Interesting Facts About Chocolates
Sure, Chocolate Gift
Sets may be your favorite sweet treat. But did you know it used to be
used as currency? Nothing beats the smooth and rich taste of a piece of
chocolate. Just about everyone around the globe is a fan of Chocolate Gift Sets,
which is why it’s such a huge multi-billion dollar industry. But, there are
tons of hidden facts about Chocolate Gift Sets, that just
make it oh-so sweeter. If you want to learn more about the world’s favorite
dessert, check out these facts below. Let’s start with some of the interesting
facts about chocolate.
1. THE WORD ‘CHOCOLATE’ COMES FROM THE AZTEC WORD ‘XOCOLATL’
According
to Godiva, the word “chocolate” actually roots back to the Aztec word
“xocolatl,” which means “bitter water.” The chocolate company states that due
to lack of sugar in Central America during these times, chocolate had a very
different taste to what we know today.
2. CHOCOLATE WAS A FORM OF CURRENCY IN THE MAYAN TIMES
According
to Smithsonian.com, cacao beans, which are the beans used to make chocolate,
were so sought after during the Mayan and Aztec times that it was used as a
form of payment. Research from the publication also states that some people
would go as far as making counterfeit beans with clay.
3. THE SCIENTIFIC NAME FOR THE TREE THAT CHOCOLATE COMES FROM MEANS
‘FOOD OF THE GODS’
Even
scientist Linnaeus was a big fan of chocolate. He named the cacao tree
“Theobroma cacao,” which literally translates to “cacao, food of the Gods” in
1753, according to Cornell University.
4. THE WORLD’S BIGGEST CHOCOLATE BAR WEIGHED APPROXIMATELY 12,770
POUNDS
The
Guinness World Record For the largest chocolate bar in the world was set by
Thorntons PLC in the United Kingdom on September 07, 2011, and weighed 5792.50
kg (about 12,770 lbs)
5. THERE ARE ACTUALLY FOUR DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHOCOLATE: DARK, MILK,
WHITE, AND BLOND
Most people
think that there are only three main types of chocolate, but that’s not
necessarily true. Blond chocolate, named after its striking color, was actually
made by accident by pastry chef Frédéric Bau, according to the chocolate’s
founding company, Valrhona.
6. SOLDIERS DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR WERE SOMETIMES PAID IN
CHOCOLATE
During the
Revolutionary War, some soldiers were fighting for freedom in exchange for
chocolate. According to research done by the chocolate and candy company, Mars,
International, since chocolate didn’t spoil, it was used as a ration during the
war.
7. WHITE CHOCOLATE TECHNICALLY ISN’T CHOCOLATE
White
chocolate contains cocoa butter, but doesn’t contain any cocoa powder or cocoa solids
that give regular milk and dark chocolate its color and flavor. Since cocoa
butter doesn’t actually taste good on its own, it’s mixed with milk fat,
vanilla, and sugar for a sweeter flavor.
8. THE CHOCOLATE INDUSTRY IS WORTH OVER $75 BILLION PER YEAR GLOBALLY
The History
Channel also noted that the chocolate industry bloomed into one of the most
successful businesses in the world. Each year, the chocolate industry makes
over $75 billion in sales around the world.
9. IT TAKES 500 COCOA BEANS TO MAKE ONE POUND OF CHOCOLATE
According
to Hershey’s, it takes hundreds of cocoa beans just to produce one pound of
chocolate. To put that in perspective, that’s about 10 standard-sized Hershey’s
chocolate bars, which are 1.5 ounces.
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