
Chocolate is a common ingredient in many kinds of sweets—one of the most popular in the world. Chocolate is made from the fermented, roasted and ground beans of the tropical cacao tree ''Theobroma cacao''. The beans come from a cacao pod. The resulting product is known as "chocolate", an intensely flavored Bitter (taste) food; this is the definition of chocolate used in many dictionaries. This product is defined as cocoa in many countries. In the North American chocolate industry, cocoa is defined as the solids of the cacao bean, cocoa butter is defined as the fat component, and chocolate is the combination of the solids and the fat. This is usually sweetened with sugar and other ingredients and made into chocolate bars (the substance of which is also and commonly referred to as ''chocolate''), or beverages (called ''cocoa'' or ''hot chocolate''). There are three types of cacao beans used in chocolates. The most prized, rare, and expensive is the Criollo, the bean of the Maya. Only 10% of chocolate is made from the Criollo, which is less bitter and more aromatic than any other bean. The cacao bean in 80% of chocolate is the Forastero. Forastero trees are significantly hardier than Criollo trees, resulting in cheaper cacao beans. Trinitario, a hybrid of Criollo and Forastero, is used in about 10% of chocolate. Chocolate, when not produced in "bars" or other geometric shapes, is often produced in the form of small molded forms (usually of animals or people), for example as rabbit- or Egg (food)-shaped chocolates, near Easter, and other shapes for Christmas, Saint Nicholas and Valentine's Day. Chocolate "kisses" or roses are other popular shapes. Additionally, chocolate is often the main ingredient, or a major ingredient, in ice cream, cookies, cake, pie, and other desserts. The word ''chocolate'' is of Nahuatl origin. ==Different kinds of chocolate== ===Classification=== Chocolate is an extremely popular ingredient, and is available in many types. Different forms and flavors of chocolate are produced by varying the amount of the ingredients. Other flavors can be obtained by varying the time and temperture when roasting the beans. *Chocolate liquor: is pure chocolate liquor, also known as bitter or baking chocolate. It's unadulterated chocolate: ground roasted chocolate beans with no other added ingredients imparts a strong, deep chocolate flavor in all the sweets you add it to. However, with the addition of sugar, it's used as the base for American style layer cakes, brownies, confections, and cookies. *Dark chocolate: chocolate without milk as an additive, sometimes called plain chocolate. The US Government calls this Sweet Chocolate, and requires a 15% concentration of chocolate liquor. European rules specify a minimum of 35% cocoa solids. *couverture: is a term used for cocoa butter rich chocolates of the highest quality. Popular brands of couverture used by professional pastry chefs and often sold in gourmet and specialty food stores include: Valrhona, Lindt, Cacao Barry and Esprit des Alpes. These chocolates contain a high percentage of chocolate liquor (sometimes more than 70 percent) as well as cocoa butter, at least 32-39%, are very fluid when melted and have an excellent flavor. In fact, chocolate of this quality is often compared to tasting fine wine because subtleties in taste are often apparent, especially when you taste a variety of semisweet and bittersweet couvertures with different percentages of sugar and chocolate liquor. *Milk chocolate: chocolate with milk powder or condensed milk added. The US Government requires a 10% concentration of chocolate liquor. European rules specify a minimum of 25% cocoa solids. *Semi-sweet chocolate: used for cooking purposes; a dark chocolate with lower sugar content. *Bittersweet chocolate: is chocolate liquor (or unsweetened chocolate) to which sugar, more cocoa butter, lecithin, and vanilla has been added. It has less sugar and more liquor than semisweet chocolate but the two are interchangeable in baking. The best quality bittersweet and semisweet chocolate is produced as couverture and many brands now print the percentage of chocolate liquor it contains on the package. The rule is the higher the percentage of liquor the more bittersweet the chocolate will be. Generally Europeans favor bittersweet chocolate and Americans opt for semisweet chocolate which has more sugar than bittersweet chocolate. *White chocolate: a confection based on cocoa butter without the cocoa solids. *Cocoa powder: there are two types of unsweetened baking cocoa available: natural cocoa (like the sort produced by Hershey's and Nestle) and Dutch-process cocoa (such as the Hershey's European Style Cocoa and the Droste brand). Both are made by pulverizing, partially defatted chocolate liquor (unsweetened chocolate) removing nearly all their cocoa butter. Natural cocoa is light in color and somewhat acidic with a strong chocolate flavor. In baking use natural cocoa in recipes which call for baking soda (because it's an alkali). Combining the two creates a leavening action that allows the batter to rise during baking. Dutch-process cocoa has been processed with alkali to neutralize its natural acidity so it's darker often with a reddish cast. Dutch cocoa is slightly milder in taste and deeper in color than natural cocoa. Use Dutch cocoa in recipes that call for baking powder as its leavener (raising agent). Flavors such as mint, orange (fruit), or strawberry are sometimes added to chocolate. A chocolate bar is a bar of chocolate, frequently containing added ingredients such as peanuts, nut (fruit)s, caramel, or even crisped rice. Other chocolates contain alcoholic liqueurs. It is a common snack all over the world. ===The definition of chocolate=== Strictly speaking, chocolate is any product 100% based on cocoa solid and/or cocoa fat. Because it is used in a vast number of by-products, any change in the cost of making it has a huge impact on the industry. Adding ingredients is an aspect of the taste. On the other hand, reducing cocoa solid content, or substituting cocoa fat with a non-cocoa one, reduces the cost of making it. There has been disagreement in the EU about the chocolate definition. * Some want to see the definition allowing for any cocoa solid content and any kind of fat in chocolate. This would allow a merely coloured and flavoured margarine to be sold as being chocolate. In some countries this happens, and a 50% to 60% cocoa solid dark-chocolate, with no additive, for domestic use, is hard to find and expensive. * Others want to stick to something closer to the strict definition above. ==The history of chocolate== The Aztecs associated chocolate with Xochiquetzal, the goddess of fertility. In the New World, chocolate was consumed in a drink called ''xocoatl'', often seasoned with vanilla, chilli pepper, achiote (which we know today as annatto) and pimento. Xocoatl was believed to fight fatigue, a belief that is probably attributable to the theobromine content. Chocolate was an important luxury good throughout Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, and cocoa beans were often used as currency. Other chocolate drinks combined it with such edibles as maize gruel and honey. The xocoatl was said to be an acquired taste. Jose de Acosta, a Spanish Jesuit missionary who lived in Peru and then Mexico in the later 16th century, wrote: :Loathsome to such as are not acquainted with it, having a scum or froth that is very unpleasant to taste. Yet it is a drink very much esteemed among the Indians, where with they feast noble men who pass through their country. The Spaniards, both men and women, that are accustomed to the country, are very greedy of this Chocolaté. They say they make diverse sorts of it, some hot, some cold, and some temperate, and put therein much of that "chili"; yea, they make paste thereof, the which they say is good for the stomach and against the catarrh. Christopher Columbus brought some cocoa beans to show Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, but it remained for Hernando_de_Soto_(explorer) to introduce it to Europe more broadly. The first recorded shipment of chocolate to the Old World for commercial purposes was in a shipment from Veracruz (city) to Seville in 1585. It was still served as a beverage, but the Europeans added sugar to counteract the natural bitterness, and removed the chili pepper. By the 17th century it was a luxury item among the European