All around the world, people love chocolate. Many people have craving for chocolate. Valentine’s Day or not! The story of chocolate and its history are very interesting.
Although they are so dear and prevalent in people’s daily lives, many people really don’t know much about where chocolate came from. I have 5 big questions to ask about chocolate and its history and where it came from.
[1] Why chocolate is expensive and considered to be delicacy?
- Aztec called cacao the fruits of God.
Cocao Tree
- Cacao trees called Theobroma Cacao that chocolates come from do not grow in America.
- They grow on remote, small farms on tropical regions in West Africa, South East Asia, Central and South America.
- The cacao plant can only be grown in latitudes within 10 degrees of the equator.
- Farmers have to highly trained.
- Each fruit is harvested by hands using a hand picker with long wooden handles.
- Cacao beans are scraped out and fermented and dried.
- When they are dried, going through these processes, they are called ‘cocoa.’
- Cacao farmers (largely in developing nations) lack incentives to re-plant their trees as they die off.
In 20 years, some scientists predict that chocolate will be a rare delicacy.
[2] Do you know about an organic cacao farm in Peru?
You may have heard of ‘Fair Trade.’
It is an organized social movement.
Its aim is to help local farmers in developing countries to get higher payments and achieve better trading conditions.
It also promotes sustainable agriculture…
Supporting the area’s economy
passing down the farming methods.
Seek after organically grown chocolate.
[3] Is Cacao or chocolate healthy?
- It is aphrodisiac and contains phenylethylamine, levels of which in the brain have been linked to falling in love.
Aztecs believed it to be a source of spiritual wisdom, energy and higher sexual prowess.
- Antioxidant
- Fibers
- Magnesium
- Essential minerals
[4] Do You know how chocolate sailed across the ocean?
via Wikipedia
- Christopher Columbus enjoyed the chocolate he discovered in the Americas. So, he brought it back as a tribute to Queen Isabella of Spain.
- Became popular across the aristocracy of Europe.
- By the 1800’s sold to ‘regular’ (non-aristocrats) people.
- In 1861 Richard Cadbury in England created the first ever heart shaped box for Valentine’s Day.
This is how chocolate gifts began on Valentine’s day.
5. In USA, do you know the story of Hershey’s Kiss?
- Hershey Kiss is more than 100 years old, first introduced in 1907.
- Milton Hershey was a candy tycoon, very sharp and innovative.
- The Hershey’s Kiss beat its competitor to rise on top.
- [A] Because Hershey streamlined the process with a machine that formed the right shape automatically with a nozzle, plopping Kiss after Kiss onto a cooled conveyor belt for speedy delivery down the assembly line.
- [B] Wrapped each ‘sweet Kiss’ so sweet lovers can carry them around.
Hershey Kiss Mass Production - Till mass production was invented, each Kiss was hand wrapped by the Hershey workers.
- Last year they were the second most popular packaged candy for Valentine’s Day
8,000,000 lbs. of Kisses (750 million individual Kisses.) - A recent survey shows that men buy 75 % of Valentine chocolates and mostly send or bring home.
Is this peacemaking? Or passion re-creation?
When was the last time you went on a family vacation or traveled to some exotic places without negotiating with your work schedule or your bank account? If Hershey’s Kisses won over more than 100 years ago because of automation, perhaps today people can find a way to automate and become free in this new era of Internet. With this simple automated system, tens of thousands of people have achieve their financial freedom.
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References:
IN TWENTY YEARS CHOCOLATE WILL BE A RARE DELICACY
Why Chocolate? And Other Valentine’s Day Questions
How the Hershey’s Kiss Conquered Valentine’s Day
Are You Getting Conned By Cheap & Toxic Chocolate?