No one can deny that chocolate is for sure one of the most
popular food types and flavours in the world.
Apart from its tastiness and a vast number of forms and ways of its
consumation, chocolate is also assumed to be good for your health. Its main
ingredients – cocoa solids – are one of the richest sources of flavanol
antioxidants, theobromine, caffeine and some other chemicals that are claimed
to have psychological effects on your body and to increase your serotonin level in
the brain, which in the end makes you feel better and puts you in a good mood.
Concerning its etymology, 'the
word "chocolate" entered the English language from Spanish. How the word came into Spanish is less
certain, and there are competing explanations. Perhaps the most cited
explanation is that "chocolate" comes from Nahuatl, the language of
the Aztecs, from the word chocolātl,
which many sources say derived from xocolātl /ʃokolaːtɬ/, combining xococ, sour
or bitter, and ātl,
water or drink.' (Wikipedia)
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People have used it for ritual, medicine and sheer pleasure
for the past 4, 000 years. Europeans had never heard of it until the 16th century,
when Christopher Columbus first
encountered the cacao bean on his mission to Americas and brought it to Spain on
his way back.
'Chocolate is made from cocoa beans, the dried and
partially fermented seeds of the cacao tree (Theobroma
cacao), a small (4– to 8-m-tall (15– to 26-ft-tall) evergreen tree native to the deep tropical region of the
Americas.' (Wikipedia) It is grown on small family farms, as a
traditional family business and using environmentally friendly methods of
farming.
So, once you unwrap this adorable and tasty treat again,
imagine that it embodies an interesting story of ancient origins, long
journeys, exotic places and small family businesses in the remote tropical
areas. If you are interested in finding out more about its origin and how it's
made, along with a number of interesting facts, here is the link:
Recommended to do with a bar of your favourite chocolate J
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