nobility. In 1828, Netherlands Conrad J. van Houten patented a method for extracting the fat from cocoa beans and making powdered cocoa and cocoa butter. Van Houten also developed the so-called Dutch process chocolate of treating chocolate with alkali to remove the bitter taste. This made it possible to form the modern chocolate bar. It is believed that the Englishman, Joseph Fry made the first chocolate for eating in 1847, followed shortly after by the Cadbury-Schweppes brothers. Daniel Peter, a Switzerland candle-maker, joined his father-in-law's chocolate business. In 1867 he began experimenting with milk as an ingredient. He brought his new product, milk chocolate, to market in 1875. He was assisted in removing the water content from the milk to prevent mildewing by a neighbor, a baby food manufacturer named Henri Nestlé. Rudolph Lindt invented the process called ''conching'', which involves heating and grinding the chocolate solids to a very fine grain ensuring the liquid is evenly blended. ==Why chocolate tastes so good== Part of the enjoyability of the chocolate eating experience is ascribed to the fact that its melting point is slightly below human body temperature and so it melts in the mouth. Chocolate also releases serotonin in the brain which produces feelings of pleasure in a similar way to sunlight. Chocolate can also explain why the majority of the world's populus likes spicy foods: the way most people's bodies handle spicy foods is by releasing endorphins. ==Physiological effects of chocolate== ===Lethal toxicity for domesticated animals=== In sufficient amounts, the theobromine found in chocolate is toxic to animals such as horses, dogs, parrots, cats (kittens especially), and other birds and small animals because they are unable to metabolize the chemical effectively [http://www.avma.org/careforanimals/animatedjourneys/livingwithpets/poisoninfo.asp]. If they are fed chocolate, the theobromine will remain in their bloodstream for up to 20 hours, and these animals may experience epileptic seizures, Myocardial infarction, internal bleeding, and eventually death. Approximately 1.13 grams (0.04 ounces) of baker's chocolate per kilogram of a dog's body weight is sufficient to see symptoms of toxicity. Medical treatment involves inducing vomiting within two hours of ingestion, or contacting a veterinarian. Vets commonly treat seizure with diazepam or phenobarbitol, tremor with diazepam or methocarbamol, treat bradycardia with atropine, and treat tachyarrhythmia with propranolol, metoprolol or lidocaine. The LD-50 (Lethal Dose for 50% of a population) of theobromine in canines is 250mg to 500mg of theobromine per 1 kilogram of body weight [http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/210600.htm], although death has been documented at 115mg of theobromine per kilogram of body weight. A typical 20 kg dog will normally experience intestinal distress after eating less than 240 g of milk chocolate, and won't necessarily experience bradycardia or tachyarrythmia unless it eats at least a half a kilogram of milk chocolate. If it does not expel the chocolate from its system because of the fat and sugar content, then it would have a 50% chance of surviving after eating 5 kg of milk chocolate. Dark, sweet chocolate has about 50% more theobromine and thus is more dangerous to dogs. [[Image:Chocolate fountain.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Chocolate, with enough cocoa butter, flows over a chocolate fountain to serve fondue.]] ===Health benefits for humans=== Recent studies have shown that cocoa or dark chocolate has potent health benefits for people. Dark chocolate is full of the flavonoids epicatechin and gallic acid, which are antioxidants that help protect blood vessels, cardiac health, and prevent cancer. It also has been effectively demonstrated to counteract mild hypertension. In fact, dark chocolate has more flavonoids than any other antioxidant-rich food such as red wine, green and black tea, and blueberries. In fact there has even been a fad diet named "Chocolate diet" that emphasises eating chocolate & cocoa powder in capsules. However, consuming milk chocolate or white chocolate, or drinking milk with dark chocolate appears to largely negate the health benefits. Chocolate is also a calorie-rich food, with a high content of saturated fat, so daily intake of chocolate also requires reducing caloric intake of other foods. === Chocolate as a drug === Current research indicates that chocolate is a weak stimulant due to to its content of theobromine and caffeine.[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15549276] However, chocolate contains too little of these compounds for a reasonable serving to create effects in humans that are on par with a coffee buzz. In the apt words of the pharmacologist Ryan J. Huxtable, "... [chocolate is] more than a food but less than a drug". However, chocolate is a very potent stimulant for dogs and horses; its use is therefore banned in horse-racing. Some chocolate products contain added synthetic caffeine. Chocolate also contains small quantities of the endogenous cannabinoids anandamide and the cannabinoid breakdown inhibitors N-oleoylethanolamine and N-linolenoylethanolamine. Anandamides are produced naturally by the body, in such a way that their effects are extremely targeted (compared to the broad systemic effects of drugs like Tetrahydrocannabinol) and relatively short-lived. In experiments ''N''-oleoylethanolamine and ''N''-linolenoylethanolamine interfere with the body's natural mechanisms for breaking down endogenous cannabinoids, causing them to last longer. However, noticeable effects of chocolate related to this mechanism in human have not yet been demonstrated. ===Acne=== Although there is apparently no scientific basis for chocolate causing acne, many people find that the consumption of chocolate can result in an outbreak of acne even years after acne has ceased post-puberty. ==How chocolate is made== ===Harvesting=== Firstly, the cacao pods, containing cacao beans, are harvested. The pods are crushed and left to ferment for about six days, after which the beans are split from the pods and dried. Fine chocolate can be produced by drying the beans for about 7 days in the sun. Accelerated or artificial drying is quicker but produces inferior quality chocolate, such as that used in most mass produced products. The beans are then roasted, graded and ground. Cocoa butter is removed from the resulting chocolate liquor either by being pressed or by the Broma process. The residue is what is known as cocoa powder. ===Blending=== Chocolate liquor is blended with the butter in varying quantities to make different types of chocolate or couverture. The basic blends of ingredients, in order of highest quantity first, are as follows: # Plain dark chocolate: cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, sugar, and vanilla. # Milk chocolate: sugar, milk or milk powder, cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, and vanilla. # White chocolate: sugar, milk or milk powder, cocoa butter, and vanilla. Usually, an emulsifying agent such as soya lecithin is added, though a few manufacturers prefer to exclude this ingredient for purity reasons and to remain Genetically modified organism-free (soya is a heavily genetically modified crop), sometimes at the cost of a perfectly smooth texture. Different manufacturers develop their own 'signature' blends based on the above formulas but varying proportions of the different constituents used. The finest plain dark chocolate couvertures contain at least 70% cocoa (solids + butter), whereas milk chocolate usually contains up to 50%. High quality white chocolate couvertures contain only about 33% cocoa. Inferior and mass produced chocolate contains much less cocoa (as low as 7% in many cases) and fats other than cocoa butter. Some chocolate-makers opine that these "brand name" milk chocolate products can not be classed as couverture or even as chocolate, because of the low or virtually non-existent cocoa content. ===Conching=== :''See main article at Conching.'' The penultimate process is called ''conching''. A conche is a container filled with metal beads, which act as grinders. The refined and blended chocolate mass is kept liquid by frictional heat. The conching process produces cocoa and sugar particles smaller than the tongue can detect, hence the smooth feel in the mouth. The length of the conching