All we really need to know about chocolate is which kind we prefer and where to buy it. Here are ten facts that you really don't need to know.
Cocoa beans were first taken from the forests of Central America more than 6000 years ago. They were used as currency by the Aztecs in 1000 AD. Cocoa was considered by the Aztecs to be a drink fit for Royalty and no one else.
When cocoa was first introduced into the Spanish Court, it was considered a special drink for the treatment of stomach ache and other digestive disorders.
Chocolate lifts mood and can help to fight "the blues". It does contain caffeine, which is a stimulant, but it also contains two mood altering chemicals called phenylalanine and anandamide.
A 5oz cup of cocoa made with one heaped teaspoon of cocoa powder contains 18mg of caffeine. The equivalent size cup of coffee contains 110 to 130 calories, depending on the strength and the beans used.
Some anti-depressant tablets may react badly with chocolate. MAO inhibitors inactivate enzymes in the body that metabolize tyramine, and tyramine constricts blood vessels. So, cocoa, or chocolate can cause a big rise in blood pressure when combined with these drugs.
In some people chocolate can induce migraine headaches. It is thought that this is connected to the tyramine levels in the blood stream, but no consistent evidence has been produced.
White chocolate was introduced in Switzerland in 1940. The process of making it is the same as that used for dark chocolate except that white chocolate uses only cocoa butter and doesn't contain chocolate liquor.
The words chocolate and cocoa come from the Aztec word 'cacahuatl' which means "bitter juice"
The white spots, or lines which are sometimes seen on chocolate and known as bloom, are caused by separation of sugar, or fat particles from the chocolate. This isn't harmful and the chocolate can still be eaten.
To make dipping chocolate, put squares of chocolate in a double boiler filled with boiling water from the kettle and add a teaspoon of vegetable oil to keep it soft. Dip fruit in using a wooden skewer. This is really scrumptious, especially done with cherries, strawberries and bananas.
