Chocolate is made with beans derived from the cocoa tree. These beans are very bitter, so sugar is added to the cocoa solids and cocoa butter, along with some other ingredients to make the chocolate that is available to the general public.
Chocolate is especially popular at certain times of the year, such as Easter, Valentine’s Day, and Christmas. As such, gifts in the form of chocolate are popular. Hearts for Valentine’s Day and cute bunnies for Easter are two high on the gift pick list. Here are 10 interesting facts about chocolate:
1. Chocolate has less caffeine than tea, coffee, and Coke. A one-ounce chocolate bar contains approximately 6 mg of caffeine, while a regular five-ounce cup of coffee contains more than 40 mg.
2. Chocolate was considered an aphrodisiac by the Aztec Indians.
3. Chocolate contains antioxidants that can help prevent cancer and heart disease.
4. Chocolate is the favorite flavor in the United States of America.
5. The shelf life of a chocolate bar is approximately one year.
6. In 1842, Cadbury’s in England created the world’s first chocolate bar.
7. The Swiss eat more chocolate. The average person eats 19 pounds a year.
8. Chocolate contains theobromine, which is a mild relative of caffeine and magnesium. This chemical is found in some tranquilizers. Because coffee also contains caffeine, it stimulates and calms you.
9. It is widely believed that consuming chocolate releases a chemical in your body very similar to that produced when you are in love.
10. Chocolate makers use 20% of the world’s peanuts and 40% of the world’s almonds.
Chocolate is mildly addictive, but a bar every once in a while isn’t going to hurt. With all those great antioxidants in it, it can even help you live longer. After all, as the saying goes, “a little of what you fancy is good for you.”