Chocolate – there’s nothing quite like it, is there?\r\nChocolate is simply delicious. What is chocolate? Where does it come from?
Christopher Columbus was probably the first to take cacao\r\nbeans from the New World to Europe in around 1502. But the history of chocolate\r\ngoes back at least 4,000 years! The Aztecs, who lived in America, through that\r\ntheir bitter cacao drink was a divine gift from heaven. In fact, the scientist\r\nCarolus Linnaeus named the plant Theobroma, which means “food of the gods”
The Spanish explorer Hernando Cortex went to America in\r\n1519. He visited the Mexican emperor Montezuma. He saw that Montezuma drank\r\ncacao mixed with vanilla and spices. Cortez took some cacao home as a gift to the\r\nSpanish King Charles. In Spain, people began to drink Cortez’s chocolate in\r\ndrink with chili peppers. However, the natural taste of cacao was too bitter\r\nfor most people. To sweeten the drink, Europeans added sugar to the cacao\r\ndrink. As a sweet drink, it became more popular. By the 17th\r\ncentury, rich people in Europe were drinking it.
Later, people started using chocolate in pastries, like pies and cakes. In 1828, Dutch chocolate\r\nmakers started using a new process for removing the fat from cacao beans, and\r\ngetting to the center of the cacao bean. The Dutch chocolate maker Conrad J.\r\nVan Houten made a machine that pressed the fat from the bean. The resulting powder\r\nmixed better with water than cacao did. Now, some call van Houten’s chocolate “Dutch\r\nchocolate.”
It was easy to mix Dutuch chocolate powder with sugar. So\r\nother chocolate makers started trying new recipes that used powdered chocolate. People started\r\nmixing sweetened chocolate with cocoa butter to make solid chocolate bars. In\r\n1849, an English chocolate maker made the first chocolate bar. In the 19th\r\ncentury, the Swiss started making milk chocolate by mixing powdered milk with\r\nsweetened chocolate. Milk chocolate has not changed much since this process was\r\ninvented.
Today, two countries – Brazil and Ivory Coast – account for\r\nalmost half the world’s chocolate. The United States imports most of the\r\nchocolate in the world, but the Swiss eat the most chocolate per person. The\r\nmost chocolate eaten today is sweet milk chocolate, but people also eat white\r\nchocolate and dark chocolate.
Cocoa and dark chocolate are believed to help prevent heart\r\nattacks, or help keep from happening. They are supposed to be good for the\r\ncirculatory system. On the other hand, the high fat content of chocolate can\r\ncause weight gain, which is not good for people’s health. Other health claims\r\nfor chocolate have not been proven, but some research shows that chocolate\r\ncould be good for the brain.
Chocolate is a popular holiday gift. A popular Valentine’s\r\nDay gift is a box of chocolate candies with a card and flowers. Chocolate is\r\nsometimes given for Christmas and birthdays. Chocolate eggs are sometimes given\r\nat Easter.
Chocolate is toxic to some animals. An ingredient in chocolate\r\nis poisonous to dogs, cats, parrots, small rodents, and some livestock. Their\r\nbodies cannot process some if the chemicals found in chocolate. Therefore, they\r\nshould never be fed chocolate.
When you prevent something, you
Chocolate – there’s nothing quite like it, is there?\r\nChocolate is simply delicious. What is chocolate? Where does it come from?
Christopher Columbus was probably the first to take cacao\r\nbeans from the New World to Europe in around 1502. But the history of chocolate\r\ngoes back at least 4,000 years! The Aztecs, who lived in America, through that\r\ntheir bitter cacao drink was a divine gift from heaven. In fact, the scientist\r\nCarolus Linnaeus named the plant Theobroma, which means “food of the gods”
The Spanish explorer Hernando Cortex went to America in\r\n1519. He visited the Mexican emperor Montezuma. He saw that Montezuma drank\r\ncacao mixed with vanilla and spices. Cortez took some cacao home as a gift to the\r\nSpanish King Charles. In Spain, people began to drink Cortez’s chocolate in\r\ndrink with chili peppers. However, the natural taste of cacao was too bitter\r\nfor most people. To sweeten the drink, Europeans added sugar to the cacao\r\ndrink. As a sweet drink, it became more popular. By the 17th\r\ncentury, rich people in Europe were drinking it.
