Chocolate
Archaeological evidence from the Mayo-Chinchipe culture in present-day southeast Ecuador dates cacao use to at least 5300 years ago. This finding predates any known Mesoamerican consumption of the plant by thousands of years. The word chocolate entered English records in 1604 and Spanish records in 1579 as a loanword. Scholars debate whether this term derives from Nahuatl words meaning bitter drink or hot water. Anthropologist Kathryn Sampeck suggests the name originally referred to one specific cacao beverage among many. That drink included annatto and was made in what is now Guatemala. The Izalcos people became notable producers, making the term generic for all cacao beverages.
Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés observed chocolate in the court of Moctezuma II in 1520. It took until 1585 for the first official shipment of cocoa beans to reach Europe. Religious orders played a significant role in spreading the drink across the continent during the 17th century. Early European versions were sweetened, served warm, and flavored with familiar spices like vanilla and chili. By the 18th century, chocolate remained an aristocratic product consumed primarily by the elite. Engine-powered milling developed in the 19th century changed production methods forever. Coenraad Johannes van Houten received a patent for Dutch cocoa processing in 1828. This innovation removed cocoa butter and permitted large scale manufacturing. A worker in 1890 could produce fifty times more chocolate with the same labor than before the Industrial Revolution. Mass markets opened up in Western nations as production moved from the Americas to Asia and Africa.
The cacao tree grows within 20 degrees of either side of the equator naturally. These small understory trees require about 2000 mm of rainfall per year. Temperatures must stay above 13 degrees Celsius or the plant will die. The fruit is called a cocoa pod and measures roughly 30 centimeters long. Each ripe pod weighs approximately half a kilogram and turns yellow to orange. Scientists sequenced the genome of the cacao tree in 2010. New genetic research identified eleven distinct clusters instead of the traditional three varieties. Criollo, Forastero, and Trinitario names no longer hold scientific backing. The most common genotype originated in the Amazon basin and spread throughout South America. Early forms of another genotype have been found in what is now Venezuela.
Cocoa pods are harvested by cutting them from the tree using a machete. Beans inside unripe pods have low sugar content and impact flavor negatively. Workers remove beans and pulp from pods to place them in piles for fermentation. Micro-organisms produce ethanol, lactic acid, and acetic acid over seven days. This process creates several flavor precursors that eventually provide chocolate taste. Drying takes five to seven days when weather permits sun exposure. Manufacturing facilities clean beans to remove twigs and stones before roasting. Grinding produces chocolate liquor which separates into cocoa solids and cocoa butter. A conche container filled with metal beads refines texture during processing. Particles smaller than 20 micrometers create smooth mouthfeel. Tempering crystallizes Form V crystals to give characteristic snap and gloss. Final products include bars and chips molded into various shapes.
One hundred grams of milk chocolate supplies 540 calories and contains 30 percent fat. Polyphenols like flavan-3-ols exist alongside alkaloids such as theobromine and caffeine. One tablespoonful of dry unsweetened cocoa powder has 12.1 milligrams of caffeine. Dark chocolate contains two to five times more theobromine than milk chocolate. Theobromine poisoning happens more frequently in domestic animals than humans. Cats, dogs, horses, parrots, and small rodents cannot metabolize the chemical effectively. A typical dog experiences intestinal distress after eating less than 50 grams of dark chocolate. Medical treatment involves inducing vomiting within two hours of ingestion. Studies concluded children may be at risk of exceeding daily lead limits from consumption. One 10 gram cube of dark chocolate may contain as much as 20 percent of the daily oral limit for lead. Cadmium exposure also concerns health authorities regarding baby foods and chocolate products.
Chocolate represents a steadily growing US$50 billion-a-year worldwide business as of 2009. Europe accounted for 45 percent of world revenue while the US spent $20 billion in 2013. Mars and Hershey's alone accounted for two-thirds of US production in 2004. Roughly two-thirds of global cocoa came from West Africa with 43 percent sourced from Ivory Coast. That year some 50 million people around the world depended on cocoa as a source of livelihood. Up to 12,000 of the 200,000 children working in the Ivory Coast industry may have been victims of trafficking or slavery according to a 2002 estimate. As of 2017 approximately 2.1 million children in Ghana and Ivory Coast were involved in farming. They carried heavy loads, cleared forests, and faced pesticide exposure. The Cocoa Barometer report stated no company or government was near eliminating child labor by 2020. Major producers like Nestlé buy cocoa at commodities exchanges where Ivorian beans mix with others.
Roald Dahl published Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in 1964 featuring poor boy Charlie Bucket. Two film adaptations followed including Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory released in 1971. Dieter Roth cast human and animal figures in chocolate beginning his works in the 1960s. His art used inevitable decay to comment on museum display permanence. Easter brings molded rabbits and eggs to Christian communities while Hanukkah features chocolate coins for Jewish families. Valentine's Day sees heart-shaped boxes presented alongside flowers and greeting cards. Children use chocolate as a euphemism for feces in some cultures. In China chocolate is considered heaty and avoided during hot weather. The U.S. National Confectioners Association lists February 19 as Chocolate Mint Day. Marketing drives reputation as mood enhancer despite limited scientific evidence for consistent effects among all consumers.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When did the Mayo-Chinchipe culture use cacao in present-day southeast Ecuador?
Archaeological evidence dates cacao use by the Mayo-Chinchipe culture to at least 5300 years ago. This finding predates any known Mesoamerican consumption of the plant by thousands of years.
What year did the word chocolate enter English records and Spanish records respectively?
The word chocolate entered English records in 1604 and Spanish records in 1579 as a loanword. Scholars debate whether this term derives from Nahuatl words meaning bitter drink or hot water.
How many distinct genetic clusters of the cacao tree were identified when scientists sequenced its genome in 2010?
Scientists sequenced the genome of the cacao tree in 2010 and identified eleven distinct clusters instead of the traditional three varieties. The most common genotype originated in the Amazon basin and spread throughout South America.
Why does Theobromine poisoning happen more frequently in domestic animals than humans?
Cats, dogs, horses, parrots, and small rodents cannot metabolize the chemical effectively. A typical dog experiences intestinal distress after eating less than 50 grams of dark chocolate.
Which countries accounted for roughly two-thirds of global cocoa production in 2009?
Roughly two-thirds of global cocoa came from West Africa with 43 percent sourced from Ivory Coast. As of 2017 approximately 2.1 million children in Ghana and Ivory Coast were involved in farming.