Interesting chocolate facts and trivia

Here’s some interesting facts and trivia about chocolates…

Chocoholic: – n [chocolate + -oholic (as in alcoholic)]( 1968): a
person who craves or compulsively consumes chocolate. – Webster’s
Dictionary

Did you know that the Aztecs considered all chocolate an aphrodisiac?
Because of this, all foods made with chocolate were strictly forbidden
to women.

Although chocolate is not an aphrodisiac, chocolate contains
phenylethylamine (PEA), a natural substance that is reputed to
stimulate the same reaction in the body as falling in love. So -
heartbreak and loneliness are great excuses for chocolate gorging!

Chocolate is old-school Viagra. Montezuma reputedly chugged a cup of
chocolate before entering his harem, while Casanova called chocolate
the “elixir of love” and drank it instead of champagne.

Christopher Columbus is said to have brought back cacao beans to King
Ferdinand from his fourth visit to the New World around 1502, but they
were overlooked in favor of the many other treasures he had found.
Records suggest that he didn’t particularly like the Aztec delicacy of
“hot chocolate”- a thick cocoa drink laced with ground chillies and
dyed red to look like blood – but recognizing its potential he took a
load of cocoa beans back to Spain.

The early Spanish explorers thought the primary (if not only) use of
chocolate was medicinal. Chocolate drinks were developed in Spain that
were seasoned with pepper, vanilla, sugar and cinnamon or mixed with
beer or wine. They became such a hit that Spanish society ladies had
them served during Mass.

The first attempt at making a solid chocolate product came in the
1700′s, when Mexican nuns raised money for their convent by producing
and exporting solid chocolate bars.

The first “chocolate box” was introduced by Richard Cadbury in 1868,
when he decorated a candy box with a painting of his young daughter
holding a kitten in her arms. Cadbury also introduced the first
Valentine’s Day candy box.

Chocolate Toxicity In Dogs – Did you know that chocolate can be lethal
to dogs. About 2 ounces of milk chocolate can be poisonous to a
10-pound dog. The same holds true for cats and other household pets.

Chocolate doesn’t cause acne. This is just another myth about
chocolate that has been disproved by doctors for some time.
The ability of the sugar in chocolate to drive up blood sugar
(glycemic index) is about the same as oatmeal.

For the complete article on this, goto:
http://whatscooking america.net/ chocolate. htm

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