Later, people started using chocolate in pastries, like pies and cakes. In 1828, Dutch chocolate\r\nmakers started using a new process for removing the fat from cacao beans, and\r\ngetting to the center of the cacao bean. The Dutch chocolate maker Conrad J.\r\nVan Houten made a machine that pressed the fat from the bean. The resulting powder\r\nmixed better with water than cacao did. Now, some call van Houten’s chocolate “Dutch\r\nchocolate.”
It was easy to mix Dutuch chocolate powder with sugar. So\r\nother chocolate makers started trying new recipes that used powdered chocolate. People started\r\nmixing sweetened chocolate with cocoa butter to make solid chocolate bars. In\r\n1849, an English chocolate maker made the first chocolate bar. In the 19th\r\ncentury, the Swiss started making milk chocolate by mixing powdered milk with\r\nsweetened chocolate. Milk chocolate has not changed much since this process was\r\ninvented.
Today, two countries – Brazil and Ivory Coast – account for\r\nalmost half the world’s chocolate. The United States imports most of the\r\nchocolate in the world, but the Swiss eat the most chocolate per person. The\r\nmost chocolate eaten today is sweet milk chocolate, but people also eat white\r\nchocolate and dark chocolate.
Cocoa and dark chocolate are believed to help prevent heart\r\nattacks, or help keep from happening. They are supposed to be good for the\r\ncirculatory system. On the other hand, the high fat content of chocolate can\r\ncause weight gain, which is not good for people’s health. Other health claims\r\nfor chocolate have not been proven, but some research shows that chocolate\r\ncould be good for the brain.
Chocolate is a popular holiday gift. A popular Valentine’s\r\nDay gift is a box of chocolate candies with a card and flowers. Chocolate is\r\nsometimes given for Christmas and birthdays. Chocolate eggs are sometimes given\r\nat Easter.
Chocolate is toxic to some animals. An ingredient in chocolate\r\nis poisonous to dogs, cats, parrots, small rodents, and some livestock. Their\r\nbodies cannot process some if the chemicals found in chocolate. Therefore, they\r\nshould never be fed chocolate.
What are recipes?
Chocolate – there’s nothing quite like it, is there?\r\nChocolate is simply delicious. What is chocolate? Where does it come from?
Christopher Columbus was probably the first to take cacao\r\nbeans from the New World to Europe in around 1502. But the history of chocolate\r\ngoes back at least 4,000 years! The Aztecs, who lived in America, through that\r\ntheir bitter cacao drink was a divine gift from heaven. In fact, the scientist\r\nCarolus Linnaeus named the plant Theobroma, which means “food of the gods”
The Spanish explorer Hernando Cortex went to America in\r\n1519. He visited the Mexican emperor Montezuma. He saw that Montezuma drank\r\ncacao mixed with vanilla and spices. Cortez took some cacao home as a gift to the\r\nSpanish King Charles. In Spain, people began to drink Cortez’s chocolate in\r\ndrink with chili peppers. However, the natural taste of cacao was too bitter\r\nfor most people. To sweeten the drink, Europeans added sugar to the cacao\r\ndrink. As a sweet drink, it became more popular. By the 17th\r\ncentury, rich people in Europe were drinking it.
Later, people started using chocolate in pastries, like pies and cakes. In 1828, Dutch chocolate\r\nmakers started using a new process for removing the fat from cacao beans, and\r\ngetting to the center of the cacao bean. The Dutch chocolate maker Conrad J.\r\nVan Houten made a machine that pressed the fat from the bean. The resulting powder\r\nmixed better with water than cacao did. Now, some call van Houten’s chocolate “Dutch\r\nchocolate.”
