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Chocolate

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Chocolate



 
 
Chocolate (pronounced or /-'?l?t/) comprises a number of raw and processed foods that are produced from the seed of the tropical cacao
Cacao

Cacao , or the cocoa plant, is a small evergreen tree in the family Sterculiaceae , native to the deep tropical region of the Americas. There are two prominent competing hypotheses about the origins of the original wild Theobroma cacao tree....
 tree.

Chocolate has become one of the most popular flavors in the world. It is a common ingredient in many snacks and desserts, including cookie
Cookie

In the United States and Canada, a cookie is a small, flat-baked treat, containing milk, flour, eggs, and sugar, etc. In most English-speaking countries outside North America, the most common word for this is biscuit; in many regions both terms are used, while in others the two words have different meanings?a cookie is a plain bu...
s, cake
Cake

Cake is a form of food that is usually sweet and often Baking. Cakes normally combine some kind of flour, a sweetener , a binding agent , fats , a liquid , flavoring and some form of leavening agent , though many cakes lack these ingredients and instead rely on air bubbles in the dough to expand and cause the cake to rise....
, ice cream
Ice cream

Ice cream or ice-cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, combined with fruits or other ingredients....
, pudding
Pudding

Pudding most often refers to a dessert, but can also be a savoury dish.In the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth of Nations countries, pudding refers to rich , fairly homogeneous starch- or dairy-based desserts , or informally to any dessert....
, pie
Pie

A pie is a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry dough shell that covers or completely contains a filling of various sweetness or savoury ingredients....
 and candy
Candy

Candy, specifically sugar candy, is a confection made from a concentrated solution of sugar in water, to which flavorings and colorants are added....
.






Nutrition Facts







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Quotations


Augustus: I'm Augustus Gloop. I love your chocolate.Willy Wonka: I can see that.

Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.

Love, biochemically no different than consuming large quantities of chocolate.

Well, folks, it looks like we're up chocolate creek without a popsicle stick.

Gingerbread Man, Shrek 2





Encyclopedia


Chocolate
Chocolate (pronounced or /-'?l?t/) comprises a number of raw and processed foods that are produced from the seed of the tropical cacao
Cacao

Cacao , or the cocoa plant, is a small evergreen tree in the family Sterculiaceae , native to the deep tropical region of the Americas. There are two prominent competing hypotheses about the origins of the original wild Theobroma cacao tree....
 tree.

Chocolate has become one of the most popular flavors in the world. It is a common ingredient in many snacks and desserts, including cookie
Cookie

In the United States and Canada, a cookie is a small, flat-baked treat, containing milk, flour, eggs, and sugar, etc. In most English-speaking countries outside North America, the most common word for this is biscuit; in many regions both terms are used, while in others the two words have different meanings?a cookie is a plain bu...
s, cake
Cake

Cake is a form of food that is usually sweet and often Baking. Cakes normally combine some kind of flour, a sweetener , a binding agent , fats , a liquid , flavoring and some form of leavening agent , though many cakes lack these ingredients and instead rely on air bubbles in the dough to expand and cause the cake to rise....
, ice cream
Ice cream

Ice cream or ice-cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, combined with fruits or other ingredients....
, pudding
Pudding

Pudding most often refers to a dessert, but can also be a savoury dish.In the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth of Nations countries, pudding refers to rich , fairly homogeneous starch- or dairy-based desserts , or informally to any dessert....
, pie
Pie

A pie is a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry dough shell that covers or completely contains a filling of various sweetness or savoury ingredients....
 and candy
Candy

Candy, specifically sugar candy, is a confection made from a concentrated solution of sugar in water, to which flavorings and colorants are added....
. Gifts of chocolate molded into different shapes have become traditional on certain holidays: chocolate bunnies
Easter Bunny

File:Hase mit Ostereiern .jpgThe Easter Bunny is a mythical character depicted as an anthropomorphic rabbit. In legend, the creature brings baskets filled with colored eggs, candy and toys to the homes of children on the night before Easter....
 and eggs
Easter egg

Easter eggs are specially egg decorating given to celebrate the Easter holiday or springtime.The egg was a symbol of the rebirth of the earth in Pagan celebrations of spring and was adopted by early Christians as a symbol of the rebirth....
 are popular at Easter
Easter

Easter is the most important religious feast in the Christianity liturgical year.Christians believe that Jesus was Resurrection of Jesus from the dead three days after his Crucifixion of Jesus, and celebrate this resurrection on Easter Day or Easter Sunday , two days after Good Friday....
, chocolate coins on Hanukkah
Hanukkah

File:PikiWiki Israel 146 Hanukka ?????.JpgHanukkah , also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE....
, Santa Claus
Santa Claus

Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus....
 and other holiday symbols at Christmas
Christmas

Christmas , also referred to as Christmas Day, is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25 that commemorates the birth of Jesus. The day marks the beginning of the larger season of Christmastide, which lasts Twelve Days of Christmas....
, and hearts on Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day or Saint Valentine's Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14 by many people throughout the world. In the English-speaking countries, it is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending greeting card, Valentine's Day flowers, or offering confectionery....
. Chocolate is also used in cold and hot beverages, including chocolate milk
Chocolate milk

Chocolate milk is a sweetened, cocoa-flavored milk drink. It can be purchased pre-mixed or made at home with either Types of chocolate and a sweetener , or with melted chocolate, chocolate syrup, or chocolate milk mix....
 and hot chocolate
Hot chocolate

Hot chocolate is a warm beverage that typically consists of shaved chocolate or cocoa, heated milk or water, and sugar. While hot chocolate is generally thought of as a drink consumed for pleasure, recent studies have suggested that hot chocolate possesses health benefits due to antioxidants that can be found in cacao....
.

Etymology

The word "chocolate" comes from the Aztec
Aztec

Aztec is a term used to refer to certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl and who achieved political and military dominance over large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the Late post-Classic period in Mesoamerican chronology....
s of Mexico
Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federalism constitutionalism republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico....
, and is derived from the Nahuatl
Nahuatl language

Nahuatl is a group of related languages and dialects of the Nahuan branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family.Collectively they are spoken by an estimated Nahua peoples, most of whom live in Central Mexico....
 word xocolatl which is a combination of the words, xocolli, meaning "bitter", and atl, which is "water". The Aztecs associated chocolate with Xochiquetzal
Xochiquetzal

In Aztec mythology, Xochiquetzal was a goddess associated with concepts of fertility and female sexual power, serving as a protector of young mothers and a patroness of pregnancy, childbirth, and the crafts practised by women such as weaving and embroidery....
, the goddess of fertility. Chocolate is also associated with the Maya god of fertility. Mexican philologist
Philology

Philology, derived from the Greek language considers both morphology and Meaning in linguistic expression, combining linguistics and literary studies....
 Ignacio Davila Garibi proposed that "Spaniards had coined the word by taking the Maya word chocol and then replacing the Mayan term for water, haa, with the Aztec term, atl." However, it is more likely that the Aztecs themselves coined the term, having long adopted into Nahuatl the Mayan word for the "cacao" bean; the Spanish had little contact with the Maya before Cortés'
Hernán Cortés

Hern?n Cort?s de Monroy y Pizarro, 1st Marqu?s del Valle de Oaxaca was a Spain conquistador who led an expedition that caused the conquest of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the Crown of Castile, in the early 16th century....
 early reports to the Spanish King of the beverage known as xocolatl. William Bright noted that the word xocoatl does not occur in early Spanish
Spanish language

Spanish or Castilian is a Romance languages that originated in northern Spain, and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile and evolved into the principal language of government and trade....
 or Nahuatl colonial sources. .

