CHOCOLATE IS ACTUALLY A VEGETABLE—KIND OF.
Milk and dark chocolate come from the cacao bean, which grows on the cacao tree (Theobroma cacao), an evergreen from the family Malvaceae (other members of the family include okra and cotton). This makes the most important part of the sweet treat a vegetable.
CACAO WAS ONCE USED AS CURRENCY.
The Aztecs loved and valued the cacao bean so highly that they used it as currency during the height of their civilization.
SPANISH FRIARS HELPED SPREAD THE LOVE.
After cacao and chocolate were introduced to Europe, traveling Spanish friars took it to various monasteries, handily spreading it around the continent.
COCOA AND CACAO ARE THE SAME THING.
The words are interchangeable, it’s all one bean.
BAKER'S CHOCOLATE ISN’T JUST FOR BAKING.
Dr. James Baker and John Hannon founded their chocolate company—later called Walter Baker Chocolate—in 1765. That’s where the term “Baker's Chocolate” comes from, not to denote chocolate that’s just meant for cooking.
MILTON HERSHEY REALLY WAS A CANDY KING.
The Pennsylvania native may be best known for starting The Hershey Chocolate Company in good old Hershey, PA, but he got his start in candy long before hooking up with chocolate. He founded his first company, The Lancaster Caramel Company, when he was 30 years old.
MAKING CHOCOLATE IS HARD WORK.
Despite its regal background and revered status, the cacao bean doesn’t just magically turn into chocolate—it takes about 400 beans to make a single pound of the good stuff.
THE FIRST CHOCOLATE BAR WAS MADE IN ENGLAND.
Way back in 1842, the Cadbury company made the very first chocolate bar. The company is still in existence, and is perhaps most famous for their delightful Easter-themed treats.
THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF CACAO.
Most modern chocolate comes from forestero beans, which are considered easy to grow—though the crillo bean is believed to make much tastier chocolate.
CHOCOLATE HAS A SPECIAL MELTING POINT.
Chocolate is the only edible substance to melt around 93° F, just below the human body temperature. That’s why chocolate melts so easily on your tongue.
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