It was easy to mix Dutuch chocolate powder with sugar. So\r\nother chocolate makers started trying new recipes that used powdered chocolate. People started\r\nmixing sweetened chocolate with cocoa butter to make solid chocolate bars. In\r\n1849, an English chocolate maker made the first chocolate bar. In the 19th\r\ncentury, the Swiss started making milk chocolate by mixing powdered milk with\r\nsweetened chocolate. Milk chocolate has not changed much since this process was\r\ninvented.
Today, two countries – Brazil and Ivory Coast – account for\r\nalmost half the world’s chocolate. The United States imports most of the\r\nchocolate in the world, but the Swiss eat the most chocolate per person. The\r\nmost chocolate eaten today is sweet milk chocolate, but people also eat white\r\nchocolate and dark chocolate.
Cocoa and dark chocolate are believed to help prevent heart\r\nattacks, or help keep from happening. They are supposed to be good for the\r\ncirculatory system. On the other hand, the high fat content of chocolate can\r\ncause weight gain, which is not good for people’s health. Other health claims\r\nfor chocolate have not been proven, but some research shows that chocolate\r\ncould be good for the brain.
Chocolate is a popular holiday gift. A popular Valentine’s\r\nDay gift is a box of chocolate candies with a card and flowers. Chocolate is\r\nsometimes given for Christmas and birthdays. Chocolate eggs are sometimes given\r\nat Easter.
Chocolate is toxic to some animals. An ingredient in chocolate\r\nis poisonous to dogs, cats, parrots, small rodents, and some livestock. Their\r\nbodies cannot process some if the chemicals found in chocolate. Therefore, they\r\nshould never be fed chocolate.
Pastries are
Chocolate – there’s nothing quite like it, is there?\r\nChocolate is simply delicious. What is chocolate? Where does it come from?
Christopher Columbus was probably the first to take cacao\r\nbeans from the New World to Europe in around 1502. But the history of chocolate\r\ngoes back at least 4,000 years! The Aztecs, who lived in America, through that\r\ntheir bitter cacao drink was a divine gift from heaven. In fact, the scientist\r\nCarolus Linnaeus named the plant Theobroma, which means “food of the gods”
The Spanish explorer Hernando Cortex went to America in\r\n1519. He visited the Mexican emperor Montezuma. He saw that Montezuma drank\r\ncacao mixed with vanilla and spices. Cortez took some cacao home as a gift to the\r\nSpanish King Charles. In Spain, people began to drink Cortez’s chocolate in\r\ndrink with chili peppers. However, the natural taste of cacao was too bitter\r\nfor most people. To sweeten the drink, Europeans added sugar to the cacao\r\ndrink. As a sweet drink, it became more popular. By the 17th\r\ncentury, rich people in Europe were drinking it.
Later, people started using chocolate in pastries, like pies and cakes. In 1828, Dutch chocolate\r\nmakers started using a new process for removing the fat from cacao beans, and\r\ngetting to the center of the cacao bean. The Dutch chocolate maker Conrad J.\r\nVan Houten made a machine that pressed the fat from the bean. The resulting powder\r\nmixed better with water than cacao did. Now, some call van Houten’s chocolate “Dutch\r\nchocolate.”
It was easy to mix Dutuch chocolate powder with sugar. So\r\nother chocolate makers started trying new recipes that used powdered chocolate. People started\r\nmixing sweetened chocolate with cocoa butter to make solid chocolate bars. In\r\n1849, an English chocolate maker made the first chocolate bar. In the 19th\r\ncentury, the Swiss started making milk chocolate by mixing powdered milk with\r\nsweetened chocolate. Milk chocolate has not changed much since this process was\r\ninvented.
