Chocolate
hideChocolate (pronounced /ˈtʃɒklət/ (help·info) or /-ˈələt/) comprises a number of raw and processed foods produced from the seed of the tropical cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America, with its earliest documented use around 1100 BC. The majority of the Mesoamerican peoples made chocolate beverages, including the Aztecs and the Maya, who made it into a beverage known as xocolātl, a Nahuatl word meaning "bitter water". The seeds of the cacao tree have an intense bitter taste, and must be fermented to develop the flavor.
After fermentation, the beans are dried, cleaned, and roasted, and the shell is removed to produce cacao nibs. The nibs are then ground and liquified, resulting in pure chocolate in fluid form: chocolate liquor. The liquor can be further processed into two components: cocoa solids and cocoa butter. 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. Milk chocolate is sweet chocolate that additionally contains milk powder or condensed milk. "White chocolate" contains cocoa butter, sugar, and milk but no cocoa solids (and thus does not qualify to be considered true chocolate).
Chocolate contains alkaloids such as theobromine and phenethylamine, which have physiological effects on the body. It has been linked to serotonin levels in the brain. Scientists claim that chocolate, eaten in moderation, can lower blood pressure. Dark chocolate has recently been promoted for its health benefits, including a substantial amount of antioxidants that reduce the formation of free radicals, though the presence of theobromine renders it toxic to some animals, such as dogs and cats.
Chocolate has become one of the most popular flavors in the world. Gifts of chocolate molded into different shapes have become traditional on certain holidays: chocolate bunnies and eggs are popular on Easter, chocolate coins on Hanukkah, Santa Claus and other holiday symbols on Christmas, and hearts on Valentine's Day. Chocolate is also used in cold and hot beverages, to produce chocolate milk and hot chocolate.
For more information about Chocolate, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with chocolate
Study shows flavanol antioxidant content of US chocolate and cocoa-containing products
Nov 25, 2009 |
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A recent study confirms that the antioxidants and other plant-based nutrients in chocolate and cocoa products are highly associated with the amount of non-fat cocoa-derived ingredients in the product. The study expands on ...
New evidence that dark chocolate helps ease emotional stress
Nov 11, 2009 |
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The "chocolate cure" for emotional stress is getting new support from a clinical trial published online in ACS' Journal of Proteome Research.
Chocolate rich in flavanols may protect the skin from UV
Nov 06, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study has discovered for the first time that dark chocolate rich in flavanols may provide significant protection from the harmful effects of ultraviolet light.
Chocolate, water reduce pain response to heat
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Oct 13, 2009 |
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People often eat food to feel better, but researchers have found that eating chocolate or drinking water can blunt pain, reducing a rat's response to a hot stimulus. This natural form of pain relief may help ...
World-first sustainable racing car to take on Formula 3 at Brands Hatch (w/ Video)
Oct 05, 2009 |
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Can the idea of 'green motorsport' actually work? Yes, according to Dr Kerry Kirwan at the University of Warwick, who led the research team which designed and built the worldfirst fully sustainable Formula 3 racing car.
Eating sweets every day in childhood 'increases adult aggression'
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Oct 01, 2009 |
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Children who eat sweets and chocolate every day are more likely to be violent as adults, according to new research.
LG Releases New Chocolate Model (LG-BL40)
Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets
Sep 04, 2009 |
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LG Electronics today announced the worldwide retail release of the highly anticipated new Chocolate (LG-BL40). The stunning fourth handset of the Black Label Series will be available in Europe from mid-September ...
Heart group: Cut back - way back - on extra sugar
Aug 24, 2009 |
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(AP) -- A spoonful of sugar? Americans are swallowing 22 teaspoons of sugar each day, and it's time to cut way back, the American Heart Association says.
Chocolate cuts death rate in heart attack survivors: study
Aug 13, 2009 |
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Heart attack survivors who eat chocolate two or more times per week cut their risk of dying from heart disease about threefold compared to those who never touch the stuff, scientists have reported.
LG Unveils New LG Chocolate Cell Phone (LG-BL40)
Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets
Jul 30, 2009 |
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LG Electronics officially revealed today the full image and key specifications of the new LG Chocolate phone (model: LG-BL40).
Just expecting a tasty food activates brain reward systems
Jul 27, 2009 |
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Research to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB), the foremost society for research into all aspects of eating and drinking behavior, shows that exposing rats to a context ...
Wanted: British women to eat chocolate for a year
Jul 23, 2009 |
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Scientists in Britain are looking for women willing to eat chocolate every day for a year -- all in the name of medical science.
Research leads to new technology to protect human health
Jul 21, 2009 |
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Larry Wackett and Michael Sadowsky, members of the University of Minnesota's BioTechnology Institute, developed an enzyme that is used in Bioo Scientific's new MaxDiscovery™ Melamine Test kit, which simplifies the detection ...
Racing car powered by chocolate and steered by carrots takes to the track at Goodwood
Jul 03, 2009 |
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A racing car created from potatoes and carrots and powered by chocolate will be put through its paces this weekend at the world’s largest celebration of motorsport.
New study finds lowfat chocolate milk is effective post-exercise recovery aid for soccer players
Jun 01, 2009 |
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Soccer players and exercise enthusiasts now have another reason to reach for lowfat chocolate milk after a hard workout, suggests a new study from James Madison University presented at the American College of Sports Medicine ...