process determines the final smoothness and quality of chocolate. High quality chocolate is conched for about 72 hrs, lesser grades about 4-6 hrs. After the process is complete, the chocolate mass is stored in tanks heated to approximately 45-50° C until final processing. ===Tempering=== The final process is called ''tempering''. Since cocoa butter exhibits a polymorphous or unstable crystal formation, the mass must be cooled very carefully to encourage the crystals to stabilise in the right order to produce the desired properties of snappy bite, tender melt and a good gloss in the finished product. This is achieved by the tempering process. Firstly, the mass is cooled in stages from about 45°C to about 27°C and rewarmed to about 37°C followed by cooling down to its solid state. The chocolate is then ready for sale as couverture (used for coating chocolates, biscuits and other coated products) or as the finished product, such as solid chocolate bars. ===Storing=== Chocolate is very sensitive to temperature and humidity. Ideal storage temperatures are between 15 to 17 celsius (59 to 63 Fahrenheit), with a relative humidity of less than 50%. Chocolate should be stored away from other foods as chocolates act as sponges to different aromas. Ideally, chocolates are packed or wrapped and then placed in proper storage areas with the correct humidity and temperatures. ==Chocolate in the media== * ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' (book, [http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0067992/ movie]) * ''Chocolat'' (book) * ''Chocolat (movie)'' ([http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0241303/ movie]) * ''The Poisoned Chocolates Case'' (book) * ''Like Water for Chocolate'' (book), ([http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0103994/ movie]) * ''La Ciocollata'' [http://www.restrainedtastes.com/tc/lc/index.htm] ==Significant chocolate makers== Popular or historically significant chocolate makers include: * Cadbury-Schweppes * Ghirardelli Chocolate Company * Godiva (chocolate maker) * Hershey's * Kraft Foods (Milka, Suchard, Toblerone, Côte d'Or (brand), and many others) * Lindt & Sprüngli (Sprüngli developed conching) * Mars Incorporated (M&M's, Dove (chocolate)) * Nestlé * Nestlé perugina (Perugina chocolate from Perugia in Italy, most famous for Bacci chocolates). * Orley Foods * Ritter Sport (German chocolate maker, famous for its square shaped bars and resealable packaging.) * Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker. * Valrhona * Whitman's * [http://www.barry-callebaut.com Barry-Callebaut](Worldwide largest chocolate producer) == See also == *Chocolate milk *Kinder Egg *Valentine's Day *Christmas *Easter *Cocoa *List of chocolate-related articles ==Further reading== * ''The True History of Chocolate'', by Sophie D. Coe & Michael D. Coe, Thames & Hudson, 1996. * ''Naked Chocolate'', by David Wolfe and Shazzie, Rawcreation, 2005. ==External links== * [http://www.xocoatl.org/ Xocoatl: All about Chocolate] * [http://www.chokladkultur.se/english.htm Chocolate Culture]: chocolate history, facts, statistics, recipes... * [http://www.finedarkchocolate.com/Chocolate_FAQ/Cacao.asp fine dark chocolate: Chocolate FAQ] * [http://www.exploratorium.edu/exploring/exploring_chocolate/ Exploring Chocolate], an Exploratorium article * [http://www.avma.org/careforanimals/animatedjourneys/livingwithpets/poisoninfo.asp#Misc3 Why chocolate is poisonous to dogs] from the American Veterinarian Medical Association * [http://www.completerecipes.com/chocolate1.htm Complete Recipes: Chocolate] * [http://www.domori.com/ Domori's site] contains a science/production section, and an attempt at a tasting guide. * [http://www.cooksrecipes.com/tips/chocolate-tips.html Chocolate Tips] from cooksrecipes.com. * [http://www.elook.org/recipes/dessert/chocolate1.html eLook Chocolate Recipes] - Contains a listing of over 1,700 recipes. * [http://my.webmd.com/content/article/73/81921.htm Dark Chocolate Is Healthy Chocolate] * [http://my.webmd.com/content/article/88/99702.htm A Dark Chocolate a Day Keeps the Doctor Away] * [http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Nov03/HotCocoa-Lee.bpf.html Cornell News on Cocoa] *[http://www.quakerparrots.com/qtips/chocolate_toxic.htm Chocolate toxicity in animals] *[http://www.chocolate.org Detailed drug information] *[http://www.nestleeuropeanchocolate.com/perugina/collection/about.asp Nestlé Perugina] Chocolate ga:Seacláid
There have been several Joseph Frys associated with chocolate, so it's easy to see how one could get mixed up. To the best of my knowledge Joseph Storrs Fry invented Fry's Cocoa, the famous brand of hot chocolate (though the drink had been around before that). It was his grandson, just "Joseph Fry", who invented bar chocolate. The younger Fry was on my list of people to write up, so let me advance him in the schedule and start some research. -- User:Paul Drye ---- In the Spanish missionary quote, "Chocolaté" is spelled with an accent on the final "e". It's not spelled this way in modern Spanish, and a simple Spanish rendering of the Indian word would certainly not have it. Is that exact from the source? --User:Lee Daniel Crocker A date on this source might be a good addition to the article also --rmhermen :I got the quote from the source listed at the bottom of the page. Sorry, I have no further information. The source says he lived in Peru in the last half of the 15th century, but how knows if he said that at age 98 back in Spain or something. ::Well, I can help you out a little there -- Jose de Acosta started living in Mexico in 1585, and died in 1600. Even better, assuming the quote is from the books he wrote, is that his books were all published between 1588 and 1590. -- User:Paul Drye :Hmmmm. And the Exploratorium says he lived in Peru. What is your source? And did he die in the Americas or return to Europe? --User:Dmerrill :Never mind. The Catholic Encyclopeda http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01108b.htm has the full story. --User:Dmerrill ---- "The first recorded shipment of chocolate to the new world for commercial purposes was in a shipment from Veracruz? to Seville? in 1585." To the new world? What's the source on this? Seville makes sense, it was a center of trade with the new world, and the early Spanish writers on chocolate (Hernandez, Barrios) were Sevillianos, but I'm having trouble finding accurate sources on when trade began. ---- I'm not sure I agree with Larry that the word "chocolate" usually refers to candy in English. All of the dictionaries I checked define the word as the ground paste, "...usually mixed with sugar..." or some words to that effect. Even if most of us mean that bar stuff when we use the word, terms like "unsweetened chococlate" or "baker's chocolate" and "milk chocolate" imply that the word itself does not imply that particular form, even in the minds of English speakers. I've also heard the unadorned term used to refer to the beverage many times, but to be honest, that may be a California thing (since we have a lot of Mexican culture here, and the word there almost always refers to the drink). --LDC ----- Well, I'm talking about English, not dictionaries of English. Dictionaries often list the original uses of a term first, just for clarity; but why does that mean we should list the relatively obscure origin of the term first? Why not save that for later? --User:LMS ---- I agree, the first-listed sense of a term in a dictionary is not always the popular one; but several of the dictionaries I looked at don't list "candy" as a sense ''at all'', first or otherwise. They say that chocolate is often sweetened to make candy, but they don't recognize that as a sense of the word. Most of them list the beverage as a sense, many of them list the color, many of them mention the specifically filled candies, and they ''all'' mention the ground bean paste. WWWebster is typical; it lists 4 senses: (1) the beverage, (2) "a food prepared from ground roasted cacao beans", (3) candies made with a filling and chocolate coating, and (4) the color. Now sense (3) is not the definition you are offering--it specifically refers to the things one gets in a box of "chocolates". What you are suggesting is that the edible sweetened stuff that coats them, and that is often sold as a candy by itself, is the primary sense. Maybe its an American/British thing, but that's not my impression, and that's