Chocolate i/'t??k(?)l?

t/ is a typically sweet, usually brown, food preparation o

f Theobroma cacao seeds, roasted and ground, often flavored, as with vanilla. It
is made in the form of a liquid, paste or in a block or used as a flavoring ing
redient in other sweet foods. Cacao has been cultivated by many cultures for at
least three millennia in Mexico and Central America. The earliest evidence of us
e traces to the Mokaya, with evidence of chocolate beverages dating back to 1900
BC.[1] In fact, the majority of Mesoamerican people made chocolate beverages, i
ncluding the Mayans and Aztecs,[2] who made it into a beverage known as xocolatl
[?o'kola?t??], a Nahuatl word meaning "bitter water". The seeds of the cacao tr
ee have an intense bitter taste and must be fermented to develop the flavor.
After fermentation, the beans are dried, cleaned, and roasted. The shell is remo
ved to produce cacao nibs, which are then ground to cocoa mass, pure chocolate i
n rough form. Because the cocoa mass is usually liquefied before being molded wi
th or without other ingredients, it is called chocolate liquor. The liquor also
may be processed into two components: cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Unsweetened
baking chocolate (bitter chocolate) contains primarily cocoa solids and cocoa b
utter in varying proportions. Much of the chocolate consumed today is in the for
m of sweet chocolate, a combination of cocoa solids, cocoa butter or other fat,
and sugar. Milk chocolate is sweet chocolate that additionally contains milk pow
der or condensed milk. White chocolate contains cocoa butter, sugar, and milk bu
t no cocoa solids.
Cocoa solids are one of the richest sources of flavanol antioxidants.[3] They al
so contain alkaloids such as theobromine, phenethylamine and caffeine.[4] These
have physiological effects on the body and are linked to serotonin levels in the
brain. Some research has found that chocolate, eaten in moderation, can lower b
lood pressure.[5] The presence of theobromine renders chocolate toxic to some an
imals,[6] especially dogs and cats.
Chocolate has become one of the most popular food types and flavors in the world
, and a vast number of foodstuffs involving chocolate have been created. Chocola
te chip cookies have become very common, and very popular, in most parts of Euro
pe and North America. Gifts of chocolate molded into different shapes have becom
e traditional on certain holidays. Chocolate is also used in cold and hot bevera
ges such as chocolate milk and hot chocolate.
Although cocoa originated in the Americas, today Western Africa produces almost
two-thirds of the world's cocoa, with Cte d'Ivoire growing almost half of it.
European Union regulations require dark chocolate to have at least 60% cocoa sol
ids, milk chocolate 25%, and white chocolate none.[citation needed]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
2 History
2.1 Mesoamerican usage
2.2 European adaptation
3 Types
4 Production
4.1 Cacao varieties
4.1.1 Criollo
4.1.2 Forastero
4.1.3 Trinitario
4.2 Processing
4.3 Blending
4.4 Conching
4.5 Tempering
4.6 Storage
5 Health effects
6 Labeling
7 Manufacturers
8 The chocolate industry
9 In popular culture
9.1 Religious and cultural links
9.2 Books and film
10 See also
11 Notes
12 Further reading
13 External links