Today, two countries – Brazil and Ivory Coast – account for\r\nalmost half the world’s chocolate. The United States imports most of the\r\nchocolate in the world, but the Swiss eat the most chocolate per person. The\r\nmost chocolate eaten today is sweet milk chocolate, but people also eat white\r\nchocolate and dark chocolate.
Cocoa and dark chocolate are believed to help prevent heart\r\nattacks, or help keep from happening. They are supposed to be good for the\r\ncirculatory system. On the other hand, the high fat content of chocolate can\r\ncause weight gain, which is not good for people’s health. Other health claims\r\nfor chocolate have not been proven, but some research shows that chocolate\r\ncould be good for the brain.
Chocolate is a popular holiday gift. A popular Valentine’s\r\nDay gift is a box of chocolate candies with a card and flowers. Chocolate is\r\nsometimes given for Christmas and birthdays. Chocolate eggs are sometimes given\r\nat Easter.
Chocolate is toxic to some animals. An ingredient in chocolate\r\nis poisonous to dogs, cats, parrots, small rodents, and some livestock. Their\r\nbodies cannot process some if the chemicals found in chocolate. Therefore, they\r\nshould never be fed chocolate.
A divine gift is ..
Chocolate – there’s nothing quite like it, is there?\r\nChocolate is simply delicious. What is chocolate? Where does it come from?
Christopher Columbus was probably the first to take cacao\r\nbeans from the New World to Europe in around 1502. But the history of chocolate\r\ngoes back at least 4,000 years! The Aztecs, who lived in America, through that\r\ntheir bitter cacao drink was a divine gift from heaven. In fact, the scientist\r\nCarolus Linnaeus named the plant Theobroma, which means “food of the gods”
The Spanish explorer Hernando Cortex went to America in\r\n1519. He visited the Mexican emperor Montezuma. He saw that Montezuma drank\r\ncacao mixed with vanilla and spices. Cortez took some cacao home as a gift to the\r\nSpanish King Charles. In Spain, people began to drink Cortez’s chocolate in\r\ndrink with chili peppers. However, the natural taste of cacao was too bitter\r\nfor most people. To sweeten the drink, Europeans added sugar to the cacao\r\ndrink. As a sweet drink, it became more popular. By the 17th\r\ncentury, rich people in Europe were drinking it.
Later, people started using chocolate in pastries, like pies and cakes. In 1828, Dutch chocolate\r\nmakers started using a new process for removing the fat from cacao beans, and\r\ngetting to the center of the cacao bean. The Dutch chocolate maker Conrad J.\r\nVan Houten made a machine that pressed the fat from the bean. The resulting powder\r\nmixed better with water than cacao did. Now, some call van Houten’s chocolate “Dutch\r\nchocolate.”
It was easy to mix Dutuch chocolate powder with sugar. So\r\nother chocolate makers started trying new recipes that used powdered chocolate. People started\r\nmixing sweetened chocolate with cocoa butter to make solid chocolate bars. In\r\n1849, an English chocolate maker made the first chocolate bar. In the 19th\r\ncentury, the Swiss started making milk chocolate by mixing powdered milk with\r\nsweetened chocolate. Milk chocolate has not changed much since this process was\r\ninvented.
Today, two countries – Brazil and Ivory Coast – account for\r\nalmost half the world’s chocolate. The United States imports most of the\r\nchocolate in the world, but the Swiss eat the most chocolate per person. The\r\nmost chocolate eaten today is sweet milk chocolate, but people also eat white\r\nchocolate and dark chocolate.
Cocoa and dark chocolate are believed to help prevent heart\r\nattacks, or help keep from happening. They are supposed to be good for the\r\ncirculatory system. On the other hand, the high fat content of chocolate can\r\ncause weight gain, which is not good for people’s health. Other health claims\r\nfor chocolate have not been proven, but some research shows that chocolate\r\ncould be good for the brain.