Types of chocolate


Several types of chocolate can be distinguished. Pure, unsweetened chocolate contains primarily cocoa solids and cocoa butter in varying proportions. Much of the chocolate consumed today is in the form of sweet chocolate, combining chocolate with sugar
Sugar

Sugar is a class of edible crystalline substances, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose. Human taste buds interpret its flavor as sweet. Sugar as a basic food carbohydrate primarily comes from sugar cane and from sugar beet, but also appears in fruit, honey, sorghum, sugar maple , and in many other sources....
. Milk chocolate is sweet chocolate that additionally contains milk powder or condensed milk. "White chocolate
White chocolate

White chocolate is a confectionery of sucrose, cocoa butter, and milk solids. The melting point of cocoa butter is high enough to keep white chocolate solid at room temperature, yet low enough to allow white chocolate to melt in the mouth....
" contains cocoa butter, sugar, and milk but no cocoa solids. Chocolate contains alkaloid
Alkaloid

Alkaloids are naturally occurring chemical compounds containing base nitrogen atoms. The name derives from the word alkaline and was used to describe any nitrogen-containing base....
s such as theobromine
Theobromine

Theobromine, also known as xantheose, is a bitter alkaloid of the cacao plant, found in chocolate, as well as in a number of chocolate-free foods made from theobromine sources including the leaves of the tea plant, the kola or cola nut, and acai berries....
 and phenethylamine
Phenethylamine

Phenethylamine, or ?-phenylethylamine or 2-phenylethylamine, is an alkaloid and monoamine. Phenethylamine also has a constitutional isomer a-phenylethylamine , which has two stereoisomers: --1-phenylethylamine and --1-phenylethylamine....
, which have some physiological effects in humans, but the presence of theobromine renders it toxic to some animals, such as dog
Dog

The dog is a domesticated subspecies of the Gray Wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties....
s and cat
Cat

The cat , also known as the Domestication cat or house cat to distinguish it from other Felinae and Felidae, is a small predationy carnivore species of crepuscular mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and its ability to hunt vermin, snakes, scorpions, and other unwanted household pests....
s.. It has been linked to serotonin
Serotonin

Serotonin is a monoamine neurotransmitter synthesized in serotonergic neurons in the central nervous system and enterochromaffin cells in the gastrointestinal tract of animals including humans....
 levels in the brain. Dark chocolate has recently been promoted for its health benefits, as it seems to possess substantial amount of antioxidant
Antioxidant

An antioxidant is a molecule capable of slowing or preventing the Redox of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons from a substance to an oxidizing agent....
s that reduce the formation of free radicals.

White chocolate is formed from a mixture of sugar
Sugar

Sugar is a class of edible crystalline substances, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose. Human taste buds interpret its flavor as sweet. Sugar as a basic food carbohydrate primarily comes from sugar cane and from sugar beet, but also appears in fruit, honey, sorghum, sugar maple , and in many other sources....
, cocoa butter
Cocoa butter

Cocoa butter, also called theobroma oil or theobroma cacao, is a pale-yellow, pure edible vegetable fat extracted from the cacao bean....
, and milk
Milk

Milk is an opaque white liquid produced by the mammary glands of female mammals . It provides the primary source of nutrition for newborn mammals before they are able to digestion other types of food....
 solids. Although its texture is similar to milk and dark chocolate, it does not contain any cocoa solids. Because of this, many countries do not consider white chocolate as chocolate at all. Although first introduced by Hebert Candies
Hebert Candy Mansion

The Hebert Candy Mansion is an historic property and tourist attraction in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. The Mansion is the home to the Hebert Candies Company, and is the site of candy production....
 in 1955, Mars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated

Mars, Incorporated is a worldwide manufacturer of confectionery, pet food and other food products with United States dollar21 billion in annual sales in 2006....
 was the first to produce white chocolate within the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
. Because it does not contain any cocoa solids, white chocolate does not contain any theobromine
Theobromine

Theobromine, also known as xantheose, is a bitter alkaloid of the cacao plant, found in chocolate, as well as in a number of chocolate-free foods made from theobromine sources including the leaves of the tea plant, the kola or cola nut, and acai berries....
, meaning it can be consumed by animals.

Dark chocolate is produced by adding fat and sugar to the cacao mixture. The U.S. Government calls this "sweet chocolate", and requires a 15% concentration of chocolate liquor. European rules specify a minimum of 35% cocoa solids. Dark chocolate, with its high cocoa content, is a rich source of the flavonoid
Flavonoid

The term flavonoid refers to a class of plant secondary metabolites. According to the IUPAC nomenclature, they can be classified into:*flavonoids, derived from 2-phenylchromone structure...
s epicatechin and gallic acid
Gallic acid

Gallic acid is an organic acid, also known as 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid, found in gallnuts, sumac, witch hazel, tea leaves, oak bark, and other plants....
, which are thought to possess cardioprotective properties. Dark chocolate has also been said to reduce the possibility of a heart attack when consumed regularly in small amounts. Semisweet chocolate is a dark chocolate with a low sugar content. Bittersweet chocolate is chocolate liquor to which some sugar (typically a third), more cocoa butter, vanilla and sometimes lecithin
Lecithin

Lecithin is any of a group of yellow-brownish fatty substances occurring in animal and plant tissues, and in egg yolk, composed of phosphoric acid, choline, fatty acids, glycerol, glycolipids, triglycerides, and phospholipids ....
 have been added. It has less sugar and more liquor than semisweet chocolate, but the two are interchangeable in baking.

Unsweetened chocolate is pure chocolate liquor
Chocolate liquor

Chocolate liquor, also known as cocoa liquor and cocoa mass, is a smooth liquid form of chocolate. Like the cocoa nibs from which it is produced, it contains both cocoa solids and cocoa butter in roughly equal proportion....
, also known as bitter or baking chocolate. It is unadulterated chocolate: the pure, ground, roasted chocolate beans impart a strong, deep chocolate flavor.

Production

Roughly two-thirds of the entire world's cocoa is produced in Western Africa, with 43% sourced from Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire

, formerly Ivory Coast, officially the , is a country in West Africa. The government officially discourages the use of the name Ivory Coast in English, preferring the French name to be used in all languages ....
. According to the World Cocoa Foundation, some 50 million people around the world depend on cocoa as a source of livelihood. The industry is dominated by three chocolate makers, Barry Callebaut
Barry Callebaut

Barry Callebaut is a multi-national chocolate manufacturing company, and is the only major company entirely devoted to the production of chocolate as a raw material ....
, Cargill
Cargill

Cargill, Incorporated is a privately held corporation, multinational corporation, and is based in the state of Minnesota in the United States of America....
 and Archer Daniels Midland Company. In the UK
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
, most chocolatiers purchase their chocolate from them, to melt, mold and package to their own design. Despite some disagreement in the EU
European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European Union member state, located primarily in Europe. It was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community....
 about the definition, chocolate is any product made primarily of cocoa solids
Cocoa solids

Cocoa solids is a term for the nonfat component of chocolate. It may also be called cocoa powder when sold as an end product.In contrast, the fatty component of chocolate is cocoa butter....
 and cocoa fat. The different flavors of chocolate can be obtained by varying the time and temperature when roasting the beans, by adjusting the relative quantities of the cocoa solids and cocoa fat, and by adding non-chocolate ingredients.

Production costs can be decreased by reducing cocoa solid content or by substituting cocoa butter
Cocoa butter

Cocoa butter, also called theobroma oil or theobroma cacao, is a pale-yellow, pure edible vegetable fat extracted from the cacao bean....
 with a non-cocoa fat. Cocoa growers object to allowing the resulting food to be called "chocolate", due to the risk of lower demand for their crops.

