Facts About Chocolate You Never Knew-
1. There are over 5,500 different types of cacao beans out there.
2. Cocoa powder is derived from cocoa butter.
3. Dark chocolate contains twice as much fat as milk chocolate.
4. Some varieties of dark chocolate contain up to 70% cocoa solids.
5. Milk chocolate doesn’t actually contain any dairy products.
6. White chocolate isn’t really white.
7.Chocolate is one of those foods that we love or hate. Either way, it’s hard to ignore. We know chocolate makes us happy, but there are some things about chocolate you might not know. Here are 20 facts about chocolate that will make you fall in love with it again.
8. Cocoa beans are actually seeds, which grow inside pods found on cacao trees. They contain caffeine, fats, protein and antioxidants.
9. There are over 7,000 different kinds of cocoa beans. Some are grown in Africa, others in Asia or South America.
10. The average person consumes around 200 grams of chocolate per year.
11. Most dark chocolate contains less sugar than milk chocolate. Milk chocolate usually has 40% milk solids while dark chocolate has 60%.
12. A Hershey bar weighs about 8 ounces. But a Lindt truffle weighs 2 pounds.
13. In Venezuela, chocolate bars are called “pan de muerto,” meaning “bread of death.”
14.Chocolate is one of the most widely consumed foods around the globe. However, many people still aren’t aware of all that goes into making it. From the type of beans used to the flavorings added during processing, there’s plenty of information out there to satisfy even the pickiest chocoholic. Here are eight interesting facts about chocolate that might change the way you think about the sweet stuff.
15. Over 7 Million Metric Tons – Every YearIn 2017, Americans ate nearly 40 pounds of chocolate per person. But how does that compare to the rest of the world? Well, according to Statista, the average American eats almost twice as much chocolate as the average European. And while Europeans eat less chocolate overall, they consume more dark chocolate than we do.
White chocolate is not chocolate.
White chocolate contains no cocoa solids or chocolate liquors. Instead, it consists mostly of cocoa butter, sugar, milk powder, emulsifiers, stabilizers and flavorings. In fact, white chocolate is not even technically chocolate because it lacks cocoa solids and chocolate liquor.
The term “white chocolate” is often used interchangeably with “milk chocolate,” but there are some differences. Milk chocolate usually contains less sugar than white chocolate and therefore has a lower melting point. And while both types of chocolate use milk fat, white chocolate uses vegetable oil rather than dairy cream.
There are multiple celebrations of chocolate each year.
Chocolate has been around for centuries, but there are actually three different holidays dedicated to the sweet treat. July 7 marks World Chocolate Day, while September 13 is International Chocolate Day, and November 7 is National Bittersweet Chocolate with Almond Day. All three days celebrate chocolate in one way or another, but they’re not exactly the same thing. Here’s how they differ.
World Chocolate Day celebrates the invention of chocolate, though many believe it came much earlier. Some historians say that chocolate was invented in Mesoamerica, where people used cacao beans to make beverages and food. However, others claim it originated in South America, where cacao trees grew naturally. Either way, chocolate spread throughout the world, and eventually became associated with Spain. When Christopher Columbus returned from his journey across the Atlantic Ocean in 1493, he brought cocoa beans back to Spain. This marked the beginning of the Spanish Empire, and thus began the association between chocolate and Spain.
International Chocolate Day honors chocolate’s origins in Mesoamerica. On this day, people eat chocolate bars, drink chocolate milk, and enjoy other treats. They also celebrate the fact that chocolate is considered a “universal language,” meaning that no matter what part of the world you live in, everyone understands what chocolate tastes like.
National Bittersweet Chocolate With almonds Day is all about celebrating chocolate’s versatility. While most people think of chocolate as being sweet, it can also be savory. In fact, it can even be spicy! To honor this, people eat chocolate-covered nuts, use chocolate in cooking, and drink chocolate milk.
Europe Accounts for More Than Half of the World’s Chocolate Consumption
The European Union is the world leader in terms of per capita consumption of chocolate. In 2017, it consumed over 4 kilograms of chocolate per person annually, according to data from Euromonitor International. This figure represents about half of global consumption.
Germany leads the EU with an average annual chocolate intake of 2.7 kilograms per citizen. Swiss consumers consume 2.5 kilograms per year, while Irish eat just under 2 kilograms per year. While Americans consume less than one kilogram per year, Canadians consume almost three times that amount.
In fact, Canada consumes more chocolate than the entire continent of Africa. Other major chocolate consuming nations include Australia, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Austria, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Portugal, Luxembourg, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Cyprus, Malta, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo, Moldova, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City, Gibraltar, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Democratic Republic
Chocolate: Health benefits, facts, and research
The obroma cacao tree seed contains a large amount of cocoa butter, which makes it a great source of healthy fats. These fats are essential for good health because they help keep our skin moisturized and protect us against free radicals. They also lower cholesterol levels and prevent cardiovascular disease.
In addition, chocolate provides many vitamins and minerals such as iron, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, calcium, vitamin B6, niacin, folate, and riboflavin.
These nutrients play important roles in maintaining human metabolism, immune system, brain function, and energy production. In fact, chocolate is one of the best sources of antioxidants in the diet. Antioxidants reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Finally, chocolate is also high in fiber, protein, and carbohydrates. All of these nutrients support overall well-being.
People around the world enjoy the decadent flavor of chocolate on its own and in an enormous variety of foods. More than half of all the chocolate we consume comes from West African countries, primarily Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.
What is chocolate made of? And how?
Chocolate is derived from the fruit, called cocoa beans, of the cacao tree. This plant grows exclusively in tropical climates, where it thrives in hot temperatures and high humidity. In fact, the word “cocoa” derives from the Spanish coco, meaning “a small pod.” Cocoa pods ripen during the dry season and contain seeds inside a hard shell. These seeds grow into the fruits we know as cacao beans.
The cacao bean contains a compound called caffeine, which gives coffee its stimulating effect, and theobromine, which gives tea its bitter taste. But the most important ingredient in chocolate is fat. During processing, dried cacao beans undergo fermentation, roasting and grinding, and finally winemaking. Fermentation breaks down the beans and produces alcohol, while roasting concentrates the flavor. Finally, grinding creates tiny particles of chocolate, which melt easily in your mouth.