Chocolate is a popular holiday gift. A popular Valentine’s\r\nDay gift is a box of chocolate candies with a card and flowers. Chocolate is\r\nsometimes given for Christmas and birthdays. Chocolate eggs are sometimes given\r\nat Easter.
Chocolate is toxic to some animals. An ingredient in chocolate\r\nis poisonous to dogs, cats, parrots, small rodents, and some livestock. Their\r\nbodies cannot process some if the chemicals found in chocolate. Therefore, they\r\nshould never be fed chocolate.
Which people eat the most chocolate per person?
Chocolate – there’s nothing quite like it, is there?\r\nChocolate is simply delicious. What is chocolate? Where does it come from?
Christopher Columbus was probably the first to take cacao\r\nbeans from the New World to Europe in around 1502. But the history of chocolate\r\ngoes back at least 4,000 years! The Aztecs, who lived in America, through that\r\ntheir bitter cacao drink was a divine gift from heaven. In fact, the scientist\r\nCarolus Linnaeus named the plant Theobroma, which means “food of the gods”
The Spanish explorer Hernando Cortex went to America in\r\n1519. He visited the Mexican emperor Montezuma. He saw that Montezuma drank\r\ncacao mixed with vanilla and spices. Cortez took some cacao home as a gift to the\r\nSpanish King Charles. In Spain, people began to drink Cortez’s chocolate in\r\ndrink with chili peppers. However, the natural taste of cacao was too bitter\r\nfor most people. To sweeten the drink, Europeans added sugar to the cacao\r\ndrink. As a sweet drink, it became more popular. By the 17th\r\ncentury, rich people in Europe were drinking it.
Later, people started using chocolate in pastries, like pies and cakes. In 1828, Dutch chocolate\r\nmakers started using a new process for removing the fat from cacao beans, and\r\ngetting to the center of the cacao bean. The Dutch chocolate maker Conrad J.\r\nVan Houten made a machine that pressed the fat from the bean. The resulting powder\r\nmixed better with water than cacao did. Now, some call van Houten’s chocolate “Dutch\r\nchocolate.”
It was easy to mix Dutuch chocolate powder with sugar. So\r\nother chocolate makers started trying new recipes that used powdered chocolate. People started\r\nmixing sweetened chocolate with cocoa butter to make solid chocolate bars. In\r\n1849, an English chocolate maker made the first chocolate bar. In the 19th\r\ncentury, the Swiss started making milk chocolate by mixing powdered milk with\r\nsweetened chocolate. Milk chocolate has not changed much since this process was\r\ninvented.
Today, two countries – Brazil and Ivory Coast – account for\r\nalmost half the world’s chocolate. The United States imports most of the\r\nchocolate in the world, but the Swiss eat the most chocolate per person. The\r\nmost chocolate eaten today is sweet milk chocolate, but people also eat white\r\nchocolate and dark chocolate.
Cocoa and dark chocolate are believed to help prevent heart\r\nattacks, or help keep from happening. They are supposed to be good for the\r\ncirculatory system. On the other hand, the high fat content of chocolate can\r\ncause weight gain, which is not good for people’s health. Other health claims\r\nfor chocolate have not been proven, but some research shows that chocolate\r\ncould be good for the brain.
Chocolate is a popular holiday gift. A popular Valentine’s\r\nDay gift is a box of chocolate candies with a card and flowers. Chocolate is\r\nsometimes given for Christmas and birthdays. Chocolate eggs are sometimes given\r\nat Easter.
Chocolate is toxic to some animals. An ingredient in chocolate\r\nis poisonous to dogs, cats, parrots, small rodents, and some livestock. Their\r\nbodies cannot process some if the chemicals found in chocolate. Therefore, they\r\nshould never be fed chocolate.
Who made the first powdered chocolate?
Chocolate – there’s nothing quite like it, is there?\r\nChocolate is simply delicious. What is chocolate? Where does it come from?