There are two main jobs associated with creating chocolate candy, chocolate makers and chocolatiers. Chocolate makers use harvested cacao beans
Cacao

Cacao , or the cocoa plant, is a small evergreen tree in the family Sterculiaceae , native to the deep tropical region of the Americas. There are two prominent competing hypotheses about the origins of the original wild Theobroma cacao tree....
 and other ingredients to produce couverture chocolate
Couverture chocolate

Couverture Chocolate is a high quality chocolate that contains extra cocoa butter . The higher percentage of cocoa butter, combined with the processing, gives the chocolate more sheen, firmer "snap" when broken, and a creamy mellow flavor....
. Chocolatiers use the finished couverture to make chocolate candies (bars, truffles
Chocolate truffle

A chocolate truffle is a type of chocolate confectionery, traditionally made with a chocolate ganache center coated in chocolate or cocoa powder, usually in a spherical, conical, or curved shape....
, etc.).

Cacao varieties

Chocolate Sour Cream Icing On Cake
Cacao trees are small, understory trees that need rich, well-drained soils. They naturally grow within 20 degrees of either side of the equator because they need about 2000 millimeters of rainfall a year, and temperatures in the range of 21 to 32 degrees Celsius. Cacao trees cannot tolerate a temperature lower than 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit).

The three main varieties of cacao
Cacao

Cacao , or the cocoa plant, is a small evergreen tree in the family Sterculiaceae , native to the deep tropical region of the Americas. There are two prominent competing hypotheses about the origins of the original wild Theobroma cacao tree....
 beans used in chocolate are criollo, forastero and trinitario.

Representing only five percent of all cocoa beans grown, criollo is the rarest and most expensive cocoa on the market and is native to Central America
Central America

Central America is a central geography region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmus portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast....
, the Caribbean islands and the northern tier of South American states. There is some dispute about the genetic purity of cocoas sold today as Criollo, as most populations have been exposed to the genetic influence of other varieties. Criollos are particularly difficult to grow, as they are vulnerable to a variety of environmental threats and produce low yields of cocoa per tree. The flavor of Criollo is described as delicate yet complex, low in classic chocolate flavor, but rich in "secondary" notes of long duration.

The most commonly grown bean is forastero, a large group of wild and cultivated cacaos, most likely native to the Amazon basin
Amazon Basin

The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries. The basin is located mainly in Brazil, but also stretches into Peru and several other countries....
. The African cocoa crop is entirely of the Forastero variety. They are significantly hardier and of higher yield than Criollo. The source of most chocolate marketed, forastero cocoas are typically strong in classic "chocolate" flavor, but have a short duration and are unsupported by secondary flavors, producing "quite bland" chocolate.

Trinitario is a natural hybrid of Criollo and Forastero. Trinitario originated in Trinidad
Trinidad

Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and islands of Trinidad and Tobago which make up the country of Trinidad and Tobago....
 after an introduction of Forastero to the local Criollo crop. Nearly all cacao produced over the past five decades is of the Forastero or lower-grade Trinitario varieties.

Processing

Cacao pods
Cacao

Cacao , or the cocoa plant, is a small evergreen tree in the family Sterculiaceae , native to the deep tropical region of the Americas. There are two prominent competing hypotheses about the origins of the original wild Theobroma cacao tree....
 are harvested by cutting the pods from the tree using a machete, or by knocking them off the tree using a stick. The beans with their surrounding pulp are removed from the pods and placed in piles or bins to ferment
Fermentation (food)

Fermentation in food processing typically refers to the conversion of sugar to alcohol using yeast under anaerobic conditions. A more general definition of fermentation is the chemical conversion of carbohydrates into alcohols or acids....
. The fermentation process is what gives the beans their familiar chocolate taste. It is important to harvest the pods when they are fully ripe because if the pod is unripe, the beans will have a low cocoa butter content, or there will be insufficient sugars in the white pulp for fermentation, resulting in a weak flavor. After fermentation, the beans must be quickly dried to prevent mold growth. Climate and weather permitting, this is done by spreading the beans out in the sun from 5 to 7 days.

The dried beans are then transported from the plantation where they were grown to a chocolate manufacturing facility. The beans are then cleaned (removing twigs, stones, and other debris), roasted, and graded. Next the shells are removed to extract the nib. Finally, the nibs are ground and liquified, resulting in pure chocolate in fluid form: chocolate liquor
Chocolate liquor

Chocolate liquor, also known as cocoa liquor and cocoa mass, is a smooth liquid form of chocolate. Like the cocoa nibs from which it is produced, it contains both cocoa solids and cocoa butter in roughly equal proportion....
. The liquor can be further processed into two components: cocoa solids
Cocoa solids

Cocoa solids is a term for the nonfat component of chocolate. It may also be called cocoa powder when sold as an end product.In contrast, the fatty component of chocolate is cocoa butter....
 and cocoa butter
Cocoa butter

Cocoa butter, also called theobroma oil or theobroma cacao, is a pale-yellow, pure edible vegetable fat extracted from the cacao bean....
.

Chocolate Fountain

Blending


Chocolate liquor is blended with the cocoa butter in varying quantities to make different types of chocolate or couvertures. The basic blends of ingredients for the various types of chocolate (in order of highest quantity of cocoa liquor first), are as follows:
  • Dark chocolate: sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa liquor, and (sometimes) vanilla
  • Milk chocolate: sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa liquor, milk or milk powder, and vanilla
  • White chocolate: sugar, cocoa butter, milk or milk powder, and vanilla


Usually, an emulsifying agent such as soy lecithin is added, though a few manufacturers prefer to exclude this ingredient for purity reasons and to remain GMO
Genetically modified organism

File:GloFish.jpgA genetically modified organism or genetically engineered organism is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques....
 free, sometimes at the cost of a perfectly smooth texture. Some manufacturers are now using PGPR, an artificial emulsifier derived from castor oil that allows them to reduce the amount of cocoa butter while maintaining the same mouthfeel
Mouthfeel

Mouthfeel is a product?s physical and chemical interaction in the mouth. It is a concept used in many areas related to the testing and evaluating of foodstuffs, such as wine-tasting and rheology....
.

The texture is also heavily influenced by processing, specifically conching (see below). The more expensive chocolate tends to be processed longer and thus have a smoother texture and "feel" on the tongue, regardless of whether emulsifying agents are added.

Different manufacturers develop their own "signature" blends based on the above formulas, but varying proportions of the different constituents are used.

The finest, plain dark chocolate couvertures contain at least 70% cocoa (both solids and butter), whereas milk chocolate usually contains up to 50%. High-quality white chocolate couvertures contain only about 33% cocoa.

Producers of high quality, small batch chocolate argue that mass production produces bad quality chocolate. Some mass-produced chocolate contains much less cocoa (as low as 7% in many cases) and fats other than cocoa butter. Vegetable oils and artificial vanilla
Vanilla

Vanilla is a flavoring derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla native to Mexico. Etymologically, vanilla derives from the Spanish language word "", little pod....
 flavor are often used in cheaper chocolate to mask poorly fermented and/or roasted beans.

