Chocolate-"Food of the Gods"
The mythology of chocolate begins centuries before the discovery of the New World. Inhabitants of Central America cultivated the cacao bean and used it as a form of currency. Indians believed it to be of divine origin. Chocolate derives its name from the Greek word theobroma, which literally means "Food of the Goods." Indians made a thick beverage by pounding roasted cocoa beans with maize and capsicum peppers. Quetzalcoatl, the supreme god of the Aztecs and Toltecs gave the seeds of the cacao tree to his grateful people. His people were so grateful they created a drink called Xocolatl. This drink was believed to be an aphrodisiac and to provide strength and vigor. Its was thought such a divine concoction it was only served in gold cups. Tribute to the Aztec emperors was made with cocoa beans. When Cortez defeated Montezuma in 1519 large quantities of cocoa beans were found in the palace.
The aristocracy embraced this irresistible beverage. It was Cortez who introduced chocolate to Europe in the 16th century. The Spaniards found the Aztec version of this delicacy too bitter. By adding sugar and vanilla to dried roasted beans, the Spaniards created a delicious drink that was acclaimed throughout Europe. Cocoa beverage became popular in Italy and France in the early 17th century. It reigned as the fashionable drink of the Court of France. Chocolate houses joined the coffee houses, but cocoa was very expensive. It was the drink of the wealthy. Chocolate drinking spread to Great Britain in 1657 and the first of many famous English Chocolate houses opened.
The hand methods used by small shops to manufacture chocolate eventually gave way to mass production. The advent of the perfected steam engine hastened the cocoa grinding process. By 1730, the price of chocolate had dropped substantially, making chocolate available to all. In 1828, a Dutch manufacture van Houten invented a cocoa press. This invention expressed much of the fat from the bean making it palatable and digestible. The expressed fat was sold as cocoa butter. While fermented beans roasted, water and acetic acid was pored over the beans, cracking the shell. The beans were then ground into a powder that was mixed with sugar. From then on, drinking chocolate had more of the smooth consistency and pleasing flavor that we know today. The 19th century brought two more revolutionary developments in the history of chocolate. In 1847, an English company introduced the first solid eating chocolate. The development of fondant chocolate, a smooth and creamy variety replaced the coarse grained chocolate of the past. The second development happened in 1876 in Vevey, Switzerland. Daniel Peter, a local chocolate merchant, devised a way of adding milk to the chocolate creating what we now know as milk chocolate.
Today, chocolate still holds an important place in our culture. It is a culinary delight for adults and a sometimes forbidden fruit for children. Chocolate is given as gifts and we center holidays around it. This delicious treat, once a "Food of the Gods" is now a treasured and accessible treat for all.
Chocolate- "The Feel Good Food"
Chocolate contains more than 300 known chemicals. (Coe, 1996) Scientists have been working on isolating specific chemicals and chemical combinations that can explain the pleasurable sensation chocolate provides. Caffeine is the most known chemical found in chocolate. While the caffeine in chocolate is small, theobromine, a weak stimulant is also present. Scientists believe that perhaps the combination of these stimulants and others may be responsible for the "boost" that chocolate eater experience. Phyenykethkamine is also found in chocolate. This chemical occurs naturally in the brain and is relate to amphetamines. The combination of these stimulants increases the activity of brain chemicals, neurotransmitters that enable the body to pay attention and be alert.
Chocolate Craving
Stimulants in chocolate contribute to a temporary sense of well being. Other chemicals and theories may explain why we crave it. People often describe their need to eat chocolate as a "craving." A controversial study done by the Neuroscience Institute of San Diego, California claims that "chocolate contains pharmacologically active substances that have the same effect on the brain as marijuana and that these chemicals may be responsible for certain drug-induced psychoses associated with chocolate cravings" (Rozin, 1991). Studies have shown that chocolate is the single most craved food in the United States. (Rozin)
Further research has focused on two other neurotransmitters, serotonin and endorphins. Serotonin helps people relax and feel calm. It is believed that low levels of serotonin can lead to cravings for sweets and starches. Foods such as chocolate may boost the amount of serotonin in the brain. Also, some researchers believe that serotonin is related to premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and this may explain cravings for chocolate in women. Endorphins levels are effected by dietary fat. Researchers suggest that eating high fat containing food like chocolate can increase the body's endorphins and provide a lift in a person's mood.
The controversy over the value of chocolate continues. Chocolate is high in essential nutrients such as iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium. It contains vitamins A,B,C as well. However, its addictive potential has some scientists concerned. Adam Drewonski, a nutritionist at the University of Michigan, has been working with other scientists to develop drugs that would block these neurotransmitters, thus controlling chocolate cravings. Drewonski tested forty-one women, chocolate bingers and normal eaters. Half the participants receive the drug naloxone, a drug which is used to treat heroin overdoes. The rest of the participant received a placebo of salt water. Drewonski reported that the naloxone treated patients ate substantially less. Their chocolate consumption dropped in favor of lower fat foods. Dr. Katherine Halmi, an eating disorder specialist at Cornell University warns that although these results may be promising, the side effects of the drug may out weigh its benefits.
Chocolate Myths
It is important for adults and children to know the scientific truths about chocolate. Children are often denied this treat because of the myths that surround it. It has been said that chocolate can cause tooth decay and acne and that it has no nutritional value. Most of the bad effects of eating chocolate have been overstated or are false. For example, chocolate is not high in caffeine. A typical 1.4-ounce chocolate bar has the equivalent amount of caffeine found in one cup of decaffeinated coffee. (Coe,1996) Chocolate has not been proven to cause cavities or tooth decay. Dentists agree that the cavity- causing potential of food is not necessarily related to sugar content, but rather to how often a food is eaten, the sequence of foods eaten and the amount of time the food remains in the mouth. (Greene, 1989)
Two studies one by the Pennsylvania School of Medicine and one by the U.S. Naval Academy showed that eating chocolate did not produce any significant changes in the acne conditions of the participants (Damerow, 1991). These results were further backed by research that show that acne was not linked to diet (Damerow). Chocolate often has been linked with hyperactivity especially in children. Research has shown that sugar does not cause uncontrolled behavior in children (Glinsman, 1986). Both the 1988 Surgeon General's Report on Sugar and Health and the Food and Drug Administration support these findings.
Chocolate "American" Facts
The average American ate 11.7 pounds of chocolate in 1997. That is a total
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of more than three billion pounds.
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The retail chocolate industry in the United States is estimated at a
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worth of $12.5 billion per year.
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Americans spend $1,105 million each year on Valentine's Day candy. It is the fourth largest confectionery holiday after Halloween, Christmas and Easter.
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American men say that they would rather receive chocolate than flowers on Valentine's Day. Sixty-eight percent of men age 50 and older say they would prefer chocolate rather than flowers.
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The first "chocolate box" was introduced by Richard Cadbury in 1868, when he decorated a candy box with a painting of his younger daughter holding a kitten in her arms. Cadbury also invented the first Valentine's Day candy box.
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Chocolate manufactures use 40% of the world's almonds, 20% of the world's peanuts and 8% of the world's sugar. About 3.5 million pounds of whole milk is used each day to make milk chocolate.
Source: Chocolate Fads, Folklore and Fantasies. Fuller, 1994