Chocolate

Chocolate comprises a number of raw and processed foods that are produced from the seed of the tropical cacao tree. Chocolate has become one of the most popular flavors in the world. It is a common ingredient in many snacks and desserts, including cookies, cake, ice cream, pudding, pie and candy. Gifts of chocolate molded into different shapes have become traditional on certain holidays: chocolate bunnies and eggs are popular at Easter, chocolate coins on Hanukkah, Santa Claus and other holiday symbols at Christmas, and hearts on Valentine's Day. Chocolate is also used in cold and hot beverages, including chocolate milk and hot chocolate.

Native to lowland, tropical South America, cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Central America and Mexico, with its earliest documented use around 1100 BC. The majority of the Mesoamerican peoples made chocolate beverages, including the Maya and Aztecs. Chocolate has been used as a drink for nearly all of its history. The earliest record of using chocolate dates back before the Olmec. In November 2007, archaeologists reported finding evidence of the oldest known cultivation and use of cacao at a site in Puerto Escondido, Honduras, dating from about 1100 to 1400 BC. For hundreds of years, the chocolate making process remained unchanged. When the people saw the Industrial Revolution arrive, many changes occurred that brought about the food today in its modern form. In the 1700s, mechanical mills were created that squeezed out cocoa butter, which in turn helped to create hard, durable chocolate. But, it was not until the arrival of the Industrial Revolution that these mills were put to bigger use. Not long after the revolution cooled down, companies began advertising this new invention to sell many of the chocolate treats we see today. When new machines were produced, people began experiencing and consuming chocolate worldwide.