In 2007, the Chocolate Manufacturers Association in the United States, whose members include Hershey
The Hershey Company

The Hershey Company , known until April 2004 as the Hershey Foods Corporation and commonly called Hershey's, is the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America....
, Nestlé
Nestlé

Nestl? is a Multinational corporation packaged food company founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, and listed on the SWX Swiss Exchange with a turnover of over 87 billion Swiss francs....
, and Archer Daniels Midland
Archer Daniels Midland

The Archer Daniels Midland Company , is a conglomerate based in Decatur, Illinois. ADM operates more than 270 plants worldwide, where cereal grains and oilseeds are processed into numerous products used in food, beverage, nutraceutical, industry and animal Fodder markets worldwide....
, lobbied
Lobbying

Lobbying is the practice of influencing decisions made by government. It includes all attempts to influence legislators and officials, whether by other legislators, constituent or organized groups....
 the Food and Drug Administration
Food and Drug Administration

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is an Government agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and is responsible for regulating and supervising the safety of foods, dietary supplements, Medications, vaccines, Biopharmaceutical, blood transfusion, medical devices, Electromagnetic radiation-emitting devices, veteri...
 to change the legal definition of chocolate to let them substitute partially hydrogenated vegetable oils for cocoa butter in addition to using artificial sweeteners and milk substitutes. Currently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not allow a product to be referred to as "chocolate" if the product contains any of these ingredients.

Conching

The penultimate process is called conching. A conche is a container filled with metal beads, which act as grinders. The refined and blended chocolate mass is kept in a liquid state by frictional heat. Chocolate prior to conching has an uneven and gritty texture. The conching process produces cocoa and sugar particles smaller than the tongue can detect, hence the smooth feel in the mouth. The length of the conching process determines the final smoothness and quality of the chocolate. High-quality chocolate is conched for about 72 hours, lesser grades about four to six hours. After the process is complete, the chocolate mass is stored in tanks heated to approximately 45–50 °C (113–122 °F) until final processing.

Tempering

The final process is called temper
Temper

Temperare is the Latin origin of words like "temperature" and "tempering"; it and "tempo" come, in turn, from tempus . Thus, the word "temper" can refer to any time- and temperature-sensitive process , a material's thermo-mechanical history , or even its composition....
ing
. Uncontrolled crystallization of cocoa butter typically results in crystals of varying size, some or all large enough to be clearly seen with the naked eye. This causes the surface of the chocolate to appear mottled and matte, and causes the chocolate to crumble rather than snap when broken. The uniform sheen and crisp bite of properly processed chocolate are the result of consistently small cocoa butter crystals produced by the tempering process.

The fats in cocoa butter can crystallize in six different forms (polymorphous crystallization). The primary purpose of tempering is to assure that only the best form is present. The six different crystal forms have different properties.

Crystal Melting temp. Notes
I 17 °C (63 °F) Soft, crumbly, melts too easily.
II 21 °C (70 °F) Soft, crumbly, melts too easily.
III 26 °C (78 °F) Firm, poor snap, melts too easily.
IV 28 °C (82 °F) Firm, good snap, melts too easily.
V 34 °C (94 °F) Glossy, firm, best snap, melts near body temperature (37 °C).
VI 36 °C (97 °F) Hard, takes weeks to form.


Making chocolate considered "good" is about forming as many type V crystals as possible. This provides the best appearance and texture and creates the most stable crystals so the texture and appearance will not degrade over time. To accomplish this, the temperature is carefully manipulated during the crystallization.

Generally, the chocolate is first heated to 45 °C (115 °F) to melt all six forms of crystals. Next, the chocolate is cooled to about 27 °C (80 °F), which will allow crystal types IV and V to form. At this temperature, the chocolate is agitated to create many small crystal "seeds" which will serve as nuclei to create small crystals in the chocolate. The chocolate is then heated to about 31 °C (88 °F) to eliminate any type IV crystals, leaving just type V. After this point, any excessive heating of the chocolate will destroy the temper and this process will have to be repeated. However, there are other methods of chocolate tempering used. The most common variant is introducing already tempered, solid "seed" chocolate. The temper of chocolate can be measured with a chocolate temper meter to ensure accuracy and consistency. A sample cup is filled with the chocolate and placed in the unit which then displays or prints the results.

Two classic ways of manually tempering chocolate are:
  • Working the molten chocolate on a heat-absorbing surface, such as a stone slab, until thickening indicates the presence of sufficient crystal "seeds"; the chocolate is then gently warmed to working temperature.
  • Stirring solid chocolate into molten chocolate to "inoculate" the liquid chocolate with crystals (this method uses the already formed crystal of the solid chocolate to "seed" the molten chocolate).


Chocolate tempering machines (or temperers) with computer controls can be used for producing consistently tempered chocolate, particularly for large volume applications.

Storage

Chocolate02
Chocolate is very sensitive to temperature and humidity. Ideal storage temperatures are between 15 and 17 °C (59 to 63 °F), with a relative humidity of less than 50%. Chocolate is generally stored away from other foods as it can absorb different aromas. Ideally, chocolates are packed or wrapped, and placed in proper storage with the correct humidity and temperature. Additionally chocolate is frequently stored in a dark place or protected from light by wrapping paper. Various types of "blooming" effects can occur if chocolate is stored or served improperly. If refrigerated or frozen without containment, chocolate can absorb enough moisture to cause a whitish discoloration, the result of fat or sugar crystals rising to the surface. Moving chocolate from one temperature extreme to another, such as from a refrigerator on a hot day, can result in an oily texture. Although visually unappealing, chocolate suffering from bloom is perfectly safe for consumption.

Health

While chocolate is regularly eaten for pleasure, there are potential beneficial health effects of eating chocolate. Cocoa or dark chocolate benefits the circulatory system
Circulatory system

The circulatory system is an organ that moves nutrients, gases, and wastes to and from cells to help fight diseases and help stabilize body temperature and pH to maintain homeostasis....
. Other beneficial effects suggested include anticancer, brain stimulator
Nootropic

Memory enhancers are often referred to as "smart drugs", "study drugs", "smart nutrients", "cognitive enhancers", "brain enhancers" or in the scientific literature as nootropics....
, cough preventor
Cough medicine

A cough medicine is a medicinal medication used to treat coughing and related conditions. Dry coughs are treated with cough suppressants that suppress the body's urge to cough, while productive coughs are treated with expectorants that loosen mucus from the respiratory tract....
 and antidiarrhoeal
Antidiarrhoeal

An anti-diarrheal drug is any medication which provides symptomatic relief for Diarrhea....
 effects. An aphrodisiac
Aphrodisiac

An aphrodisiac is a substance which is used in the belief that it increases sexual desire. The name comes from Aphrodite, the Greek mythology of sensuality....
 effect is yet unproven.

On the other hand, eating large quantities of any energy-rich food such as chocolate increases risk of obesity
Obesity

Obesity is a condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to an extent that health may be negatively affected. It is commonly defined as a body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or higher....
. The high amount of calories is caused by factory-added substances such as fat and sugar. The high amounts of added fat and sugar are also suggested to make chocolate so addictive. This is because it is psychologically considered to be unhealthy by most (due to the added sugar and fat), causing a desire to eat chocolate, resulting from restraint. As such, eating black chocolate, or chocolate products with sweetener
Sweetener

A sweetener is a food additive which adds the basic taste of sweetness to a food; artificial sweeteners are sugar substitutes....
s , is considered less addictive (and more healthy) than milk chocolate, white chocolate, or any other high-calorie chocolate product.

There is concern of mild lead poisoning
Lead poisoning

Lead poisoning is a medical condition caused by increased levels of the metal lead in the blood. Lead may cause irreversible neurological damage as well as renal disease, cardiovascular effects, and human reproduction toxicity....
 for some types of chocolate. Chocolate is toxic to many animals because of insufficient capacity to metabolize theobromine
Theobromine

Theobromine, also known as xantheose, is a bitter alkaloid of the cacao plant, found in chocolate, as well as in a number of chocolate-free foods made from theobromine sources including the leaves of the tea plant, the kola or cola nut, and acai berries....
.