Christopher Columbus was probably the first to take cacao\r\nbeans from the New World to Europe in around 1502. But the history of chocolate\r\ngoes back at least 4,000 years! The Aztecs, who lived in America, through that\r\ntheir bitter cacao drink was a divine gift from heaven. In fact, the scientist\r\nCarolus Linnaeus named the plant Theobroma, which means “food of the gods”
The Spanish explorer Hernando Cortex went to America in\r\n1519. He visited the Mexican emperor Montezuma. He saw that Montezuma drank\r\ncacao mixed with vanilla and spices. Cortez took some cacao home as a gift to the\r\nSpanish King Charles. In Spain, people began to drink Cortez’s chocolate in\r\ndrink with chili peppers. However, the natural taste of cacao was too bitter\r\nfor most people. To sweeten the drink, Europeans added sugar to the cacao\r\ndrink. As a sweet drink, it became more popular. By the 17th\r\ncentury, rich people in Europe were drinking it.
Later, people started using chocolate in pastries, like pies and cakes. In 1828, Dutch chocolate\r\nmakers started using a new process for removing the fat from cacao beans, and\r\ngetting to the center of the cacao bean. The Dutch chocolate maker Conrad J.\r\nVan Houten made a machine that pressed the fat from the bean. The resulting powder\r\nmixed better with water than cacao did. Now, some call van Houten’s chocolate “Dutch\r\nchocolate.”
It was easy to mix Dutuch chocolate powder with sugar. So\r\nother chocolate makers started trying new recipes that used powdered chocolate. People started\r\nmixing sweetened chocolate with cocoa butter to make solid chocolate bars. In\r\n1849, an English chocolate maker made the first chocolate bar. In the 19th\r\ncentury, the Swiss started making milk chocolate by mixing powdered milk with\r\nsweetened chocolate. Milk chocolate has not changed much since this process was\r\ninvented.
Today, two countries – Brazil and Ivory Coast – account for\r\nalmost half the world’s chocolate. The United States imports most of the\r\nchocolate in the world, but the Swiss eat the most chocolate per person. The\r\nmost chocolate eaten today is sweet milk chocolate, but people also eat white\r\nchocolate and dark chocolate.
Cocoa and dark chocolate are believed to help prevent heart\r\nattacks, or help keep from happening. They are supposed to be good for the\r\ncirculatory system. On the other hand, the high fat content of chocolate can\r\ncause weight gain, which is not good for people’s health. Other health claims\r\nfor chocolate have not been proven, but some research shows that chocolate\r\ncould be good for the brain.
Chocolate is a popular holiday gift. A popular Valentine’s\r\nDay gift is a box of chocolate candies with a card and flowers. Chocolate is\r\nsometimes given for Christmas and birthdays. Chocolate eggs are sometimes given\r\nat Easter.
Chocolate is toxic to some animals. An ingredient in chocolate\r\nis poisonous to dogs, cats, parrots, small rodents, and some livestock. Their\r\nbodies cannot process some if the chemicals found in chocolate. Therefore, they\r\nshould never be fed chocolate.
Who was Montezuma?
Chocolate – there’s nothing quite like it, is there?\r\nChocolate is simply delicious. What is chocolate? Where does it come from?
Christopher Columbus was probably the first to take cacao\r\nbeans from the New World to Europe in around 1502. But the history of chocolate\r\ngoes back at least 4,000 years! The Aztecs, who lived in America, through that\r\ntheir bitter cacao drink was a divine gift from heaven. In fact, the scientist\r\nCarolus Linnaeus named the plant Theobroma, which means “food of the gods”
The Spanish explorer Hernando Cortex went to America in\r\n1519. He visited the Mexican emperor Montezuma. He saw that Montezuma drank\r\ncacao mixed with vanilla and spices. Cortez took some cacao home as a gift to the\r\nSpanish King Charles. In Spain, people began to drink Cortez’s chocolate in\r\ndrink with chili peppers. However, the natural taste of cacao was too bitter\r\nfor most people. To sweeten the drink, Europeans added sugar to the cacao\r\ndrink. As a sweet drink, it became more popular. By the 17th\r\ncentury, rich people in Europe were drinking it.
