Aphrodisiac? Scourge of teenage  facial distress?  Fattening?!  Chocolate, food of the gods, has gracefully borne the burden of these conflicting  characteristics over the years. A native of the Americas, the cacao tree  grows in hot, rainy, tropical climates such as found in Ghana, Malaysia and Brazil. The cacao is an evergreen tree,  which produces flowers and fruit all year long. Melon-shaped pods sprout right out of the trunk and turn brown as they grow. Workers harvest the ripe pods and split them open, revealing large white beans surrounded by sticky pulp. The beans are scooped out and allowed to ferment for several days, then dried in the sun. Manufacturers  clean and roast the beans, then process them into cocoa, and ultimately chocolate items. ( Typically in English we use “cacao” to refer to the tree, and “cocoa,” for its pods, seeds and products.)

Birds and monkeys in the forests of Central America had been enjoying the cocoa bean for years before the Mayans and the Aztecs developed the frothy drink the mighty ruler Montezuma made his own in Mexico.  The Mayans built the first cocoa plantations about 600 AD and traded the beans widely. The Aztecs brought the bean to the attention of Europeans for the second time. Chocolate had made little impression on Christopher Columbus and the Spanish court to whom he carried some beans. On the other hand, Spanish invader Hernando Cortez noted that Montezuma and his cohorts drank their royal mixture from solid gold goblets. Gold riveted Cortez’ attention.

By 1528, the Spanish appreciated the virtues of chocolate and for one hundred years after that they prevented the rest of Europe from obtaining the magic beans. They added sugar, as well as cinnamon to the bitter drink called by the Aztecs, chocolatyl. For hundreds of years people drank chocolate. It was not until the 1840’s that an English company, Cadbury, came up with something akin to today’s chocolate bar.

Chocolate is a mild stimulant containing some caffeine. It also has anti-depressant qualities, containing a mood elevator called beta-phenethylamine. Mixed with sugar, chocolate becomes high in carbohydrates. It contains fat, too, and is packed with minerals. This combo means a candy bar can provide both a quick lift and a longer period of energy. Some people, alas, are adversely affected by chocolate, nonetheless.
 

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