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On this page you can read about amusing things said about chocolate that put chocolate in a different perspective or in some way relate to chocolate. You'll find famous quotes, interesting excerpts from articles and fun facts found in the history of chocolate. These curiosities may be more entertaining than useful, but most certainly you'll find something of interest!
As a result of a misspelling cacao became cocoa throughout the English-speaking world, where cacao refers to the tree that grows the melon-shaped pods. Inside the cacao pods are the beans that are the main ingredient for chocolate. Technically, they are cacao beans, but they are known throughout the cocoa industry as cocoa beans. The powder that is made from the beans is also called cocoa. If that is not enough there is a city east of Orlando, Florida in the USA named Cocoa as well.
Chocolate contains phenylethylamine, a naturally occurring amino-acid which is considered having aphrodisiacal effects and is even said to be able to "cure" hangovers. Phenylethylamine is a substance which is released naturally in the human body when you're in love. As an alternative to antidepressants, which prevent the body's own phenylethylamine from breaking down, some people could get the dosage from eating dark chocolate. Other stimulants present in chocolate are dopamine and serotonin, which alleviate pain and encourage a good mood.
Cocoa beans were a currency in Pre-Colombian Mesoamerica. You could buy a rabbit for 4 cocoa beans, the services of a prostitute for 10 beans and a wife or a medium quality slave for 100. Counterfeiters used to drill small holes in the beans and fill them with dirt.
During the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) Queen Victoria sent specially produced chocolates as a New Years gift for her soldiers, all the way from Great Britain to southernmost Africa.
In the 16th century the English once hijacked a Spanish merchant vessel carrying unroasted cocoa beans they considered them so disgusting that they threw the entire cargo overboard. Roasting is a crucial part in the manufacturing process and develops flavor and aroma.
The actress Katharine Hepburn confessed to be a so called chocoholic. She could eat 1 pound of chocolate a day and as an answer to the secret to her longevity she responded: - "A pound of chocolate a day, a healthy regular diet, and plenty of exercise."
Praline is a confectionary made by heating together a mixture of almonds or nuts and sugar until it turns to a brown liquid which usually is coated with chocolate. A Swedish pralin is a confectionary dipped in chocolate and filled with for example soft chocolate nougat, marzipan, fruits or liqueur. The word derives from the name of the French marshal and count César du Plessis-Praslin, duke of Choiseul, who lived during the 17th century and whose cook invented this sweet to please his master. In France a praline is a candied nut or almond. In Belgian French the word praline means the same as in English. If you want the same in France you must ask for a praliné.
"At no other time has Nature concentrated such a wealth of valuable nourishment into such a
small space as in the cocoa bean"
"The superiority of chocolate, both for health and nourishment, will soon give it the same
preference over tea and coffee in America which it has in Spain."
During World War II the American soldiers were given three chocolate bars as part of their daily ration, each one containing 600 Kcal. Chocolate turned out to be an important source of nutrition that could easily be consumed during combat and has been used by the American forces ever since. Together with Hershey they improved the heat-resistant chocolate to withstand the hot sun during Desert Storm in the Gulf War. These chocolate bars remain solid at temperatures up to 60°C (140°F).
Chocolate, cocoa and cacao contains theobromine, a stimulant substance that reminds of
caffeine, however without its addictive effect. Theobromine itself is a bitter volatile alkaloid which is mildly stimulating and diuretic, and
because of its ability to dilate blood vessels it is also used to treat high blood pressure. Theobromine
also relaxes the smooth muscles of the bronchi in the lungs and according to a British study in 2004 scientists
found theobromine to be nearly a third more effective in stopping persistent coughs than the leading medicine
codeine. The volunteers were given the amount of theobromine equivalent to two cups of chocolate, which not
only proved more effective than codeine, but was also found to have no side effects.
Everyone doesn’t react as positive on theobromine. Cocoa and chocolate products may be toxic or lethal to dogs and some other domestic animals because they metabolize theobromine slower than humans. It is the fine dark chocolate with a high content of cocoa which is the most dangerous one and a 100g (3,5 oz) chocolate bar can be enough to poison a little dog. Milk chocolate contains less theobromine and is therefore less poisonous.
In 1624 Johan Franciscus Rauch, a professor in Vienna, condemned chocolate as an inflamer of passions and urged monks not to drink it as he wanted to ban it in the monasteries.
It is said that Madame du Barry, courtesan and mistress of Louis XV, always served her lovers a cup of chocolat before they were let in to her bedroom, and that the great lover and alchemist Casanova, who drank his cioccolata at Cafe Florian in Venice, considered chocolate more stimulating than champagne.
Dark chocolate is good for the heart! American researchers have in a study found that 46 grams of dark chocolate containing 70 percent
cocoa a day helps blood vessels expand, which in turn decreases the risk of heart attacks, strokes and diseases
linked to poor circulation. Another positive effect is that dark chocolate also helps lower blood cholesterol levels,
according to the results published by the magazine Journal of American College of Nutrition.
Chocolate contains phenols and flavonoids, chemical substances that facilitate blood circulation and lower the risk
of heart diseases and vascular disorder.
A chocolate bar contains more calcium, protein and B2 vitamin than a banana or an orange.
Chocolate contains tannins that counteract an enzyme that causes caries and the fat prevents the sugar from sticking on the teeth. Chocolate also contains calcium and fluoride which in their turn strengthen the teeth and fight cavities.
Three breweries have chocolate flavors beer in their selections. The first one was Young’s with their Double Chocolate Stout and now the Danish brewery giant Carlsberg is releasing its peer Criollo Stout. Sweden also has its own "chocolate beer" in the shape of a stout brewed in the small brewery in Bredaryd. This beer was selected "the best beer in Europe" amongst 300 labels at a major European beer festival. USA also has a sought after brew called Black Chocolate Stout made by Brooklyn Brewery.
Passwords revealed by sweet deal: Security is not high priority among British office workers. A British survey indicated that almost
three fourths of the questioned commuters were happy to share login and password information with those carrying
out the research, in exchange for some chocolate.
In the Bayern health resort Bad Birnbach chocolate is considered a healthy treatment for the skin. They offer salutary baths in chocolate, which proves to moisturize dry skin. Order a Schokolade ohne Reue and you'll have the pleasure of being soaked from top to toe in a chocolate body treatment under the open sky while listening to relaxing music. Chocolate has considerable skin care qualities and also leaves your body with a chocolate fragrance for several hours.
National preferences: According to the American writer Nika Standen Hazelton: "Chocolate in blue wrapper won't sell in Shanghai or Hong Kong because the Chinese associate blue with death. Neither Swiss nor Germans like girl pictures on their chocolate packages, but want a realistic reproduction of the contents."
A collection of recipes made by an Italian priest during the 18th century shows the Italians when it comes to the field of application for chocolate. Among the recipes are: Fried chocolate dipped liver, Chocolate pudding with veal and candied fruit, Chocolate soup and Chocolate polenta.
Two countries in the world illustrate the importance of cacao by displaying it on their national coat of arms, Fiji and Ghana. Fiji's national coat of arms bears a shield with an image of a British heraldic lion holding a cocoa pod across the top of a red St. George's cross. This shield is also featured on Fiji's national flag. The coat of arms of Ghana consists of a shield divided into four quarters by a green St. George's cross. The bottom left quarter displays a cocoa tree representing the agricultural wealth of the country.
In Denmark they reason like this: Chokolade is obtained from cocoa beans. Beans are vegetables. Sugar is extracted from sugarcane. Both beans and canes are vegetables, consequently chocolate is a vegetable!
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