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Did you know this about Chocolate?

Cocoa is the solids of the cacao bean.

Cocoa butter is the fat component and Chocolate is a combination of the solids, the fat and sugar.

 

65% of the world cocoa are produced in Western Africa, with 40% from Côte d'Ivoire alone.

 

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Cocoa is the dried and partially fermented fatty seed of the cacao tree 

 

Cacao is a 4–8 m tall evergreen tree in the family Sterculiaceae. Its seeds are used to make cocoa and chocolate.

 

Producers - 2004 (million metric ton)  

Côte d'Ivoire 1,33

Ghana 0,74 

Indonesia 0,43

Nigeria 0,37 

Brazil 0,17

Cambodia 0,13

Ecuador 0,09

Short History of Chocolate

Aztec Indian legend held that cacao seeds had been brought from Paradise and that wisdom and power came from eating the fruit of the cacao tree.

 

Because of a spelling error, probably by English traders long ago, the cacao beans became know as the cocoa beans. 

 

The Spanish general, Hernando Cortes, landed in Mexico in 1519. The Aztecs believed he was the reincarnation of one of their lost gods. They honored him by serving him an unusual drink, presented in a cup of pure gold. This unusual drink was called "chocolatl" by the Aztecs.  When Cortes returned to Spain, he took the cocoa bean with him and there is was mixed with sugar and vanilla. this sweet drink became fashionable and soon there were chocolate houses in all the capitals of Europe. 

 

A delicate tree, cacao is only grown in rain forests in the tropics, usually on large plantations, where it must be protected from wind and intense sunlight. The tree is harvested twice a year. 

 

Milk chocolate was invented in 1876 by a Swiss chocolatier, Daniel Peter (1836-1919) of Vevey, Geneva. Daniel Peter successfully combined chocolate with powdered milk to produce the first milk chocolate. Chocolate was introduced to the United States in 1765 when John Hanan brought cocoa beans from the West Indies into Dorchester, Massachusetts, to refine them with the help of Dr. James Baker.

Long history click here

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Did you know that The Netherlands processes more cocoa than USA?

 

Processing countries (1000 ton per year)

Netherlands 418

USA 393

Côte d’Ivoire 290

Germany 195

Brazil 173

The rest of the world 1000

 

 

 

 

Theobromine which is the active substance in Cocoa is a stimulant frequently confused with caffeine. Theobromine has very different effects on the human body from caffeine; it is a mild, lasting stimulant with a mood improving effect, whereas caffeine has a strong, immediate effect and increases awareness.

Did you know that the Swiss eat most chocolate per person in Europe?

 

Consumtion  kg per person and year

Schweiz    10 

Österreich  9

Éire             9 

United Kingdom 8 

Norge         8 

Danmark    8

Deutschland 8 

Sverige       7

België         7

USA            5 

Suomi        5 

France        5

Nederland  5

 

If you've been to a  "Konditorei" in Austria or Schweiz  you surely believe in those figures.

 

I here use the local spelling of the country name. I like to do that sometimes.

 

Cocoa grows on trees that the Swedish  botanist,

Carl vonLinné, named 'Theobroma Cacao'.

It means 'Food of  the Gods'.

Nutella is the brand-name of a chocolate and hazelnut spread created in the 1940s by the Italian company, Ferrero. Nutella is used as a spread on sandwiches

Name for coffee in different countries:

 

Arabic Countries Kahwa

China Kafei

Denmark Kaffe

Finland Kahvi

France Cafe

Germany Kaffee

Greek Kafes

Hawaii Kope

Holland Koffie

Hungary Kave

Indonesia Kopi

Iran Gehve

Iraq Qahwa

Israel Kave

Italy Coffea

Japan Koohii

Kenya Kalawa

Laos Kafe

Lebanon Qahwa

Norway Kaffee

Philippines Kape

Poland Kawa ´

Sweden Kaffe

Slovakia Kava

Spain Kafe

Thailand Gafae

 

Ethopia Buna ??
COMMENTS
TamnJam said at 8:20 a.m. on Nov 7, 2006:
yummy yummy....
Mthorne said at 8:59 a.m. on Nov 7, 2006:
mmmmm chocolate. mmmm Nutella!
Efarfan said at 9:29 a.m. on Nov 7, 2006:
very interesting facts
Pkeener said at 9:35 a.m. on Nov 7, 2006:
OK Ake, now you have Tabblo'd 2 of my favourite thing...coffee and chocolate! What's next? You devil, you! Thank you!!
Eduardo.affonso said at 10:00 a.m. on Nov 7, 2006:
Interesting. You forgot to mention that the word "café" (used in many countries to name little bars where one can have a cup of coffee) derives from Portuguese word "café" (which means coffee). Brazil is one of the most important coffee producers (it was, for a long time, our main product for export). I'm a coffee addicted myself. Telling about chocolate, I highly recommend two movies: "Chocolate" (directed by Lasse Hallström and starred by gorgeous, great, wonderful, awesome, terrific Juliette Binoche) and "Like Water for Chocolate" (directed by Alfonso Arau).
Jillcdunn said at 10:30 a.m. on Nov 7, 2006:
Mmmmm. Chocolate. *drooling* Great job Ake. Another very interesting tabblo!!
Pkeener said at 12:27 p.m. on Nov 7, 2006:
Adding to Eduardo's comment...Like Water for Chocolate is based on the fine novel titled the same, by Laura Esquivel. I highly recommend it, if you can tear yourselves away from Tabbloing long enough to read!!
Akeke said at 12:34 p.m. on Nov 7, 2006:
Thank you for the tip Pamela, but ... you know ... gotta tabbloo (is that the verb for doing tabblos??) :-)))
DEE-Trow said at 1:33 p.m. on Nov 7, 2006:
Thanks for all the great facts about chocolate. Unitl now all I knew was that I love it! What a cool idea for a tabblo. Chocolate and tabblo, is there a better combination? I don't think so!
Trekki said at 2:29 p.m. on Nov 7, 2006:
???? is Russian :-) Ah yes, please, another picture of the Chocolat movie :-) And do you know how cruel this Tabblo is ?? Haha, I know a certain someone who will just glue to the screen when seeing "Nutella" :-))
Trekki said at 2:29 p.m. on Nov 7, 2006:
Oh, I forgot - I adore the marsipan pig !!! I could almost bite in the screen :-)
Siagian said at 10:20 p.m. on Nov 8, 2006:
our house always has a jar of nutella around! i am particularly fond of dark chocolate...*drooling at screen*
Chingyo said at 5:15 p.m. on Nov 9, 2006:
Pure joy!!!
Marco_Andres said at 5:27 p.m. on Nov 11, 2006:
What a great idea for a tabblo!
Thebeautifullife said at 12:31 p.m. on Nov 22, 2006:
great! Milk chocolate was invented in 1876 by a Swiss chocolatier, Daniel Peter (1836-1919) of Vevey, Geneva. ....DANIEL PETER...I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MILK CHOCOLATE..............
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