Later, people started using chocolate in pastries, like pies and cakes. In 1828, Dutch chocolate\r\nmakers started using a new process for removing the fat from cacao beans, and\r\ngetting to the center of the cacao bean. The Dutch chocolate maker Conrad J.\r\nVan Houten made a machine that pressed the fat from the bean. The resulting powder\r\nmixed better with water than cacao did. Now, some call van Houten’s chocolate “Dutch\r\nchocolate.”
It was easy to mix Dutuch chocolate powder with sugar. So\r\nother chocolate makers started trying new recipes that used powdered chocolate. People started\r\nmixing sweetened chocolate with cocoa butter to make solid chocolate bars. In\r\n1849, an English chocolate maker made the first chocolate bar. In the 19th\r\ncentury, the Swiss started making milk chocolate by mixing powdered milk with\r\nsweetened chocolate. Milk chocolate has not changed much since this process was\r\ninvented.
Today, two countries – Brazil and Ivory Coast – account for\r\nalmost half the world’s chocolate. The United States imports most of the\r\nchocolate in the world, but the Swiss eat the most chocolate per person. The\r\nmost chocolate eaten today is sweet milk chocolate, but people also eat white\r\nchocolate and dark chocolate.
Cocoa and dark chocolate are believed to help prevent heart\r\nattacks, or help keep from happening. They are supposed to be good for the\r\ncirculatory system. On the other hand, the high fat content of chocolate can\r\ncause weight gain, which is not good for people’s health. Other health claims\r\nfor chocolate have not been proven, but some research shows that chocolate\r\ncould be good for the brain.
Chocolate is a popular holiday gift. A popular Valentine’s\r\nDay gift is a box of chocolate candies with a card and flowers. Chocolate is\r\nsometimes given for Christmas and birthdays. Chocolate eggs are sometimes given\r\nat Easter.
Chocolate is toxic to some animals. An ingredient in chocolate\r\nis poisonous to dogs, cats, parrots, small rodents, and some livestock. Their\r\nbodies cannot process some if the chemicals found in chocolate. Therefore, they\r\nshould never be fed chocolate.
Why did Linnaeus name the plant Theobroma?
Chocolate – there’s nothing quite like it, is there?\r\nChocolate is simply delicious. What is chocolate? Where does it come from?
Christopher Columbus was probably the first to take cacao\r\nbeans from the New World to Europe in around 1502. But the history of chocolate\r\ngoes back at least 4,000 years! The Aztecs, who lived in America, through that\r\ntheir bitter cacao drink was a divine gift from heaven. In fact, the scientist\r\nCarolus Linnaeus named the plant Theobroma, which means “food of the gods”
The Spanish explorer Hernando Cortex went to America in\r\n1519. He visited the Mexican emperor Montezuma. He saw that Montezuma drank\r\ncacao mixed with vanilla and spices. Cortez took some cacao home as a gift to the\r\nSpanish King Charles. In Spain, people began to drink Cortez’s chocolate in\r\ndrink with chili peppers. However, the natural taste of cacao was too bitter\r\nfor most people. To sweeten the drink, Europeans added sugar to the cacao\r\ndrink. As a sweet drink, it became more popular. By the 17th\r\ncentury, rich people in Europe were drinking it.
Later, people started using chocolate in pastries, like pies and cakes. In 1828, Dutch chocolate\r\nmakers started using a new process for removing the fat from cacao beans, and\r\ngetting to the center of the cacao bean. The Dutch chocolate maker Conrad J.\r\nVan Houten made a machine that pressed the fat from the bean. The resulting powder\r\nmixed better with water than cacao did. Now, some call van Houten’s chocolate “Dutch\r\nchocolate.”