A study reported by the BBC indicated that melting chocolate in one's mouth produced an increase in brain activity and heart rate that was more intense than that associated with passionate kissing, and also lasted four times as long after the activity had ended.

Circulatory benefits

Recent studies have suggested that cocoa or dark chocolate may possess certain beneficial effects on human health. This is mainly caused by a particular substance present in cocoa called epicatechin. Cocoa possesses a significant antioxidant
Antioxidant

An antioxidant is a molecule capable of slowing or preventing the Redox of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons from a substance to an oxidizing agent....
 action, protecting against LDL
Low density lipoprotein

Low-density lipoprotein is a type of lipoprotein that transports cholesterol and triglycerides from the liver to peripheral tissues. LDL is one of the five major groups of lipoproteins; these groups include chylomicrons, very low-density lipoprotein , intermediate-density lipoprotein , low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein ,...
 oxidation, perhaps more than other polyphenol antioxidant
Polyphenol antioxidant

A polyphenol antioxidant is a type of antioxidant containing a polyphenolic substructure. In human health these compounds, numbering over 4000 distinct species, are thought to be instrumental in combating oxidative stress, a process associated with some neurodegenerative diseases and some cardiovascular diseases....
-rich foods and beverages. Some studies have also observed a modest reduction in blood pressure
Blood pressure

Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels, and constitutes one of the principal vital signs. The pressure of the circulating blood decreases as it moves away from the heart through artery and capillary, and toward the heart through veins....
 and flow-mediated dilation after consuming dark chocolate daily. There has even been a fad diet, named "Chocolate diet", that emphasizes eating chocolate and cocoa powder in capsules. However, consuming milk chocolate or white chocolate, or drinking fat-containing milk with dark chocolate, appears largely to negate the health benefit. Processed cocoa powder (so called Dutch chocolate), processed with alkali
Alkali

In chemistry, an alkali is a Base , Ionic compound salt of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal Chemical element. Alkalis are best known for being Base s that dissolve in water....
 greatly reduces the antioxidant capacity as compared to "raw" cocoa powder. Processing cocoa with alkali destroys most of the flavonoids.

One-third of the fat in chocolate comes in the forms of a saturated fat
Saturated fat

Saturated fat is fat that consists of triglycerides containing only Saturation fatty acid radicals. There are several kinds of naturally occurring saturated fatty acids, which differ by the number of carbon atoms - from 1 to 24....
 called stearic acid
Stearic acid

Stearic acid or 18:0 is a saturated fatty acid. It is a waxy solid, and its chemical formula is C18H36O2....
 and a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid
Oleic acid

Oleic acid is a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid fatty acid found in various animal and vegetable sources. It has the formula C18H34O2 ....
. However, unlike other saturated fats, stearic acid does not raise levels of LDL cholesterol
Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a lipidic, waxy alcohol found in the cell membranes and transported in the blood plasma of all animals. It is an essential component of mammalian cell membranes where it is required to establish proper membrane permeability and membrane fluidity....
 in the bloodstream. Consuming relatively large amounts of dark chocolate and cocoa does not seem to raise serum LDL cholesterol levels; some studies even find that it could lower them. Indeed, small but regular amounts of dark chocolate lower the possibility of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction

Myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when the Blood flow to part of the heart is interrupted. This is most commonly due to occlusion of a coronary artery following the rupture of a Vulnerable plaque, which is an unstable collection of lipids and white blood cells in the wall of an artery....
, a result of cholesterol imbalance according to the lipid hypothesis
Lipid hypothesis

The lipid hypothesis was one of two Hypothesis developed in the 1850s to explain the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. It proposes a connection between plasma cholesterol level and the development of coronary heart disease....
.

Aphrodisiac

Romantic lore commonly identifies chocolate as an aphrodisiac
Aphrodisiac

An aphrodisiac is a substance which is used in the belief that it increases sexual desire. The name comes from Aphrodite, the Greek mythology of sensuality....
. The reputed aphrodisiac qualities of chocolate are most often associated with the simple sensual pleasure of its consumption. Additionally, chocolate's sweet and fatty nature may stimulate the hypothalamus
Hypothalamus

The hypothalamus is a portion of the brain that contains a number of small nuclei with a variety of functions. One of the most important functions of the hypothalamus is to link the nervous system to the endocrine system via the pituitary gland ....
, inducing pleasureable sensations as well as affecting the levels of serotonin
Serotonin

Serotonin is a monoamine neurotransmitter synthesized in serotonergic neurons in the central nervous system and enterochromaffin cells in the gastrointestinal tract of animals including humans....
. While serotonin has a pleasurable effect, in high concentrations it can be converted to melatonin
Melatonin

Melatonin , also known chemically as N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, is a naturally occurring hormone found in most animals, including humans, and some other living organisms, including algae....
 which in large amounts reduces sexual drive. Finally, chocolate has been shown to contain unsaturated N-acylethanolamines which might activate cannabinoid receptors or increase endocannabinoid levels resulting in heightened sensitivity and euphoria
Euphoria

Euphoria or euphoric may refer to:* Euphoria , an emotional and mental state Defined as a sense of great elation and wellbeing* 4-Methyl-aminorex , a stimulant drug with effects comparable to methamphetamine...
. Although there is no firm proof that chocolate is indeed an aphrodisiac, a gift
Gift

A gift or a present is the transfer of something, without the need for compensation that is involved in trade. A gift is a voluntary act which does not require anything in return....
 of chocolate is a familiar courtship ritual.

Other benefits

Several population studies
Statistical population

In statistics, a statistical population is a Set of entities concerning which statistical inferences are to be drawn, often based on a random sample taken from the population....
 have observed an increase in the risk of certain cancer
Cancer

Cancer is a class of diseases in which a group of cell display uncontrolled growth , invasion , and sometimes metastasis . These three malignant properties of cancers differentiate them from benign tumors, which are self-limited, do not invade or metastasize....
s among people who frequently consume sweet 'junk' foods such as chocolate. However, very little evidence exists to suggest whether consuming flavonoid-rich dark chocolate may increase or decrease the risk of cancer. Evidence from laboratory studies suggests that cocoa flavonoids may possess anticarcinogenic mechanisms, but more research is needed to prove this idea.

Studies suggest a specially formulated type of cocoa may be nootropic
Nootropic

Memory enhancers are often referred to as "smart drugs", "study drugs", "smart nutrients", "cognitive enhancers", "brain enhancers" or in the scientific literature as nootropics....
 and delay brain function decline as people age.

Mars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated

Mars, Incorporated is a worldwide manufacturer of confectionery, pet food and other food products with United States dollar21 billion in annual sales in 2006....
, a Virginia-based candy company, spends money each year on flavonol research. The company is talking with pharmaceutical companies to license drugs based on synthesized cocoa flavonol molecules. According to Mars-funded researchers at Harvard, the University of California
University of California

The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University system and the California Community Colleges s...
, and European universities, cocoa-based prescription drugs could potentially help treat diabetes, dementia
Dementia

Dementia is the progressive decline in cognition due to damage or disease in the body beyond what might be expected from normal aging. Although dementia is far more common in the geriatric population, it may occur in any stage of adulthood....
 and other diseases.

