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.