not what the dictionaries I looked at imply. Yes, Americans do call that rectangular thing from Hershey's a "chocolate bar", but to my ears that's using "chocolate" as an adjective (which is another sense many dictionaries list) meaning "containing chocolate" (and sugar, and milk, ...). ---- However it does seem very odd to talk about chocolate as being ''candy''. Candy is almost pure sugar and slowly dissolves in your mouth whereas chocolate is mostly fat and quickly melts in your mouth. They are very different products -- User:Derek Ross ---- In Canadian and, I believe, British English, the unsweetened powder is "cocoa". Chocolate -- as a noun -- is the edible solid stuff. Some confusion arises because "Chocolate" is also used as an adjective, in which case it takes on wider meanings. -- User:Paul Drye As a Briton, I'd agree with Paul on that -- User:Derek Ross OK, I can see how chocolate might not be regarded as a candy, but it certainly is a kind of sweet. Anyway, in Russia, Germany, and the United States (the three countries where I've bought chocolate bars), my impression was certainly that "chocolate" (or the cognates) primarily referred to the sweet that goes into making a chocolate bar. --LMS ---- ---- Since this is a topic near and dear to my heart ''and'' since it's immediately after Christmas and I am just home from the office, I have numerous examples at hand for which I can examine the ingredients lists and descriptions. A Toblerone is described on the package as "Swiss Milk Chocolate with Honey and Almond Nougat". Take away the honey and nougat and you're left with the solid edible, and they're calling it "chocolate". Real chocolate ice cream topping from the local purveyor of fine foods; ingredients reads "sugar, cream, cocoa, etc." with nary a breath of "chocolate". I presume the cocoa refers to the unsweetened powder, as a tin of Fry's Cocoa *is* the dried poweder and lists only two ingredients: "cocoa, sodium bicarbonate". So it's not "chocolate" by their definition. There's also the interesting boundary case of the white chocolate buttons in my baking cupboard. While sorely lacking in cocoa, they're still called "chocolate" (though the ingredients listing feels in necessary to apologetically list what goes into the stuff in more detail). Solid and edible again (though only marginally the latter in my opinion). This is all intended more as evidence for further discussion than argument.-- User:Paul Drye ---- User:Daniel C. Boyer: Regarding chocolate coulage, please stop adding it to this page. The only net references to "chocolate coulage" all point to you. I don't think you can be objective about it. It is, at the very least, self-aggrandizing and indirect advertizing of your own artistic works. User:Daniel Quinlan 21:53 28 Jul 2003 (UTC) ---- Does this addition by User:Daniel C. Boyer really belong on this page? Searching for "heraldry chocolate" on Google only found a lot of novelty edible candy items and the Wikipedia heraldry page does not list every last color used in heraldry, :You really misunderstand heraldry, or at least you misunderstand what I am saying. "Chocolate" is not a heraldic colour; the shade in which a colour is depicted in heraldry is immaterial and just an artistic matter. "Chocolate" is the dark shade of gules in which heraldic artists usually painted gules in a particular period. --User:Daniel C. Boyer 14:52, 6 Aug 2003 (UTC) ::Because I didn't use precise terminology does not mean I really misunderstand heraldry. Fine, I should have said "shade of color" rather than "color". That only further indicates that this really belongs on the heraldry page. In addition to what I said before, I think the distinction between whether or not chocolate is a shade of gules or a color in its own right is confusing, especially as this isn't even explained on the heraldry page. Place it there. User:Daniel Quinlan 18:26, Aug 6, 2003 (UTC) just the major ones. I see no reason why it should be in this article. If anything, it should be on the heraldry page or a history of heraldry page. : Chocolate is a particular shade in which gules is painted in heraldry; it was fashionable to depict gules in coats-of-arms in this shade in the 17th century. It should be noted that in the science of armory it is not important in what particular shade a given colour or metal is painted. User:Daniel Quinlan 22:00, Aug 3, 2003 (UTC) == European rules == The "European rules" seem to be incorrect. It must be 35% (25%) ''cocoa liquor'' or perhaps even just ''cocoa''--I don't know which is right, and coudn't google out the regulations. I believe it cannot be "cocoa solids" (as it is now), because a 60%-cocoa dark chocolate would have much less solids than that (cocoa = solids+cocoa butter = 60%). --User:Glimz 05:00, Sep 16, 2004 (UTC) == Interesting article == Someone might have some use for this... : http://www.physorg.com/news1208.html This is some sort of scientific analysis of chocolate, but it's a bit beyond me.. User:Rhymeless 01:18, 18 Sep 2004 (UTC) == The picture == (User:William M. Connolley 19:02, 23 Sep 2004 (UTC)) Someone else may know better, but I don't think the piccy is a sculpture. Its a "fountain". == further reading == Further Reading: People (professionals, too) using chocolate in kitchen might find Christian Teubner's "Chocolate Bible" an extremely useful and pleasing working guide. == Tempering == The melting point of cocoa butter lies at about 33 degrees C. So, IMHO it cannot be correct that they reheat the melting to 37 degrees C in tempering process. At kitchen you always have some already hardened chocolate. You need not temper the melting if you just drop some hard pieces of chocolate into the melting whilst cooling down to somewhat below the melting point (32 degrees C) Then fish out the rests of the hard pieces and your melt will cristallize fastly and perfectly at room temperature. --User:62.253.148.52 01:41, 8 Nov 2004 (UTC) == Cadbury == I hope this doesn't sound too snobbish of me, but is it appropriate to refer to Cadbury candy as "chocolate"? One can't honestly call it ''real'' chocolate. It's like classifying McDonald's as food. It's simply not true. :) - User:Gilgamesh 13:23, 30 Nov 2004 (UTC) Candy is a US term only. Its chocolate everywhere else. Leave it as it is - they are the largest maker of chocolate in the UK and Ireland. User:Kiand 16:11, 30 Nov 2004 (UTC) They may be the largest buyer of cacao materials in the U.K. and Ireland, but that doesn't necessarily mean what they sell can be called "chocolate". :) The cocoa content is so ''low.'' It's more like lightly-cocoa-seasoned vegetable oil and chemicals. Maybe Cadbury, Hershey's, etc. can be called "pseudo-chocolate", perhaps? To call them simply "chocolate" is an incredible misstatement of what they actually are. No one in Germany, Belgium, France, Spain, etc. would tolerate such a definition. The continued dilution of cocoa content in American and British supposedly-"chocolate" confectionary is difficult to understand, as well as difficult to stomach. Cadbury doesn't seem anything like chocolate at all. And has anyone ever noticed how remarkably sour and digestion Hershey's is? - User:Gilgamesh 14:28, 5 Dec 2004 (UTC) Blasphemous as actually calling it chocolate it may be, I wouldn't try asking for "pseudo-chocolate" at my Cadbury-selling local filling station. Make a note about the poor quality (or rather quantity?) of the relevant ingredients in such mass-market brands, perhaps, but since this is the English Wikipedia and most of the buyers in English-speaking countries (well known for their impeccable good taste, of course) seem happy to think of it as chocolate, we're stuck using that term. User:Jiminy Krikkitt.User talk:Jiminy Krikkitt.
Greetings! I hope you like the place and decide to Wikipedia:wikipedians. If you haven't already done so, please carefully read the following pages: *Wikipedia:Welcome, newcomers *Wikipedia:How to edit a page *Wikipedia:Manual of Style *Wikipedia:Naming conventions
You can sign your name with~~~~ (or just ~~~ to leave out the date stamp). If you have questions or doubts of any sort first see the Wikipedia:Help, then do not hesitate to post them on the Village Pump and somebody will respond ASAP. Have fun! --User:Jiang 05:44, 19 Sep 2003 (UTC)
I was born and bred in Hong Kong. I started my part time study at The University of Hong Kong in Sept 2003. I love reading, dancing, singing and traveling.