Other research indicates that chocolate may be effective at preventing persistent coughing. The ingredient theobromine
Theobromine

Theobromine, also known as xantheose, is a bitter alkaloid of the cacao plant, found in chocolate, as well as in a number of chocolate-free foods made from theobromine sources including the leaves of the tea plant, the kola or cola nut, and acai berries....
 was found to be almost one third more effective than codeine
Codeine

Codeine or methylmorphine is an opiate used for its analgesic, Cough medicine and Antidiarrhoeal properties. It is by far the most widely used opiate in the world and probably the most commonly used drug overall according to numerous reports over the years by organizations such as the World Health Organization and its League of Nations...
, the leading cough medicine. The chocolate also appears to soothe and moisten the throat.

Flavonoid
Flavonoid

The term flavonoid refers to a class of plant secondary metabolites. According to the IUPAC nomenclature, they can be classified into:*flavonoids, derived from 2-phenylchromone structure...
s can inhibit the development of diarrhea, suggesting antidiarrhoeal
Antidiarrhoeal

An anti-diarrheal drug is any medication which provides symptomatic relief for Diarrhea....
 effects of chocolate.

Obesity risk

The major concern that nutritionists have is that even though eating dark chocolate may favorably affect certain biomarkers of cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular disease or cardiovascular diseases refers to the class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels . While the term technically refers to any disease that affects the Circulatory system , it is usually used to refer to those related to atherosclerosis ....
, the amount needed to have this effect would provide a relatively large quantity of calories, which, if unused, would promote weight gain. Obesity
Obesity

Obesity is a condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to an extent that health may be negatively affected. It is commonly defined as a body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or higher....
 is a significant risk factor for many diseases, including cardiovascular disease. As a consequence, consuming large quantities of dark chocolate in an attempt to protect against cardiovascular disease has been described as 'cutting off one's nose to spite one's face'.

Acne

Dscn4337 Choc Chicks Crop 600x1000
There is a popular belief that the consumption of chocolate can cause acne
Acne vulgaris

Acne vulgaris is a skin condition caused by changes in the pilosebaceous units . Severe acne is inflammation, but acne can also manifest in noninflammatory forms....
. Various studies seem to show that this is the case for high glycemic index
Glycemic index

The Glycemic index or GI is a measure of the effects of carbohydrates on blood glucose levels. Carbohydrates that break down rapidly during digestion releasing glucose rapidly into the bloodstream have a high GI; carbohydrates that break down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the bloodstream, have a low GI....
 foods in general, though the question is still being studied. Milk is known to cause acne, including any which is mixed with chocolate.

Lead

Chocolate has one of the higher concentrations of lead
Lead

Lead is a main-group Chemical element with symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal, also considered to be one of the heavy metal ....
 among products that constitute a typical Westerner's diet, with a potential to cause mild lead poisoning
Lead poisoning

Lead poisoning is a medical condition caused by increased levels of the metal lead in the blood. Lead may cause irreversible neurological damage as well as renal disease, cardiovascular effects, and human reproduction toxicity....
. Recent studies have shown that although the beans themselves absorb little lead, it tends to bind to cocoa shells and contamination may occur during the manufacturing process. A recent peer-reviewed publication found significant amounts of lead in chocolate. A review article published in a peer-reviewed journal in 2006 states that despite high consumption levels of chocolate, there is a paucity of data on lead concentrations in chocolate products. In a USDA study in 2004, mean lead levels in the samples tested ranged from 0.0010 to 0.0965 µg lead per gram of chocolate, but another study by a Swiss research group in 2002 found that some chocolate contained up to 0.769 µg per gram, close to the international (voluntary) standard limit for lead in cocoa powder or beans, which is 1 µg of lead per gram. In 2006, the U.S. FDA lowered by one-fifth the amount of lead permissible in candy, but compliance is only voluntary. While studies show that the lead consumed in chocolate may not all be absorbed by the human body, there is no known threshold for the effects of lead on children's brain function and even small quantities of lead can cause permanent neurodevelopmental deficits including impaired IQ.

Toxicity in animals

In sufficient amounts, the theobromine
Theobromine

Theobromine, also known as xantheose, is a bitter alkaloid of the cacao plant, found in chocolate, as well as in a number of chocolate-free foods made from theobromine sources including the leaves of the tea plant, the kola or cola nut, and acai berries....
 found in chocolate is toxic to animals such as horse
Horse

The horse is a hoofed mammal, a subspecies of one of seven extant species of the family Equidae. The horse has evolution of the horse over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, odd-toed ungulate animal of today....
s, dogs, parrot
Parrot

File:Ara ararauna -eating -Wilhelma Zoo-8-2rc.jpgParrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genus that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most warm and tropical regions....
s, small rodents, and cat
Cat

The cat , also known as the Domestication cat or house cat to distinguish it from other Felinae and Felidae, is a small predationy carnivore species of crepuscular mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and its ability to hunt vermin, snakes, scorpions, and other unwanted household pests....
s because they are unable to metabolise the chemical effectively. If they are fed chocolate, the theobromine will remain in their bloodstream for up to 20 hours, and these animals may experience epileptic seizures, heart attacks
Myocardial infarction

Myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when the Blood flow to part of the heart is interrupted. This is most commonly due to occlusion of a coronary artery following the rupture of a Vulnerable plaque, which is an unstable collection of lipids and white blood cells in the wall of an artery....
, internal bleeding
Internal bleeding

Internal bleeding is bleeding occurring inside the body. It can be a serious medical emergency depending on where it occurs , and can potentially cause death and cardiac arrest if proper medical treatment is not received quickly....
, and eventually death. Medical treatment involves inducing vomiting
Vomiting

Vomiting is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose. Undesired vomiting may result from many causes, ranging from gastritis or poisoning to brain tumors, or elevated intracranial pressure....
 within two hours of ingestion, or contacting a veterinarian
Veterinarian

A veterinarian or a veterinary surgeon , often shortened to vet, is a physician for animals and a practitioner of veterinary medicine....
.

A typical 20-kilogram (40-lb) dog will normally experience great intestinal distress after eating less than 240 grams (8.5 oz) of dark chocolate, but will not necessarily experience bradycardia
Bradycardia

Bradycardia , as applied to adult medicine, is defined as a resting heart rate of under 60 beats per minute, though it is seldom symptomatic until the rate drops below 50 beat/min....
 or tachycardia
Tachycardia

The word tachycardia comes from the Greek words tachys and kardia .Tachycardia typically refers to a heartrate that exceeds the range of the normal resting heartrate, based upon age:...
 unless it eats at least a half a kilogram (1.1 lb) of milk chocolate. Dark chocolate has 2 to 5 times more theobromine and thus is more dangerous to dogs. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual
Merck Veterinary Manual

The Merck Veterinary Manual is a reference manual of animal health care. It is published by Merck & Co., Inc. and Merial. The Merck Veterinary Manual is available as a reference manual or as an online resource for veterinarians, veterinary students, and others involved in animal health care....
, approximately 1.3 grams of baker's chocolate per kilogram of a dog's body weight (0.02 oz/lb) is sufficient to cause symptoms of toxicity. For example, a typical 25-gram (0.88 oz) baker's chocolate bar would be enough to bring about symptoms in a 20-kilogram (44 lb) dog. Of course, baking chocolate is rarely consumed directly due to its unpleasant taste, but other dark chocolates' canine toxicities may be extrapolated based on this figure. As dogs like the taste of chocolate products as much as humans do, and are capable of finding and eating quantities much larger than typical human servings, they should be kept out of their reach. There are reports that mulch
Mulch

In agriculture and gardening, is a protective cover placed over the soil, primarily to modify the effects of the local climate. A wide variety of nature and Synthetic fiber materials are used....
 made from cacao bean shells is dangerous to pets (and other animals). Treats made from carob can be used to substitute and pose no health threat to animals.

