Origin
What plant is chocolate made from?
The cacao tree
What world event caused chocolate rations to be included in soldiers kits?
World War ll
The U.S. gov. partnered with Hershey's to produce a special ration bar called the "D Ration"
This is also when they developed the ability to make chocolate that doesn't melt in high temperatures through a process called "tempering"
Which chocolate company introduced the first individually wrapped chocolate bars in 1900?
Hershey!
The bars were wrapped in white paper with gold lettering and sold for 5 cents.
What luxury chocolate drink was served in porcelain cups among the European aristocracy in the 1600s?
Hot Chocolate
it was a delicacy and a status symbol among the elite
What chocolate bar, named after a famous baseball player, was the first to be advertised on TV, in 1950?
Nestle's Baby Ruth
What ingredient, now considered standard, was NOT part of early chocolate recipes in Mesoamerica?
Sugar!
Early cocoa drinks were unsweetened and often spicy
In the 17th century, what European country believed chocolate has medicinal properties and prescribed it for illnesses?
France
Doctors prescribed the chocolate for conditions like digestions and melancholy
When was white chocolate first introduced and by whom?
1930s by Nestle
White chocolate was first marketed as a way to use excess cocoa butter
What country invented chocolate fondue, and in what decade?
Switzerland in the 1960s
Swiss chocolate fondue became a popular desert worldwide
Don't lose it or you'll be angry. What six-letter word beginning with "T" means to heat and cool chocolate in order to give it a smooth and shiny appearance?
Temper!
Which ancient civilization created the first known recipe for a chocolate drink?
The Mayans
They mixed roasted cocoa beans with water, chili peppers and cornmeal.
about 70%
The Ivory Coast is the largest producer of cocoa beans in the world!
What innovation in the 19th century revolutionized chocolate production, making solid chocolate possible?
The cocoa press.
invented by Dutch chemist Coenraad van Houten in 1828, it separated cocoa butter from cocoa powder.
The Olmecs & Mayans fermented cocoa beans and pulp to create what kind of beverage?
Beer!
(beer-like alcoholic beverages)
How many cacao beans does it take to make one pound of chocolate?
Around 400 beans
What was the original use of chocolate in ancient Mesoamerican cultures?
As a form of Currency AND/OR consumed as a warm beverage.
As of 2022, what country annually consumes the most chocolate in the world?
Switzerland
In 2022, the average Swiss person ate around 11.8 kilograms of chocolate (about 400 ounces)
What ingredient allowed chocolate to be turned into solid bars in the 1700s?
Adding cocoa butter
the addition of cocoa butter made chocolate moldable and paved the way for the modern chocolate bar.
In what year was the first chocolate chip cookie invented, and by whom?
1938 by Ruth Wakefield
She created it at the Toll House Inn, leading to the iconic Toll House cookie recipe.
Which vitamin is particularly high in dark chocolate?
Magnesium
One oz, or about one square, of 70 to 85 percent dark chocolate provides 64.6 mg of magnesium
Which ancient civilization was the first to cultivate cocoa trees and use chocolate in their culture?
The Olmec Civilization around 1500 BC
What was the first country outside of the Americas to grow cacao plants?
The Phillipines
Spanish colonists brought cacao trees to the Philippines in the late 1600s
Invented by Coenraad van Houten in 1828, what machine separated cocoa solids from cocoa butter?
The Cocoa Press
This allowed for the creation of defatted cocoa powder, which led to the development of milk, white, and dark chocolate.
In 2017, the cocoa company Barry Callebaut introduced a "fourth" type of chocolate alongside dark, milk, and white. What is the name of this new type of chocolate, which is made with a specific type of cocoa bean and is known for its pink color?
Ruby Chocolate
While the exact production method is a trade secret, publications note industry speculation is that ruby chocolate is made with unfermented cocoa beans of Brazil Lavados, which can have a natural red-pink color
What tropical region is cacao primarily grown in?
The "Cocoa Belt"
The equatorial region, around 20 degrees north and south of the equator