Foods Fermented foods Confectionery
See other meanings of words starting from letter:
Words begining with Chocolate:
Chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate-chip_camouflage
Chocolate999
Chocolateboy
Chocolateboy
Chocolateboy/Current_events:Anthere
Chocolateboy/Current_events:Jtdirl
Chocolateboy/Dashes
Chocolateboy/Dashes
Chocolateboy/MadonnaFan
Chocolates
Chocolate_(color)
Chocolate_(disambiguation)
Chocolate_agar
Chocolate_And_Cheese
Chocolate_and_Cheese
Chocolate_Arion
Chocolate_arion
Chocolate_balls
Chocolate_bar
Chocolate_bar
Chocolate_bar
Chocolate_bar
Chocolate_bars
Chocolate_bars
Chocolate_brownie
Chocolate_brownies
Chocolate_chip
Chocolate_chip_camouflage
Chocolate_chip_cookie
Chocolate_chip_cookie
Chocolate_chip_cookies
Chocolate_creme_pie
Chocolate_Digestive
Chocolate_eclair
Chocolate_fish
Chocolate_fountain
Chocolate_fountain
Chocolate_Frog
Chocolate_Frog_(Harry_Potter)
Chocolate_Frog_(Harry_Potter)
Chocolate_Frosted_Sugar_Bombs
Chocolate_Hills
Chocolate_liquor
Chocolate_milk
Chocolate_milk
Chocolate_Mousse
Chocolate_mousse
Chocolate_mousse
Chocolate_muffin
Chocolate_Orange
Chocolate_orange
Chocolate_Protocol
Chocolate_pudding
Chocolate_Salty_Balls
Chocolate_Salty_Balls
Chocolate_Salty_Balls_(P.S._I_Love_You)
Chocolate_spread
Chocolate_Starfish_And_The_Hotdog_Flavored_Water
Chocolate_Starfish_And_The_Hotdog_Flavored_Water
Chocolate_Starfish_and_the_Hotdog_Flavored_Water
Chocolate_Starfish_and_the_Hotdog_Flavored_Water
Chocolate_Starfish_and_the_Hot_Dog_Flavored_Water
Chocolate_syrup
Chocolate_Watchband
Chocolate_with_Jacques_Torres
Chocolate_yule_log
Chocolate
Chocolate is a common ingredient in many kinds of sweets—one of the most popular in the world. Chocolate is made from the fermented, roasted and ground beans of the tropical cacao tree ''Theobroma cacao''. The beans come from a cacao pod. The resulting product is known as "chocolate", an intensely flavored Bitter (taste) food; this is the definition of chocolate used in many dictionaries. This product is defined as cocoa in many countries. In the North American chocolate industry, cocoa is defined as the solids of the cacao bean, cocoa butter is defined as the fat component, and chocolate is the combination of the solids and the fat. This is usually sweetened with sugar and other ingredients and made into chocolate bars (the substance of which is also and commonly referred to as ''chocolate''), or beverages (called ''cocoa'' or ''hot chocolate''). There are three types of cacao beans used in chocolates. The most prized, rare, and expensive is the Criollo, the bean of the Maya. Only 10% of chocolate is made from the Criollo, which is less bitter and more aromatic than any other bean. The cacao bean in 80% of chocolate is the Forastero. Forastero trees are significantly hardier than Criollo trees, resulting in cheaper cacao beans. Trinitario, a hybrid of Criollo and Forastero, is used in about 10% of chocolate. Chocolate, when not produced in "bars" or other geometric shapes, is often produced in the form of small molded forms (usually of animals or people), for example as rabbit- or Egg (food)-shaped chocolates, near Easter, and other shapes for Christmas, Saint Nicholas and Valentine's Day. Chocolate "kisses" or roses are other popular shapes. Additionally, chocolate is often the main ingredient, or a major ingredient, in ice cream, cookies, cake, pie, and other desserts. The word ''chocolate'' is of Nahuatl origin. ==Different kinds of chocolate== ===Classification=== Chocolate is an extremely popular ingredient, and is available in many types. Different forms and flavors of chocolate are produced by varying the amount of the ingredients. Other flavors can be obtained by varying the time and temperture when roasting the beans. *Chocolate liquor: is pure chocolate liquor, also known as bitter or baking chocolate. It's unadulterated chocolate: ground roasted chocolate beans with no other added ingredients imparts a strong, deep chocolate flavor in all the sweets you add it to. However, with the addition of sugar, it's used as the base for American style layer cakes, brownies, confections, and cookies. *Dark chocolate: chocolate without milk as an additive, sometimes called plain chocolate. The US Government calls this Sweet Chocolate, and requires a 15% concentration of chocolate liquor. European rules specify a minimum of 35% cocoa solids. *couverture: is a term used for cocoa butter rich chocolates of the highest quality. Popular brands of couverture used by professional pastry chefs and often sold in gourmet and specialty food stores include: Valrhona, Lindt, Cacao Barry and Esprit des Alpes. These chocolates contain a high percentage of chocolate liquor (sometimes more than 70 percent) as well as cocoa butter, at least 32-39%, are very fluid when melted and have an excellent flavor. In fact, chocolate of this quality is often compared to tasting fine wine because subtleties in taste are often apparent, especially when you taste a variety of semisweet and bittersweet couvertures with different percentages of sugar and chocolate liquor. *Milk chocolate: chocolate with milk powder or condensed milk added. The US Government requires a 10% concentration of chocolate liquor. European rules specify a minimum of 25% cocoa solids. *Semi-sweet chocolate: used for cooking purposes; a dark chocolate with lower sugar content. *Bittersweet chocolate: is chocolate liquor (or unsweetened chocolate) to which sugar, more cocoa butter, lecithin, and vanilla has been added. It has less sugar and more liquor than semisweet chocolate but the two are interchangeable in baking. The best quality bittersweet and semisweet chocolate is produced as couverture and many brands now print the percentage of chocolate liquor it contains on the package. The rule is the higher the percentage of liquor the more bittersweet the chocolate will be. Generally Europeans favor bittersweet chocolate and Americans opt for semisweet chocolate which has more sugar than bittersweet chocolate. *White chocolate: a confection based on cocoa butter without the cocoa solids. *Cocoa powder: there are two types of unsweetened baking cocoa available: natural cocoa (like the sort produced by Hershey's and Nestle) and Dutch-process cocoa (such as the Hershey's European Style Cocoa and the Droste brand). Both are made by pulverizing, partially defatted chocolate liquor (unsweetened chocolate) removing nearly all their cocoa butter. Natural cocoa is light in color and somewhat acidic with a strong chocolate flavor. In baking use natural cocoa in recipes which call for baking soda (because it's an alkali). Combining the two creates a leavening action that allows the batter to rise during baking. Dutch-process cocoa has been processed with alkali to neutralize its natural acidity so it's darker often with a reddish cast. Dutch cocoa is slightly milder in taste and deeper in color than natural cocoa. Use Dutch cocoa in recipes that call for baking powder as its leavener (raising agent). Flavors such as mint, orange (fruit), or strawberry are sometimes added to chocolate. A chocolate bar is a bar of chocolate, frequently containing added ingredients such as peanuts, nut (fruit)s, caramel, or even crisped rice. Other chocolates contain alcoholic liqueurs. It is a common snack all over the world. ===The definition of chocolate=== Strictly speaking, chocolate is any product 100% based on cocoa solid and/or cocoa fat. Because it is used in a vast number of by-products, any change in the cost of making it has a huge impact on the industry. Adding ingredients is an aspect of the taste. On the other hand, reducing cocoa solid content, or substituting cocoa fat with a non-cocoa one, reduces the cost of making it. There has been disagreement in the EU about the chocolate definition. * Some want to see the definition allowing for any cocoa solid content and any kind of fat in chocolate. This would allow a merely coloured and flavoured margarine to be sold as being chocolate. In some countries this happens, and a 50% to 60% cocoa solid dark-chocolate, with no additive, for domestic use, is hard to find and expensive. * Others want to stick to something closer to the strict definition above. ==The history of chocolate== The Aztecs associated chocolate with Xochiquetzal, the goddess of fertility. In the New World, chocolate was consumed in a drink called ''xocoatl'', often seasoned with vanilla, chilli pepper, achiote (which we know today as annatto) and pimento. Xocoatl was believed to fight fatigue, a belief that is probably attributable to the theobromine content. Chocolate was an important luxury good throughout Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, and cocoa beans were often used as currency. Other chocolate drinks combined it with such edibles as maize gruel and honey. The xocoatl was said to be an acquired taste. Jose de Acosta, a Spanish Jesuit missionary who lived in Peru and then Mexico in the later 16th century, wrote: :Loathsome to such as are not acquainted with it, having a scum or froth that is very unpleasant to taste. Yet it is a drink very much esteemed among the Indians, where with they feast noble men who pass through their country. The Spaniards, both men and women, that are accustomed to