As a stimulant

Chocolate Candy Piece
Chocolate contains a variety of substances, some of which have an effect on body chemistry. These include:
  • Sugar
    Sugar

    Sugar is a class of edible crystalline substances, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose. Human taste buds interpret its flavor as sweet. Sugar as a basic food carbohydrate primarily comes from sugar cane and from sugar beet, but also appears in fruit, honey, sorghum, sugar maple , and in many other sources....
  • Theobromine
    Theobromine

    Theobromine, also known as xantheose, is a bitter alkaloid of the cacao plant, found in chocolate, as well as in a number of chocolate-free foods made from theobromine sources including the leaves of the tea plant, the kola or cola nut, and acai berries....
    , the primary alkaloid
    Alkaloid

    Alkaloids are naturally occurring chemical compounds containing base nitrogen atoms. The name derives from the word alkaline and was used to describe any nitrogen-containing base....
     in cocoa
    Cocoa

    Cocoa is the dried and fully fermented fatty seed of the cacao from which chocolate is made. "Cocoa" can often also refer to the drink commonly known as hot chocolate; Cocoa solids, the dry powder made by grinding cocoa seeds and removing the cocoa butter from the dark, bitter cocoa solids; or it may refer to the combination of both cocoa p...
     and chocolate and partly responsible for chocolate's mood-elevating effect
  • Tryptophan
    Tryptophan

    Tryptophan is one of the 20 List of standard amino acids, as well as an essential amino acid in the human diet. It is encoded in the standard genetic code as the codon UGG....
    , an essential amino acid
    Amino acid

    In chemistry, an amino acid is a molecule containing both amine and carboxyl functional groups. These molecules are particularly important in biochemistry, where this term refers to alpha-amino acids with the general formula H2NCHRCOOH, where R is an organic substituent....
     and precursor to serotonin
    Serotonin

    Serotonin is a monoamine neurotransmitter synthesized in serotonergic neurons in the central nervous system and enterochromaffin cells in the gastrointestinal tract of animals including humans....
  • Phenethylamine
    Phenethylamine

    Phenethylamine, or ?-phenylethylamine or 2-phenylethylamine, is an alkaloid and monoamine. Phenethylamine also has a constitutional isomer a-phenylethylamine , which has two stereoisomers: --1-phenylethylamine and --1-phenylethylamine....
    , an endogenous
    Endogenous

    The word endogenous means "arising from within", the opposite of exogenous....
     alkaloid
    Alkaloid

    Alkaloids are naturally occurring chemical compounds containing base nitrogen atoms. The name derives from the word alkaline and was used to describe any nitrogen-containing base....
     sometimes described as a 'love chemical; it is quickly metabolized by monoamine oxidase
    Monoamine oxidase

    Monoamine oxidases are enzymes that catalysis the oxidation of monoamines. They are found bound to the outer membrane of mitochondria in most cell types in the body....
    -B and does not reach the brain
    Brain

    The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate, and most invertebrate, animals. Some primitive animals such as cnidarian and echinoderm have a decentralized nervous system without a brain, while sponges lack any nervous system at all....
     in significant amounts
  • Caffeine
    Caffeine

    Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline xanthine alkaloid that acts as a psychoactive stimulant drug and a mild diuretic. Caffeine was discovered by a German chemist, Friedrich Ferdinand Runge, in 1819....
    , present only in very small amounts


Chocolate is a mild stimulant
Stimulant

Stimulant drugs are drugs that temporarily increase alertness and awareness. They usually have increased side-effects with increased effectiveness, and the more powerful variants are therefore often prescription medicines or illegal drugs....
 to humans mainly due to the presence of theobromine
Theobromine

Theobromine, also known as xantheose, is a bitter alkaloid of the cacao plant, found in chocolate, as well as in a number of chocolate-free foods made from theobromine sources including the leaves of the tea plant, the kola or cola nut, and acai berries....
. It is much more potent for horse
Horse

The horse is a hoofed mammal, a subspecies of one of seven extant species of the family Equidae. The horse has evolution of the horse over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, odd-toed ungulate animal of today....
s, and its use in horse racing
Horse racing

Horse racing is an equestrianism sport that has been practiced over the centuries; the chariot racing of Ancient Rome are an early example, as is the contest of the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology....
 is prohibited.

Labelling

Some manufacturers provide the percentage of chocolate in a finished chocolate confection as a label quoting percentage of "cocoa
Cocoa

Cocoa is the dried and fully fermented fatty seed of the cacao from which chocolate is made. "Cocoa" can often also refer to the drink commonly known as hot chocolate; Cocoa solids, the dry powder made by grinding cocoa seeds and removing the cocoa butter from the dark, bitter cocoa solids; or it may refer to the combination of both cocoa p...
" or "cacao
Cacao

Cacao , or the cocoa plant, is a small evergreen tree in the family Sterculiaceae , native to the deep tropical region of the Americas. There are two prominent competing hypotheses about the origins of the original wild Theobroma cacao tree....
". It should be noted that this refers to the combined percentage of both cocoa solids
Cocoa solids

Cocoa solids is a term for the nonfat component of chocolate. It may also be called cocoa powder when sold as an end product.In contrast, the fatty component of chocolate is cocoa butter....
 and cocoa butter
Cocoa butter

Cocoa butter, also called theobroma oil or theobroma cacao, is a pale-yellow, pure edible vegetable fat extracted from the cacao bean....
 in the bar, not just the percentage of cocoa solids
Cocoa solids

Cocoa solids is a term for the nonfat component of chocolate. It may also be called cocoa powder when sold as an end product.In contrast, the fatty component of chocolate is cocoa butter....
.

Chocolates that are organic
Organic food

Organic foods are made according to certain production standards, meaning they are grown without the use of conventional pesticides and artificial fertilizers, free from contamination by human or industrial waste, and processed without food irradiation or food additives....
 or fair trade certified carry labels accordingly.

In the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, some large chocolate manufacturers lobbied the federal government to permit confection containing cheaper hydrogenated vegetable oil in place of cocoa butter
Cocoa butter

Cocoa butter, also called theobroma oil or theobroma cacao, is a pale-yellow, pure edible vegetable fat extracted from the cacao bean....
 to be sold as "chocolate". In June 2007, as a response to consumer concern after the proposed change, the FDA re-iterated that "Cacao fat, as one of the signature characteristics of the product, will remain a principal component of standardized chocolate"

Manufacturers


Many chocolate manufacturers have created products from chocolate bars to fudge
Fudge

Fudge is a type of confectionery which is usually very sweet, extremely rich and sometimes flavored with cocoa. It is made by mixing sugar, butter, and milk and heating it to the soft-ball stage at , and then beating the mixture while it cools so that it acquires a smooth, creamy consistency....
, hoping to attract more consumers with each creation. Both The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company

The Hershey Company , known until April 2004 as the Hershey Foods Corporation and commonly called Hershey's, is the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America....
 and Mars
Mars, Incorporated

Mars, Incorporated is a worldwide manufacturer of confectionery, pet food and other food products with United States dollar21 billion in annual sales in 2006....
 have become the largest manufacturers in the world. Major examples include Cadbury, Nestlé
Nestlé

Nestl? is a Multinational corporation packaged food company founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, and listed on the SWX Swiss Exchange with a turnover of over 87 billion Swiss francs....
 and Lindt.

