chocolate
Japanese Name:
チョコレート
Romaji Name:
chokoreito
Description
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Chocolate is a beloved sweet treat made from cacao beans, which are the seeds of the cacao tree (Theobroma cacao). These beans are harvested, fermented, dried, roasted, and then processed into cocoa mass, cocoa butter, and cocoa powder, which are the key components used to make various forms of chocolate.
History
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Chocolate's history dates back to ancient Mesoamerica, where the Aztecs and Maya used cacao beans to make a bitter beverage. Spanish explorers, particularly Hernán Cortés, introduced chocolate to Europe in the 16th century, where it was sweetened and became a luxury drink for the elite. By the 19th century, advances in chocolate-making, like Joseph Fry's creation of the solid chocolate bar and Daniel Peter's invention of milk chocolate, revolutionized its consumption. Mass production techniques made chocolate widely available, especially through companies like Cadbury, Nestlé, and Hershey. Today, chocolate is enjoyed globally in many forms, from candies to drinks. The chocolate industry continues to grow, with ethical concerns around cacao sourcing now part of the global conversation.