the country, are very greedy of this Chocolaté. They say they make diverse sorts of it, some hot, some cold, and some temperate, and put therein much of that "chili"; yea, they make paste thereof, the which they say is good for the stomach and against the catarrh. Christopher Columbus brought some cocoa beans to show Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, but it remained for Hernando_de_Soto_(explorer) to introduce it to Europe more broadly. The first recorded shipment of chocolate to the Old World for commercial purposes was in a shipment from Veracruz (city) to Seville in 1585. It was still served as a beverage, but the Europeans added sugar to counteract the natural bitterness, and removed the chili pepper. By the 17th century it was a luxury item among the European nobility. In 1828, Netherlands Conrad J. van Houten patented a method for extracting the fat from cocoa beans and making powdered cocoa and cocoa butter. Van Houten also developed the so-called Dutch process chocolate of treating chocolate with alkali to remove the bitter taste. This made it possible to form the modern chocolate bar. It is believed that the Englishman, Joseph Fry made the first chocolate for eating in 1847, followed shortly after by the Cadbury-Schweppes brothers. Daniel Peter, a Switzerland candle-maker, joined his father-in-law's chocolate business. In 1867 he began experimenting with milk as an ingredient. He brought his new product, milk chocolate, to market in 1875. He was assisted in removing the water content from the milk to prevent mildewing by a neighbor, a baby food manufacturer named Henri Nestlé. Rudolph Lindt invented the process called ''conching'', which involves heating and grinding the chocolate solids to a very fine grain ensuring the liquid is evenly blended. ==Why chocolate tastes so good== Part of the enjoyability of the chocolate eating experience is ascribed to the fact that its melting point is slightly below human body temperature and so it melts in the mouth. Chocolate also releases serotonin in the brain which produces feelings of pleasure in a similar way to sunlight. Chocolate can also explain why the majority of the world's populus likes spicy foods: the way most people's bodies handle spicy foods is by releasing endorphins. ==Physiological effects of chocolate== ===Lethal toxicity for domesticated animals=== In sufficient amounts, the theobromine found in chocolate is toxic to animals such as horses, dogs, parrots, cats (kittens especially), and other birds and small animals because they are unable to metabolize the chemical effectively [http://www.avma.org/careforanimals/animatedjourneys/livingwithpets/poisoninfo.asp]. If they are fed chocolate, the theobromine will remain in their bloodstream for up to 20 hours, and these animals may experience epileptic seizures, Myocardial infarction, internal bleeding, and eventually death. Approximately 1.13 grams (0.04 ounces) of baker's chocolate per kilogram of a dog's body weight is sufficient to see symptoms of toxicity. Medical treatment involves inducing vomiting within two hours of ingestion, or contacting a veterinarian. Vets commonly treat seizure with diazepam or phenobarbitol, tremor with diazepam or methocarbamol, treat bradycardia with atropine, and treat tachyarrhythmia with propranolol, metoprolol or lidocaine. The LD-50 (Lethal Dose for 50% of a population) of theobromine in canines is 250mg to 500mg of theobromine per 1 kilogram of body weight [http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/210600.htm], although death has been documented at 115mg of theobromine per kilogram of body weight. A typical 20 kg dog will normally experience intestinal distress after eating less than 240 g of milk chocolate, and won't necessarily experience bradycardia or tachyarrythmia unless it eats at least a half a kilogram of milk chocolate. If it does not expel the chocolate from its system because of the fat and sugar content, then it would have a 50% chance of surviving after eating 5 kg of milk chocolate. Dark, sweet chocolate has about 50% more theobromine and thus is more dangerous to dogs. [[Image:Chocolate fountain.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Chocolate, with enough cocoa butter, flows over a chocolate fountain to serve fondue.]] ===Health benefits for humans=== Recent studies have shown that cocoa or dark chocolate has potent health benefits for people. Dark chocolate is full of the flavonoids epicatechin and gallic acid, which are antioxidants that help protect blood vessels, cardiac health, and prevent cancer. It also has been effectively demonstrated to counteract mild hypertension. In fact, dark chocolate has more flavonoids than any other antioxidant-rich food such as red wine, green and black tea, and blueberries. In fact there has even been a fad diet named "Chocolate diet" that emphasises eating chocolate & cocoa powder in capsules. However, consuming milk chocolate or white chocolate, or drinking milk with dark chocolate appears to largely negate the health benefits. Chocolate is also a calorie-rich food, with a high content of saturated fat, so daily intake of chocolate also requires reducing caloric intake of other foods. === Chocolate as a drug === Current research indicates that chocolate is a weak stimulant due to to its content of theobromine and caffeine.[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15549276] However, chocolate contains too little of these compounds for a reasonable serving to create effects in humans that are on par with a coffee buzz. In the apt words of the pharmacologist Ryan J. Huxtable, "... [chocolate is] more than a food but less than a drug". However, chocolate is a very potent stimulant for dogs and horses; its use is therefore banned in horse-racing. Some chocolate products contain added synthetic caffeine. Chocolate also contains small quantities of the endogenous cannabinoids anandamide and the cannabinoid breakdown inhibitors N-oleoylethanolamine and N-linolenoylethanolamine. Anandamides are produced naturally by the body, in such a way that their effects are extremely targeted (compared to the broad systemic effects of drugs like Tetrahydrocannabinol) and relatively short-lived. In experiments ''N''-oleoylethanolamine and ''N''-linolenoylethanolamine interfere with the body's natural mechanisms for breaking down endogenous cannabinoids, causing them to last longer. However, noticeable effects of chocolate related to this mechanism in human have not yet been demonstrated. ===Acne=== Although there is apparently no scientific basis for chocolate causing acne, many people find that the consumption of chocolate can result in an outbreak of acne even years after acne has ceased post-puberty. ==How chocolate is made== ===Harvesting=== Firstly, the cacao pods, containing cacao beans, are harvested. The pods are crushed and left to ferment for about six days, after which the beans are split from the pods and dried. Fine chocolate can be produced by drying the beans for about 7 days in the sun. Accelerated or artificial drying is quicker but produces inferior quality chocolate, such as that used in most mass produced products. The beans are then roasted, graded and ground. Cocoa butter is removed from the resulting chocolate liquor either by being pressed or by the Broma process. The residue is what is known as cocoa powder. ===Blending=== Chocolate liquor is blended with the butter in varying quantities to make different types of chocolate or couverture. The basic blends of ingredients, in order of highest quantity first, are as follows: # Plain dark chocolate: cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, sugar, and vanilla. # Milk chocolate: sugar, milk or milk powder, cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, and vanilla. # White chocolate: sugar, milk or milk powder, cocoa butter, and vanilla. Usually, an emulsifying agent such as soya lecithin is added, though a few manufacturers prefer to exclude this ingredient for purity reasons and to remain Genetically modified organism-free (soya is a heavily genetically modified crop), sometimes at the cost of a perfectly smooth texture. Different manufacturers develop their own 'signature' blends based on the above formulas but varying proportions of the different constituents used. The finest plain dark chocolate couvertures contain at least 70% cocoa (solids + butter), whereas milk chocolate usually contains up to 50%. High quality white chocolate couvertures contain only about 33% cocoa. Inferior and mass produced chocolate contains much less cocoa (as low as 7% in many cases) and fats other than cocoa butter. Some chocolate-makers opine that these "brand name" milk chocolate products can not be classed as couverture or even as chocolate, because of the low or virtually non-existent cocoa content. ===Conching=== :''See main article at Conching.'' The penultimate process is called ''conching''. A conche is a container filled with metal beads, which act as grinders. The refined and blended chocolate mass is kept liquid by frictional heat. The conching process produces cocoa and sugar particles smaller than the tongue can detect, hence the smooth feel in the mouth. The length of the conching process determines