The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company

The Hershey Company , known until April 2004 as the Hershey Foods Corporation and commonly called Hershey's, is the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America....
 is the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America
North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
. Its headquarters is in Hershey, Pennsylvania
Hershey, Pennsylvania

Hershey is a census-designated place in Derry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The community is located 14 miles east of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle, Pennsylvania Harrisburg metropolitan area....
, a town permeated by the aroma of cocoa on some days, and home to Hershey's Chocolate World
Hershey's Chocolate World

Hershey?s Chocolate World is the name of Hershey?s visitor center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States. Open year-round, Hershey's Chocolate World offers marketplace shops and restaurants, specializing in Hershey's chocolate products....
. It was founded by Milton S. Hershey
Milton S. Hershey

Milton Snavely Hershey was a confectioner, philanthropist, and founder of The Hershey Company and the ?company town? of Hershey, Pennsylvania....
 in 1894 as the Hershey Chocolate Company, a subsidiary of his Lancaster Caramel Company
Lancaster Caramel Company

The Lancaster Caramel Company of Lancaster, Pennsylvania was founded by Milton S. Hershey in 1886. It was Hershey's first successful candy company and helped him build a reputation....
. Hershey's candies and other products are sold worldwide.

The Hershey Company reached fame mainly because of three of its creations: the Hershey bar
Hershey bar

The Hershey bar is the flagship chocolate bar manufactured by the The Hershey Company, invented by Milton Hershey. Hershey bars are available in six regular editions: Milk Chocolate, Milk Chocolate with Almonds, Special Dark Chocolate, Cookies 'N' Creme, Mr....
, Hershey's kisses and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

Mars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated

Mars, Incorporated is a worldwide manufacturer of confectionery, pet food and other food products with United States dollar21 billion in annual sales in 2006....
 is a worldwide manufacturer of confectionery and other food products with US$21 billion in annual sales in 2006. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, USA, the company is entirely owned by the Mars family, making it one of the largest privately owned U.S. corporations. Mars is most famous for its eponymous Mars Bar
Mars Bar

The Mars Bar is a chocolate bar manufactured by Mars Incorporated. It was first manufactured in Slough Trading Estate in the United Kingdom in 1932 as a sweeter version of the American Milky Way bar which Mars, Inc....
, as well as other confectionery such as Milky Way
Milky Way bar

The Milky Way bar is a popular candy bar distributed by the Mars Incorporated. The American version of the Milky Way bar is made of chocolate-malt nougat topped with caramel and covered with milk chocolate and is equivalent to the Mars bar sold in other countries....
, M&M's
M&M's

M&M's are candy-coated pieces of milk chocolate with the letter "m" printed on them, produced by Mars, Incorporated. Popular in the United States, several variations of the candies exist, including plain milk chocolate, peanut, peanut butter, dark chocolate , and almond....
, Twix
Twix

Twix is a chocolate-covered cookie bar made by Mars Incorporated, consisting of a butter cookie centre topped with caramel and coated in milk chocolate....
, Skittles
Skittles (confectionery)

Skittles is a brand of chewy fruit candies produced and marketed by Mars, Incorporated. They have hard sugar shells which carry the letter S....
 and Snickers
Snickers

Snickers is a chocolate bar made by the Mars family. It consists of peanut butter nougat topped with roasted peanuts and caramel, covered with milk chocolate....
.

Chocolate in popular culture

Cadbury Eggs

Holidays

Chocolate is one of the most popular treats given on holidays. On Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day or Saint Valentine's Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14 by many people throughout the world. In the English-speaking countries, it is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending greeting card, Valentine's Day flowers, or offering confectionery....
, a box of chocolate is given, usually with flower
Flower

A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproduction structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to mediate the union of male sperm with female ovum in order to produce seeds....
s and a greeting card
Greeting card

A greeting card is an illustrated, folded card featuring an expression of friendship or other sentiment. Although greeting cards are usually given on special occasions, such as birthdays, Christmas or other holidays, they are also sent to convey thanks or express other feeling....
. It is given on other holidays, including Christmas
Christmas

Christmas , also referred to as Christmas Day, is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25 that commemorates the birth of Jesus. The day marks the beginning of the larger season of Christmastide, which lasts Twelve Days of Christmas....
, Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving may refer to:*Thanksgiving , the holiday on the fourth Thursday in November.*Thanksgiving , the holiday on the second Monday in October....
, and birthday
Birthday

Birthday is the name given to the date of the anniversary of the day of a person's birth. People in many cultures celebrate this anniversary. In some languages, the word for birthday literally translates as "anniversary"....
s, although no special chocolate creation is common on these holidays. On Easter, chocolate eggs are popular gifts. A chocolate egg is a confectionery made primarily of chocolate, and can either be solid, hollow, or filled with cream.

Books and film

Chocolate has been the center of several successful book and film adaptations. In 1964, Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl was a United Kingdom novelist, short story writer and screenwriter, born in Wales of Norwegian people parents. After service in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, In which he became a flying ace, he rose to prominence in the 1940s with works for both Children's literature and adults, and became one of the world's bes...
 published a children's novel titled Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a children's literature by Norway-United Kingdom author Roald Dahl. This story of the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory of eccentric candymaker Willy Wonka is often considered one of the most beloved children's stories of the 20th century....
. The novel centers around a poor boy named Charlie Bucket who takes a tour through the greatest chocolate factory in the world, owned by Willy Wonka
Willy Wonka

Willy Wonka is a fictional character in the Roald Dahl novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and its sequel Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, as well as the film adaptations Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ....
. Two film adaptations of the novel were produced. The first was Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a 1971 in film film based on the 1964 in literature Roald Dahl novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory....
, a 1971 film which later became a cult classic. Thirty-four years later, a second film adaptation was produced, titled Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (film)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a 2005 in film fantasy film directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp. Based on the 1964 Roald Dahl Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the film also stars Freddie Highmore as Charlie Bucket and is the second film adaptation of the book....
. The 2005 film was very well received by critics and was one of the highest grossing films of its year, earning over US$470,000,000 worldwide. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was also recognized at the 78th Academy Awards
78th Academy Awards

The 78th Academy Awards honored the 2005 in film and were held on March 5 2006 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. They were hosted by The Daily Show host Jon Stewart....
, where it was nominated for Best Costume Design
Academy Award for Costume Design

This Academy Awards was first given for films made in 1948 when separate awards were given for black-and-white and color movies....
 for Gabriella Pesucci.

Chocolat
Chocolat

Chocolat is a 1999 in literature novel by Joanne Harris. It tells the story of Vianne Rocher, a young mother, who arrives at a fictional insular France village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes with her six-year-old daughter, Anouk....
 is a 1999 novel
Novel

File:2009 stapelweise Neuerscheinungen im Buchladen.JPGA novel is today a long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern Romance and in the tradition of the novella....
 by Joanne Harris
Joanne Harris

Joanne Mich?le Sylvie Harris is a United Kingdom author. Born to a France mother and an England father in her grandparents' sweet shop, her family life was filled with food and folklore....
. It tells the story of Vianne Rocher, a young mother, whose confections change the lives of the townspeople through magic. The 2000 film adaptation, Chocolat
Chocolat (film)

Chocolat is a 2000 in film film based on the novel Chocolat by Joanne Harris, directed by Lasse Hallstr?m. Adapted by screenwriter Robert Nelson Jacobs, Chocolat tells the story of a young mother, played by Juliette Binoche, who arrives at the fictional, repressed France village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes with her six-year-old daughter...
, also proved successful, grossing over US$150,000,000 worldwide, and receiving Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Picture, Best Actress
Academy Award for Best Actress

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry....
, and Best Original Score.

Bibliography


Further reading


See also


External links