufour United Food Companies in Italy in March 2000.
- Although it is high in fat, chocolate does not appear to raise blood cholesterol levels.
- The United States consumes almost half of the chocolate produced in the world.
- Allergies among people to chocolate are rare.
Chocolate not only serves as a health benefactor, but it can brighten anyone’s day. A box of chocolates is all you need to appease your angry girlfriend, unless of course she doesn’t like chocolates, then a rose would do the job. The wide variety of recipes that are available today satisfy everyone’s taste buds. If you prefer chocolates that are not so bitter or you prefer them coated with cookies, you can always find them at a store near you. To describe them in two words, simply delicious!