the final smoothness and quality of chocolate. High quality chocolate is conched for about 72 hrs, lesser grades about 4-6 hrs. After the process is complete, the chocolate mass is stored in tanks heated to approximately 45-50° C until final processing. ===Tempering=== The final process is called ''tempering''. Since cocoa butter exhibits a polymorphous or unstable crystal formation, the mass must be cooled very carefully to encourage the crystals to stabilise in the right order to produce the desired properties of snappy bite, tender melt and a good gloss in the finished product. This is achieved by the tempering process. Firstly, the mass is cooled in stages from about 45°C to about 27°C and rewarmed to about 37°C followed by cooling down to its solid state. The chocolate is then ready for sale as couverture (used for coating chocolates, biscuits and other coated products) or as the finished product, such as solid chocolate bars. ===Storing=== Chocolate is very sensitive to temperature and humidity. Ideal storage temperatures are between 15 to 17 celsius (59 to 63 Fahrenheit), with a relative humidity of less than 50%. Chocolate should be stored away from other foods as chocolates act as sponges to different aromas. Ideally, chocolates are packed or wrapped and then placed in proper storage areas with the correct humidity and temperatures. ==Chocolate in the media== * ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' (book, [http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0067992/ movie]) * ''Chocolat'' (book) * ''Chocolat (movie)'' ([http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0241303/ movie]) * ''The Poisoned Chocolates Case'' (book) * ''Like Water for Chocolate'' (book), ([http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0103994/ movie]) * ''La Ciocollata'' [http://www.restrainedtastes.com/tc/lc/index.htm] ==Significant chocolate makers== Popular or historically significant chocolate makers include: * Cadbury-Schweppes * Ghirardelli Chocolate Company * Godiva (chocolate maker) * Hershey's * Kraft Foods (Milka, Suchard, Toblerone, Côte d'Or (brand), and many others) * Lindt & Sprüngli (Sprüngli developed conching) * Mars Incorporated (M&M's, Dove (chocolate)) * Nestlé * Nestlé perugina (Perugina chocolate from Perugia in Italy, most famous for Bacci chocolates). * Orley Foods * Ritter Sport (German chocolate maker, famous for its square shaped bars and resealable packaging.) * Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker. * Valrhona * Whitman's * [http://www.barry-callebaut.com Barry-Callebaut](Worldwide largest chocolate producer) == See also == *Chocolate milk *Kinder Egg *Valentine's Day *Christmas *Easter *Cocoa *List of chocolate-related articles ==Further reading== * ''The True History of Chocolate'', by Sophie D. Coe & Michael D. Coe, Thames & Hudson, 1996. * ''Naked Chocolate'', by David Wolfe and Shazzie, Rawcreation, 2005. ==External links== * [http://www.xocoatl.org/ Xocoatl: All about Chocolate] * [http://www.chokladkultur.se/english.htm Chocolate Culture]: chocolate history, facts, statistics, recipes... * [http://www.finedarkchocolate.com/Chocolate_FAQ/Cacao.asp fine dark chocolate: Chocolate FAQ] * [http://www.exploratorium.edu/exploring/exploring_chocolate/ Exploring Chocolate], an Exploratorium article * [http://www.avma.org/careforanimals/animatedjourneys/livingwithpets/poisoninfo.asp#Misc3 Why chocolate is poisonous to dogs] from the American Veterinarian Medical Association * [http://www.completerecipes.com/chocolate1.htm Complete Recipes: Chocolate] * [http://www.domori.com/ Domori's site] contains a science/production section, and an attempt at a tasting guide. * [http://www.cooksrecipes.com/tips/chocolate-tips.html Chocolate Tips] from cooksrecipes.com. * [http://www.elook.org/recipes/dessert/chocolate1.html eLook Chocolate Recipes] - Contains a listing of over 1,700 recipes. * [http://my.webmd.com/content/article/73/81921.htm Dark Chocolate Is Healthy Chocolate] * [http://my.webmd.com/content/article/88/99702.htm A Dark Chocolate a Day Keeps the Doctor Away] * [http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Nov03/HotCocoa-Lee.bpf.html Cornell News on Cocoa] *[http://www.quakerparrots.com/qtips/chocolate_toxic.htm Chocolate toxicity in animals] *[http://www.chocolate.org Detailed drug information] *[http://www.nestleeuropeanchocolate.com/perugina/collection/about.asp Nestlé Perugina] Chocolate ga:Seacláid
Chocolate
There have been several Joseph Frys associated with chocolate, so it's easy to see how one could get mixed up. To the best of my knowledge Joseph Storrs Fry invented Fry's Cocoa, the famous brand of hot chocolate (though the drink had been around before that). It was his grandson, just "Joseph Fry", who invented bar chocolate. The younger Fry was on my list of people to write up, so let me advance him in the schedule and start some research. -- User:Paul Drye ---- In the Spanish missionary quote, "Chocolaté" is spelled with an accent on the final "e". It's not spelled this way in modern Spanish, and a simple Spanish rendering of the Indian word would certainly not have it. Is that exact from the source? --User:Lee Daniel Crocker A date on this source might be a good addition to the article also --rmhermen :I got the quote from the source listed at the bottom of the page. Sorry, I have no further information. The source says he lived in Peru in the last half of the 15th century, but how knows if he said that at age 98 back in Spain or something. ::Well, I can help you out a little there -- Jose de Acosta started living in Mexico in 1585, and died in 1600. Even better, assuming the quote is from the books he wrote, is that his books were all published between 1588 and 1590. -- User:Paul Drye :Hmmmm. And the Exploratorium says he lived in Peru. What is your source? And did he die in the Americas or return to Europe? --User:Dmerrill :Never mind. The Catholic Encyclopeda http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01108b.htm has the full story. --User:Dmerrill ---- "The first recorded shipment of chocolate to the new world for commercial purposes was in a shipment from Veracruz? to Seville? in 1585." To the new world? What's the source on this? Seville makes sense, it was a center of trade with the new world, and the early Spanish writers on chocolate (Hernandez, Barrios) were Sevillianos, but I'm having trouble finding accurate sources on when trade began. ---- I'm not sure I agree with Larry that the word "chocolate" usually refers to candy in English. All of the dictionaries I checked define the word as the ground paste, "...usually mixed with sugar..." or some words to that effect. Even if most of us mean that bar stuff when we use the word, terms like "unsweetened chococlate" or "baker's chocolate" and "milk chocolate" imply that the word itself does not imply that particular form, even in the minds of English speakers. I've also heard the unadorned term used to refer to the beverage many times, but to be honest, that may be a California thing (since we have a lot of Mexican culture here, and the word there almost always refers to the drink). --LDC ----- Well, I'm talking about English, not dictionaries of English. Dictionaries often list the original uses of a term first, just for clarity; but why does that mean we should list the relatively obscure origin of the term first? Why not save that for later? --User:LMS ---- I agree, the first-listed sense of a term in a dictionary is not always the popular one; but several of the dictionaries I looked at don't list "candy" as a sense ''at all'', first or otherwise. They say that chocolate is often sweetened to make candy, but they don't recognize that as a sense of the word. Most of them list the beverage as a sense, many of them list the color, many of them mention the specifically filled candies, and they ''all'' mention the ground bean paste. WWWebster is typical; it lists 4 senses: (1) the beverage, (2) "a food prepared from ground roasted cacao beans", (3) candies made with a filling and chocolate coating, and (4) the color. Now sense (3) is not the definition you are offering--it specifically refers to the things one gets in a box of "chocolates". What you are suggesting is that the edible sweetened stuff that coats them, and that is often sold as a candy by itself, is the primary sense. Maybe its an American/British thing, but that's not my impression, and that's not what the dictionaries I looked at imply. Yes, Americans do call that rectangular thing from Hershey's a "chocolate bar", but to my ears that's using "chocolate" as an adjective (which is another sense many dictionaries list) meaning "containing chocolate" (and sugar, and milk, ...). ---- However it does seem very odd to talk about chocolate as being ''candy''. Candy is almost pure sugar and slowly dissolves in your mouth whereas chocolate is mostly fat and quickly melts in your mouth. They are very different products -- User:Derek Ross ---- In Canadian and, I believe, British English, the unsweetened powder is "cocoa". Chocolate -- as a noun -- is the edible solid stuff. Some confusion arises because "Chocolate" is also used as an adjective, in which case it takes on wider meanings. -- User:Paul Drye As a Briton, I'd