It was easy to mix Dutuch chocolate powder with sugar. So\r\nother chocolate makers started trying new recipes that used powdered chocolate. People started\r\nmixing sweetened chocolate with cocoa butter to make solid chocolate bars. In\r\n1849, an English chocolate maker made the first chocolate bar. In the 19th\r\ncentury, the Swiss started making milk chocolate by mixing powdered milk with\r\nsweetened chocolate. Milk chocolate has not changed much since this process was\r\ninvented.
Today, two countries – Brazil and Ivory Coast – account for\r\nalmost half the world’s chocolate. The United States imports most of the\r\nchocolate in the world, but the Swiss eat the most chocolate per person. The\r\nmost chocolate eaten today is sweet milk chocolate, but people also eat white\r\nchocolate and dark chocolate.
Cocoa and dark chocolate are believed to help prevent heart\r\nattacks, or help keep from happening. They are supposed to be good for the\r\ncirculatory system. On the other hand, the high fat content of chocolate can\r\ncause weight gain, which is not good for people’s health. Other health claims\r\nfor chocolate have not been proven, but some research shows that chocolate\r\ncould be good for the brain.
Chocolate is a popular holiday gift. A popular Valentine’s\r\nDay gift is a box of chocolate candies with a card and flowers. Chocolate is\r\nsometimes given for Christmas and birthdays. Chocolate eggs are sometimes given\r\nat Easter.
Chocolate is toxic to some animals. An ingredient in chocolate\r\nis poisonous to dogs, cats, parrots, small rodents, and some livestock. Their\r\nbodies cannot process some if the chemicals found in chocolate. Therefore, they\r\nshould never be fed chocolate.
How did people first consume chocolate?
When her grandmother’s health began to deteriorate in the\r\nfall of 1994, Mary would make the drive from Washington, DC to Winchester every\r\nfew days.
She hated highway driving, finding it ugly and monotonous. She\r\npreferred to take meandering back roads to her grandmother’s hospital. When she\r\ndrove through the rocky town of Harpers Ferry, the beauty of the rough waters\r\nchurning at the intersection of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers always\r\ncaptivated her.
Toward the end of her journey, Mary had to get on highway\r\n81. It was here that she discovered a surprising bit of beauty during one of\r\nher trips. Along the median of the highway, there was a long stretch of\r\nwildflowers. They were thin and delicate and purple, and swayed in the wind as\r\nif whispering poems to each other.
The first time she saw the flowers, Mary was seized by an uncontrollable\r\nurge to pull over on the highway and yank a bunch from the soil. She carried\r\nthem into her grandmother’s room when she arrived at the hospital and placed\r\nthem in a water pitcher by her bed. For a moment her grandmother seemed more\r\nlucid than usual. She thanked Mary for the flowers, commented on their beauty\r\nand asked where she had gotten them. Mary was overjoyed by the ability of the\r\nflowers to wake something up inside her ailing grandmother.
Afterwards, Mary began carrying scissors in the car during\r\nher trips to visit her grandmother. She would quickly glide onto the shoulder,\r\njump out of the car, and clip a bunch of flowers. Each time Mary placed the\r\nflowers in the pitcher, her grandmother’s eyes would light up and they would\r\nhave a splendid conversation.
One morning in late October, Mary got a call that her\r\ngrandmother had taken a turn for the worse. Mary was in such a hurry to get to\r\nher grandmother that she sped past her flower spot. She decided to turn around\r\nhead several miles back, and cut a bunch. Mary arrived at the hospital to find her\r\ngrandmother very weak and unresponsive. She placed flowers in the pitcher and\r\nsat down. She felt a squeeze on her fingers. It was the last conversation they\r\nhad.
What do the flowers come to signify most for Mary?