Chocolate Secrets: Fun Facts About Everyone’s Favorite Treat

1.Chocolate was first invented in South America, where native people ground cacao seeds to make a bitter drink. They called it xocolatl and flavored it with chili. Spanish conquerors brought the beans to Europe, and with the addition of sugar (and sometimes salt), chocolate became the sweet treat we know today.

2.A cacao tree needs about five years before it starts producing cacao pods. Each tree gives around 2,500 cacao beans.

3.Most chocolate products we eat don’t have much real chocolate. Each country sets its own standards, so the amount of actual cocoa varies. Some products barely contain any!

4.Milk chocolate is a newer creation. In 1875, Henri Nestlé invented condensed milk, and a year later, Daniel Peter from Switzerland made milk chocolate by mixing cocoa powder with salt and condensed milk.

5.One small square of chocolate has 24 calories. So it’s a good idea to enjoy just two squares a day preferably dark chocolate with the highest cocoa content.

6.A person who works with chocolate is called a chocolatier. In Hebrew, it’s שׁוֹקוֹלָדַאי. They don’t make raw chocolate, but they create delicious candies and pralines, using molds, mixing flavors, and crafting unique textures and smells.

7.Chocolate has health benefits, especially the dark kind. It’s full of antioxidants that can help the heart, lower blood pressure, and protect against cancer. But to get those benefits, choose chocolate with a high cocoa content and low sugar and fat.

8.Napoleon Bonaparte took chocolate with him to battle. That’s why the little chocolate squares wrapped in foil are called Napolitans.

9.During World War II, the U.S. government asked the Hershey Company to make chocolate for soldiers. But they didn’t want it to be too tasty! They asked for something “just a little better than a boiled potato.” The result was a heat-resistant, portable chocolate bar called the “desert bar,” which became a standard part of American military food.

10.Chocolate has caffeine too. While a cup of instant coffee has about 70 mg of caffeine, a can of cola can have between 15–80 mg, and a spoon of cocoa powder has 2–8 mg.