Q: Why is chocolate possibly good for you?
A: Because the potential benefits of eating chocolate may include: lowering cholesterol levels, preventing cognitive decline and reducing the risk of cardiovascular problems
Q: What is the most popular bar of chocolate in the United States/Britain?
A: The most popular chocolate in he United States/Britain is Snickers.
Q: When was chocolate first sold in solid form?
A: Reference data indicate that in 1647 the English proposed the consumption of 'solid chocolate fingers as a new Spanish fashion'. In this context, the term 'Spanish' suggests that these products could have already been available in Spain. This fact was soon followed by the production of chocolate in other forms of presentation, such as, for example, chocolate bars. On the other hand, in the Netherlands, Coenraad Johannes van Houten patented in 1828 a method to achieve the separation of the largest amount of fat from the cocoa mass, making possible the production of butter and cocoa powder. Likewise, he also devised a method to improve taste and color during the manufacturing process through alkalization. Since then, the availability of cocoa butter led to the manufacture of chocolate, as it is known to this day.The English company Fry is commonly recognized and accredited as the factory producing the first edible chocolate, which was made in 1847 from the mixture of cocoa powder, cocoa butter and sugar. The product thus obtained was sold under the name "chocolat delicieux a manger". Two years later, the company Cadbury Brothers was selling a similar product. On the other hand, the first milk chocolate was produced in Switzerland in 1875 by Daniel Peter, who worked in collaboration with Henri Nestlé, using Nestlé condensed milk.
Q:In Europe was chocolate first popular as a drink or a food?
A: In Europe, chocolate was first popular as a drink. The chocolate remained in a liquid state, as a drink, until well into the nineteenth century. Specifically in 1828, when the hydraulic press was used in the extraction of cocoa butter. The subsequent technical discoveries, made in Europe, in order to improve both its handling and its elaboration, and the best knowledge about the composition of chocolate, managed to modify its initial appearance of drink. It is at the end of the XIX century, and beginning of the XX, when the first elaborations of solid chocolate: chocolate, pralines, chocolate bars, etc. emerge as a novelty.
Q: Is chocolate really addictive?
A: Chocolate is not addictive. Chocolate contains several biologically active ingredients, all of which can cause abnormal behaviors and psychological sensations like those of other addictive substances. Researchers at the University of Tampere in Finland found that self-proclaimed chocolate “addicts” salivated more in the presence of chocolate, and showed a more negative mood and higher anxiety. The researchers state that chocolate addicts show traits of regular addiction, because they exhibit craving for chocolate, irregular eating behavior, and abnormal moods.
Although there are similarities between eating chocolate and drug use, generally researchers believe that chocolate “addiction” is not a true addiction. While chocolate does contain potentially mood-altering substances, these are all found in higher concentrations in other less appealing foods such as broccoli. A combination of chocolate’s sensory characteristics — sweetness, texture and aroma — nutrients, and chemicals, together with hormonal and mood swings, largely explains chocolate cravings.
Chocolate is seen as “naughty but nice” — tasty, but something which should be resisted. This suggests that the desire is more likely a cultural phenomenon than a physical one. The inability to control eating may be a result of inborn traits and today’s environment.