agree with Paul on that -- User:Derek Ross OK, I can see how chocolate might not be regarded as a candy, but it certainly is a kind of sweet. Anyway, in Russia, Germany, and the United States (the three countries where I've bought chocolate bars), my impression was certainly that "chocolate" (or the cognates) primarily referred to the sweet that goes into making a chocolate bar. --LMS ---- ---- Since this is a topic near and dear to my heart ''and'' since it's immediately after Christmas and I am just home from the office, I have numerous examples at hand for which I can examine the ingredients lists and descriptions. A Toblerone is described on the package as "Swiss Milk Chocolate with Honey and Almond Nougat". Take away the honey and nougat and you're left with the solid edible, and they're calling it "chocolate". Real chocolate ice cream topping from the local purveyor of fine foods; ingredients reads "sugar, cream, cocoa, etc." with nary a breath of "chocolate". I presume the cocoa refers to the unsweetened powder, as a tin of Fry's Cocoa *is* the dried poweder and lists only two ingredients: "cocoa, sodium bicarbonate". So it's not "chocolate" by their definition. There's also the interesting boundary case of the white chocolate buttons in my baking cupboard. While sorely lacking in cocoa, they're still called "chocolate" (though the ingredients listing feels in necessary to apologetically list what goes into the stuff in more detail). Solid and edible again (though only marginally the latter in my opinion). This is all intended more as evidence for further discussion than argument.-- User:Paul Drye ---- User:Daniel C. Boyer: Regarding chocolate coulage, please stop adding it to this page. The only net references to "chocolate coulage" all point to you. I don't think you can be objective about it. It is, at the very least, self-aggrandizing and indirect advertizing of your own artistic works. User:Daniel Quinlan 21:53 28 Jul 2003 (UTC) ---- Does this addition by User:Daniel C. Boyer really belong on this page? Searching for "heraldry chocolate" on Google only found a lot of novelty edible candy items and the Wikipedia heraldry page does not list every last color used in heraldry, :You really misunderstand heraldry, or at least you misunderstand what I am saying. "Chocolate" is not a heraldic colour; the shade in which a colour is depicted in heraldry is immaterial and just an artistic matter. "Chocolate" is the dark shade of gules in which heraldic artists usually painted gules in a particular period. --User:Daniel C. Boyer 14:52, 6 Aug 2003 (UTC) ::Because I didn't use precise terminology does not mean I really misunderstand heraldry. Fine, I should have said "shade of color" rather than "color". That only further indicates that this really belongs on the heraldry page. In addition to what I said before, I think the distinction between whether or not chocolate is a shade of gules or a color in its own right is confusing, especially as this isn't even explained on the heraldry page. Place it there. User:Daniel Quinlan 18:26, Aug 6, 2003 (UTC) just the major ones. I see no reason why it should be in this article. If anything, it should be on the heraldry page or a history of heraldry page. : Chocolate is a particular shade in which gules is painted in heraldry; it was fashionable to depict gules in coats-of-arms in this shade in the 17th century. It should be noted that in the science of armory it is not important in what particular shade a given colour or metal is painted. User:Daniel Quinlan 22:00, Aug 3, 2003 (UTC) == European rules == The "European rules" seem to be incorrect. It must be 35% (25%) ''cocoa liquor'' or perhaps even just ''cocoa''--I don't know which is right, and coudn't google out the regulations. I believe it cannot be "cocoa solids" (as it is now), because a 60%-cocoa dark chocolate would have much less solids than that (cocoa = solids+cocoa butter = 60%). --User:Glimz 05:00, Sep 16, 2004 (UTC) == Interesting article == Someone might have some use for this... : http://www.physorg.com/news1208.html This is some sort of scientific analysis of chocolate, but it's a bit beyond me.. User:Rhymeless 01:18, 18 Sep 2004 (UTC) == The picture == (User:William M. Connolley 19:02, 23 Sep 2004 (UTC)) Someone else may know better, but I don't think the piccy is a sculpture. Its a "fountain". == further reading == Further Reading: People (professionals, too) using chocolate in kitchen might find Christian Teubner's "Chocolate Bible" an extremely useful and pleasing working guide. == Tempering == The melting point of cocoa butter lies at about 33 degrees C. So, IMHO it cannot be correct that they reheat the melting to 37 degrees C in tempering process. At kitchen you always have some already hardened chocolate. You need not temper the melting if you just drop some hard pieces of chocolate into the melting whilst cooling down to somewhat below the melting point (32 degrees C) Then fish out the rests of the hard pieces and your melt will cristallize fastly and perfectly at room temperature. --User:62.253.148.52 01:41, 8 Nov 2004 (UTC) == Cadbury == I hope this doesn't sound too snobbish of me, but is it appropriate to refer to Cadbury candy as "chocolate"? One can't honestly call it ''real'' chocolate. It's like classifying McDonald's as food. It's simply not true. :) - User:Gilgamesh 13:23, 30 Nov 2004 (UTC) Candy is a US term only. Its chocolate everywhere else. Leave it as it is - they are the largest maker of chocolate in the UK and Ireland. User:Kiand 16:11, 30 Nov 2004 (UTC) They may be the largest buyer of cacao materials in the U.K. and Ireland, but that doesn't necessarily mean what they sell can be called "chocolate". :) The cocoa content is so ''low.'' It's more like lightly-cocoa-seasoned vegetable oil and chemicals. Maybe Cadbury, Hershey's, etc. can be called "pseudo-chocolate", perhaps? To call them simply "chocolate" is an incredible misstatement of what they actually are. No one in Germany, Belgium, France, Spain, etc. would tolerate such a definition. The continued dilution of cocoa content in American and British supposedly-"chocolate" confectionary is difficult to understand, as well as difficult to stomach. Cadbury doesn't seem anything like chocolate at all. And has anyone ever noticed how remarkably sour and digestion Hershey's is? - User:Gilgamesh 14:28, 5 Dec 2004 (UTC) Blasphemous as actually calling it chocolate it may be, I wouldn't try asking for "pseudo-chocolate" at my Cadbury-selling local filling station. Make a note about the poor quality (or rather quantity?) of the relevant ingredients in such mass-market brands, perhaps, but since this is the English Wikipedia and most of the buyers in English-speaking countries (well known for their impeccable good taste, of course) seem happy to think of it as chocolate, we're stuck using that term. User:Jiminy Krikkitt.User talk:Jiminy Krikkitt.
Chocolate
Greetings! I hope you like the place and decide to Wikipedia:wikipedians. If you haven't already done so, please carefully read the following pages: *Wikipedia:Welcome, newcomers *Wikipedia:How to edit a page *Wikipedia:Manual of Style *Wikipedia:Naming conventions
You can sign your name with
Chocolate
I was born and bred in Hong Kong. I started my part time study at The University of Hong Kong in Sept 2003. I love reading, dancing, singing and traveling.
Chocolate
Foods Fermented foods Confectionery
See other meanings of words starting from letter:
C
CA | CB | CD | CE | CF | CG | CH | CI | CJ | CK | CL | CM | CN | CO | CP | CR | CS | CT | CU | CW | CX | CY | CZ |Words begining with Chocolate:
Chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate-chip_camouflage
Chocolate999
Chocolateboy
Chocolateboy
Chocolateboy/Current_events:Anthere
Chocolateboy/Current_events:Jtdirl
Chocolateboy/Dashes
Chocolateboy/Dashes
Chocolateboy/MadonnaFan
Chocolates
Chocolate_(color)
Chocolate_(disambiguation)
Chocolate_agar
Chocolate_And_Cheese
Chocolate_and_Cheese
Chocolate_Arion
Chocolate_arion
Chocolate_balls
Chocolate_bar
Chocolate_bar
Chocolate_bar
Chocolate_bar
Chocolate_bars
Chocolate_bars
Chocolate_brownie
Chocolate_brownies
Chocolate_chip
Chocolate_chip_camouflage
Chocolate_chip_cookie
Chocolate_chip_cookie
Chocolate_chip_cookies
Chocolate_creme_pie
Chocolate_Digestive
Chocolate_eclair
Chocolate_fish
Chocolate_fountain
Chocolate_fountain
Chocolate_Frog
Chocolate_Frog_(Harry_Potter)
Chocolate_Frog_(Harry_Potter)
Chocolate_Frosted_Sugar_Bombs
Chocolate_Hills
Chocolate_liquor
Chocolate_milk
Chocolate_milk
Chocolate_Mousse
Chocolate_mousse
Chocolate_mousse
Chocolate_muffin
Chocolate_Orange
Chocolate_orange
Chocolate_Protocol
Chocolate_pudding
Chocolate_Salty_Balls
Chocolate_Salty_Balls
Chocolate_Salty_Balls_(P.S._I_Love_You)
Chocolate_spread
Chocolate_Starfish_And_The_Hotdog_Flavored_Water
Chocolate_Starfish_And_The_Hotdog_Flavored_Water
Chocolate_Starfish_and_the_Hotdog_Flavored_Water
Chocolate_Starfish_and_the_Hotdog_Flavored_Water
Chocolate_Starfish_and_the_Hot_Dog_Flavored_Water
Chocolate_syrup
Chocolate_Watchband
Chocolate_with_Jacques_Torres
Chocolate_yule_log
Sponsored links: praca, nurkowanie.
These materials are based on Wikipedia and licensed under the GNU FDL
YouTube.com videos better site than Turbo Tax 2007
