Chocolate

Its history and its several uses

The history

Chocolate is made from cocoa seeds, known and used in the whole world. The cocoa plant has ancient origins and, as some researches say, we can presume that it was discovered 6000 years ago in Brazil, on the shores of the Amazonian river.But only in the year 1502 chocolate reached Europe. This was possible thanks to Christopher Columbus, who had just come back to Spain after his famous voyage.In the early 1600, chocolate arrived in Italy and in the XVII century it became the luxury for the Dutch nobles, after Holland had been colonized by the Spanish. I think we have to thank them!!

The uses

The chocolate is very used...it is modelled in different shapes, especially for recurrences and/or holidays.Moreover, chocolate is an ingredient of several sweets: ice-creams, cakes, biscuits, puddings and so on. The Europeans have added other ingredients, such as: vanilla, sugar, cherries, oranges to correct his natural bitterness. Anciently, on special occasions, chocolate was used to honour divinities, offered with incense and the blood of the same priests. Besides his holy employment, it was and is used as a drink.

How they have changed during the years

Why is it so famous?

Chocolate is famous for its several interpretations.In fact a piece of chocolate, can be associated to a different picture or it has different meanings, like these:-Mystery- A toy -Taste and Flavour-Seduction

Mystery

Mystery Chocolate was

considered overseas population as holy

drink offered to men by “God”. In addition to

being considered precious as the origin

of wisdom, it was thought to give you

strength and energy . In spite of this, the first

impressions among the Europeans were not

positive: but we don’t know

why!

The chocolate as a The chocolate as a toytoy

Usually this type of interpretation is given by

childrenchildren. Most of them buy little chocolate-eggs

only for the surprise surprise they find inside!!

Have you ever wondered why we eat so much

chocolate during the Easter period?

Taste and flavourA lot of people, when

they eat a piece of chocolate, are

concentrated on its taste.

But it changes according to people.

Some feel it bitterbitter, some others sweetsweet.

Who is right?

SeductiSeductiononChocolate was also used as

aphrodisiac and tonic to increase lovers’ sexual desire during their intercourses.

TELL ME HOW MUCH CHOCOLATE YOU EAT AND I WILL TELL YOU HOW MUCH YOU LOVE..

What doctors say...Studies and researches have confirmed that chocolate produces good benefits for your body, especially for your heart. It is an anti-depressant and is not true that it can be a problem for your teeth. Furthermore, it contains a high number of nutrients but it is not a component for a diet!

TYPES OF CHOCOLATE

(the most used)

White ChocolateMilk ChocolatePlain Chocolate

The white chocolate...

White chocolate is made of cocoa butter, milk, and sugar. Since white

chocolate contains neither cocoa solids nor chocolate liquor (cocoa mass), it

does not meet the standard to be marketed as chocolate in many

countries. But it has not ingredients that can decrease your health-problems, studies shows.

Milk chocolate

Milk chocolate is chocolate with milk powder or condensed milk added. Milk chocolate is the best-selling variety of chocolate in the world

today and it is perfect for children. However the addition of milk to

create milk chocolate may interfere with the absorption of antioxidants.

Plain chocolatePlain chocolate without milk as an additive is also called dark

chocolate.Dark Chocolate is the healthiest

type of chocolate. Dark chocolate has ingredients that lower blood pressure and fight

disease. It is a potent antioxidant. So if you want to be as healthy as is possible, than

eat dark chocolate!

Federica, Ivanna and Marika