Chocolate

Guide:

*Introdution

*History

*Types of chocolate

*Production

*Chocolate and health

*On the popular culture

*Conclusion

_____Today, we’re going to speak a bit about a really special food: the chocolate. This sweet is a really popular food, which can be found in many shapes. Chocolate is produced from the seed of the cacao tree. It was known a lot of time ago, and, with time, it changed and became really important to the Western Society. In all the world the chocolate is a tradition in many popular celebrations, like Easter and Valentine’s Day. It had already been subject of movies and books. The word "chocolate" entered the English language from Spanish. How the word came into Spanish is less certain, and there are many explanations. The most accepted explanation is that "chocolate" comes from Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, from thes word “xocolātl”, what would mean bitter drink.

_____On the Pacific coast of Mexico, archaeological site provides evidence of cacao soft drink dating even earlier, to 1900 BC. It was Spanish friars who introduced it to Europe more broadly. Not until the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs was chocolate imported to Europe, where it quickly became a court favorite. At the end of the 18th century, the first form of solid chocolate was invented in Turin by Doret. But it is believed that the Englishman Joseph Fry made the first chocolate for eating in 1847, followed in 1849 by the Cadbury brothers.

_____Several types of chocolate can be distinguished. It most commonly comes in dark, milk, and white varieties. Dark Chocolate is Brazilian “Chocolate Amargo” and is produced by adding fat and sugar to the cacao mixture (milk isn’t added). Semisweet chocolate is a Dark Chocolate with a low sugar content, and Bittersweet is a Dark Chocolate which has less sugar and more liquor than semisweet chocolate. Dark Chocolate can be used in desserts, cakes and cookies and is said that it benefits health. Milk Chocolate is a chocolate that contains cocoa solids, cocoa butter or other fat, sugar and milk powder or condensed milk. White Chocolate is formed from a mixture of sugar, cocoa butter, milk solids and sometimes, vanilla flavoring. 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. Unsweetened Chocolate is pure chocolate liquor that has no sugar added. It has a bitter taste and is commonly used in baking. Speaking about the form, chocolate can be found like tablets, bars, drops or eggs; can be drunk (cocoa powder) usually with milk.

_____The cacao can be found on tropical areas. The seeds must pass for lots of processes. They are fermented, dried, cleaned, roasted, the shell is removed, then the nibs are developed to a cocoa mass, the chocolate liquor. The liquor is processed into two components: cocoa solids and cocoa butter. The chocolate contains primarily cocoa solids and cocoa butter in varying proportions and other ingredients. There are two main jobs associated with creating chocolate candy: chocolate makers and chocolatiers. Chocolate makers use harvested cacao beans and other ingredients to produce chocolate. Chocolatiers use the finished chocolate to make chocolate candies (bars, truffles, etc.).

_____Even if we usually eat chocolate for pleasure, it has some positive points for health. Dark chocolate has been said to reduce the possibility of a heart attack when consumed regularly in small amounts. Cocoa solids have physiological effects on the body. Some research found that chocolate, eaten in moderation, can lower blood pressure. On the other hand, if you eat large quantities of any energy-rich food such as chocolate without doing exercise the risk of obesity is increased. The presence of theobromine makes chocolate toxic to some animals, especially dogs and cats. The dark chocolate contains more theobromine and, because of it, it’s even more dangerous to animals. The White Chocolate does not contain any cocoa solids, it doesn’t contain any theobromine, meaning it can be consumed by animals. _____Chocolate is one of the most popular holiday gifts. At Easter, chocolate eggs are traditional. On Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, a box of chocolates it’s a gift meaning that you care about those people. It is given on other holidays, including Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and birthdays. Chocolate has been the center of several successful book and film adaptations. In 1964, Roald Dahl published a children's novel titled Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (A fantástica fábrica de chocolate). The novel centers on a poor boy named Charlie Bucket who takes a tour through the greatest chocolate factory in the world, owned by Willy Wonka. Two film adaptations of the novel were produced and were succed.

_____Chocolate is a really special food in our society, thanks to it, it’s hard to imagine our lives without it. It changed a lot with time and to be produced, it passes by many processes. We can find it in lots of different ways, but we almost always love it. Well… Who resists?