7 Strange (yet Tasty) Facts About Chocolate

For some ladies, having chocolate is considered to be better than having sex, which is strange in itself as chocolate is also known as an aphrodisiac!  Whatever the connotations associated with chocolate, romance and bedroom activities, this superfood has an addictive attraction for people around the world and has been used by man for at least 3,000 years.

Western civilization was introduced to chocolate in 1504 by the explorer, Christopher Columbus, but the modern chocolate we recognize and love is not how we have always used it.

#1 – The Birth of Milk Chocolate

Milk chocolate was “invented” by Henre Nestle and his partner, Daniel Peter in 1879 – Nestle has since gone on to become one of the worlds leading confectionery brands, headquartered in Switzerland.  In the same year, the “conching” process was developed which turned chocolate from a hard, brittle substance, which was usually dissolved and drunk, into a smooth and softer eating experience.

#2 – Chocolate as a Beverage

The Ancient Aztecs developed chocolate as a drink and not as a hard food to be eaten, and after being introduced to Europe, drinking chocolate was how Western society new and used chocolate.  London, UK had a tradition of coffee houses out of which the first stock exchanges were developed (because this was where the money men and merchants of the day would hang out), and chocolate houses were developed along the same lines except they were for the really rich (see later).  The first one opened in 1604 but was burned down in the Great Fire of London – the owner was made bankrupt because he was uninsured and lost a fortune in the chocolate which went up in smoke!

#3 – The Value of Chocolate

Chocolate cost 15 shillings in old English money for one pound of chocolate beans when it started being sold in that old English chocolate drinking house – this would be the equivalent of more than  $3,000 in our money today – in other words, a typical chocolate bar today would cost more than $1,000!

The cacoa beans, from which chocolate is made, were so valuable that they were used as money by the Ancient Aztecs and Incas.  This made weddings very expensive affairs way back then too – the wedding party and guests would be served drinking chocolate as part of the ceremony!

#4 – Who Came Up With Solid Chocolate?

Cacoa beans were costly, in part because it takes rather a lot of them to make up chocolate while producing chocolate in liquid form was equally expensive to transport and over time it would spoil.  Some enterprising Mexican nuns, who were looking to raise funds for their convent and missionary work, experimented and found a way of making a concentrated chocolate which was a solid and this was cheaper and easier to ship back to Europe for sale.

#5 – Money Does Not Grow on Trees!

Though cacao beans may have been used as money, in this instance they do grow on trees.  The tropical Theobroma Cacao produces the pods from which chocolate is extracted.  The pods are unusual in that they grow directly out of the trunk of the tree, and one tree can produce up to 2,000 pods a year each holding around 35 cacoa beans.

#6 – Your Chocolate Probably Does Not Come from the Americas

While chocolate originates from Central America and the Theobroma Cacao tree is found throughout the South American continent, today commercial production is centered in Africa.  Incidentally, you may already know that chocolate is bad for your dog and the reason for this is the chemical compound, theobromine, which is highly toxic to canines and yet is harmless for humans.  Ignore Fido’s imploring eyes and don’t ever feed your pet chocolate!

#7 – Why Does Chocolate Taste So Good?

Chocolate was described as “The Food of the Goods”, which is where the tree derives its Latin name – “Theo” means “god” in Ancient Greek.  No matter, we all know that chocolate tastes exceedingly good and the reason for this is there is an incredible fusion of over 400 separate tastes within chocolate.  It is not that there is one single effect on your taste buds which sparks your pleasure centers in your brain – it is the number of taste sensations which hit your tongue and how they coalesce to form the unique taste of chocolate.

#8 – How Do We Get from a Pod on a Tree to That Extraordinary Taste in Your Mouth?

First, the pods are harvested from the tree and then the beans are carefully extracted by hand to avoid damaging them.  The cacoa beans are coated with a sticky pulp and at this stage, they taste extremely bitter and not at all chocolatey.  The beans are carefully placed in a pit and covered with banana leaves and left to ferment for a few days to a week.  The beans are then removed and dried but the flavor continues to develop within them, until they arrive at the chocolate refinery where they are converted to chocolate.

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