World Chocolate Day!
Today is World chocolate day! Use of chocolate originated in the Americas-Mexico, Guatemala, where the Mayans and the Aztecs used is as a bitter drink called ‘xocolati.’ Western Africa now produces two-thirds of world’s cocoa, with Ivory Coast’s share almost half of it.
Chocolate is derived from the partially fermented seeds of cocoa tree, after removal of its shell. The mass is dried deriving pure bitter cocoa powder. They are then liquefied and processed into cocoa solids and cocoa butter. The chocolates consumed are sweet chocolates with varying additions of milk, sugar, vanilla etc. The white chocolates contain cocoa butter without cocoa solids.
The explorer Columbus brought Cocoa to Spain during the early 16th century, from where it moved to Austria and Rome, where in 1662 the Bishop of Rome decreed that drinking chocolate does not conflict with Christianity.
Between 1600 and 1800 the new increased demand in Europe brought a thriving slave market, as the processing of cocoa bean was manual, until the processes were mechanized in the mid 18th century in France. Meanwhile Henri Nestlé had invented powdered milk which was used to create milk chocolate with the cocoa liquor. Rudolph Lindt in 1879 invented the conching machine, scraping cocoa and mixing the cocoa liquor and cocoa butter evenly, improving the taste and texture of chocolate. Hershey’s introduced mechanization of chocolate-coated caramels in 1893.
Chocolate is a US$ 50 Billion industry and is growing. An estimated 50 million people are involved in the cocoa trade. An estimated 12,000 children are trafficked and more than 2,00,000 forced to work in the cocoa farms, as reported by the Salvation Army International Development (UK) report. This has resulted in major companies incorporating fair trade practice norms.
Chocolate has been associated with religious festivals like Easter, Hannukkah, during Valentines day.
The top producers of chocolates are the US (Mars, Mondelēz, Hershey’s), Switzerland (Nestlé, Toblerone, Lindt), Italy (Ferro Rocher), Japan (Ezaki Glico, Meiji). Belgium (Godiva, Guliyan) though do not figure in the top, is the inventor of Praline and Bonbon varieties favoured all over the world. Italy is also produces very tasty chocolates like Chiradelli. Cadbury of UK is a dominant brand and has nearly 70% of the market in India.
Tryptophan a chemical found in high amount in chocolates, influences the endorphins level in the human brain and increases the production of serotonin leads to an euphoric state of love and happiness. This is the only food that melts below 93 deg. Fahrenheit, resulting in melting in the mouth. Researchers lately have invented chocolates with higher melting points, which may shortly make non-soggy bars a reality in tropical countries like India.
Enjoy eating chocolates on this day and every other day!
Sampath Kumar