C hocolate

1. Chocolate KristianRamson Ms.Halloway July 13,2009

2. What is chocolate? • Chocolate is a number of raw and processed foods that are produced from the seed of the tropical cacao tree. Native to lowland, tropical South America, cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Central America and Mexico, with its earliest documented use around 1100 BC. • The majority of the Mesoamerican peoples made chocolate beverages, including the Maya and Aztecs, who made it into a beverage known as xocolātl, a nahutlword meaning "bitter water". • The seeds of the cacao tree have an intense bitter taste, and must be fermented to develop the flavor.

3. What is chocolate made of ? • Chocolate liquor is blended with the cocoa butter in varying quantities to make different types of chocolate or couvertures.these are The basic blends of ingredients for the various types of chocolate. • Dark chocolate: sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa liquor, and (sometimes) vanilla • Milk chocolate: sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa liquor, milk or milk powder, and vanilla • White chocolate: sugar, cocoa butter, milk or milk powder, and vanilla Chocolate contains a variety of substances, some of which have an effect on body chemistry. These include: • sugar • Thebromine the primary alkaloid in cocoa and chocolate and partly responsible for chocolate's mood-elevating effect • Tryopotan an essential amino acid and precursor to serotonin • phenethylamine, an endogenous alkaloid sometimes described as a 'love chemical; it is quickly metabolized by monoamine oxides' and does not reach the brain in significant amounts • Caffeine present in smaller amounts • Chocolate is a mild stimulate to humans mainly due to the presence of theobromine .It is much more potent for horses, and its use in house racing is prohibited.

4. History of chocolate • Chocolate has been used as a drink for nearly all of its history. The earliest record of using chocolate dates back before the olmec. In November 2007, archaeologists reported finding evidence of the oldest known cultivation and use of cacao at a site in Puerto Escondido Honduras, dating from about 1100 to 1400 BC. • The residues found and the kind of vessel they were found in indicate that the initial use of cacao was not simply as a beverage, but the white pulp around the cacao beans was likely used as a source of fermentable sugars for an alcoholic drink. The Maya civilization grew cacao trees in their backyard, and used the cacao seeds it produced to make a frothy, bitter drink. • Documents in Maya hieroglyphics stated that chocolate was used for ceremonial purposes, in addition to everyday life. The chocolate residue found in an early ancient Maya pot in Río Azul, gutamela , suggests that Maya were drinking chocolate around 400 AD. In the new world, chocolate was consumed in a bitter, spicy drink called xocoatl, and was often flavored with vanolla, chilli pepper, and achioteknown today as annatto).

5. manufacturing • Many chocolate manufacturers have created products from chocolate bars to fudge, hoping to attract more consumers with each creation. Both The Hershey Company and Mars have become the largest manufacturers in the world. Other significant players include Cadbury, nestle , Kraft foods and lindit. • The Hershey company, known for their Hershey bar Hershey kisses and reesespeanut butter cups, is the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America. Mars incorporated , one of the largest privately owned U.S. corporations, is a worldwide manufacturer of confectionery and other food products with US$21 billion in annual sales in 2006. Mars is most famous for its eponymous mars bars, as well as other confectionery such as milky way, M&M’, Twix, skittles and snickers.

6. How is it stored ? • Chocolate is very sensitive to temperature and humidity. Ideal storage temperatures are between 15 and 17 °C (59 to 63 °F), with a relative humidity of less than 50%. Chocolate is generally stored away from other foods as it can absorb different aromas. Ideally, chocolates are packed or wrapped, and placed in proper storage with the correct humidity and temperature. Additionally chocolate is frequently stored in a dark place or protected from light by wrapping paper. • Various types of "blooming" effects can occur if chocolate is stored or served improperly. If refrigerated or frozen without containment, chocolate can absorb enough moisture to cause a whitish discoloration, the result of fat or sugar crystals rising to the surface. Moving chocolate from one temperature extreme to another, such as from a refrigerator on a hot day, can result in an oily texture. Although visually unappealing, chocolate suffering from bloom is perfectly safe for consumption.

7. When was it discovered and by who ? • The inventor of chocolate as we know it today is not a single person. The Olmec, Mayan and Aztec civilizations of early Mesoamerica can claim the credit for discovering cocoa beans, which are the main ingredient of chocolate. They ground the beans and mixed them with Chile and water to make the world's first chocolate drink. • Then along came Christopher Columbus several hundred years later. He brought cocoa beans back to Europe in the early 1500s. Chocolate drinks soon became popular across Spain, but the rest of Europe wouldn't get to enjoy this treat until nearly 100 years later. • Even then, not everyone could afford chocolate. The first chocolate house in London, The Coffee Mill and Tobacco Roll, opened in 1657, but the price of the chocolate drinks meant that only the upper class could enjoy this new beverage. • However, chocolate was becoming popular in other ways, too. By 1674, it had become an ingredient used in cakes and rolls.

8. bibliography • Ask . Com • Wiki answers.com • How its made .com • Candy.com • Chocolate.com