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...t to Europe on his return to Spain in 1528. It gradually spread through Europe as a beverage, but it was not until 1847 that the first “chocolate for eating” was produced by Fry and Sons of Bristol. The first milk chocolate, prepared by adding powdered milk to the pressed cocoa bean, was produced in Switzerland in 1875. Today, the first step in chocolate-making is the harvesting of ripe pods of cocoa beans; these are split to release the beans, which are fermented in heaps or boxes for about a week, then dried for export. In the chocolate factory, the beans are roasted, kibbled (broken down into small pieces known as nibs), and winnowed to remove the shells. The cocoa nibs are ground to form chocolate mass—a thick liquid that solidifies on cooling. This is mixed with additional cocoa butter (extracted in the manufacture of cocoa powder), sugar, and vanilla; liquid, condensed, or dried milk is also added for milk chocolate. In the United Kingdom up to 5 per cent vegetable oil is added, to compensate for variations in cocoa butter, and to ensure that the texture is consistent. In most other European countries no vegetable oil is added in the manufacture of chocolate. The mixture is then conched (a process involving mixing and beating), and cooled under controlled conditions (tempered) to ensure that the fat and sugar crystallize in their most stable form. Nutritionally, chocolate is mainly an energy source, with only small amounts of nutrients: a 50-g (2-oz) bar provides 265 kcal, which is 10 per cent of an average man’s daily energy requirement and 14 per cent of a woman’s. About half of this is provided as fat, with most of the remainder being sugar—50 g of plain chocolate provides a negligible 5 g of protein, and milk chocolate little more (8 g). Of the 15 g of fat in a bar, 62 per cent is saturated, 33 per cent mono-unsaturated, and 5 per cent polyunsaturated. However, chocolate is a moderate source of iron: a 50-g bar of plain chocolate provides about 8 per cent of the Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI) of iron for a woman, and 14 per cent of the RNI for a man (see also Nutrition, Human). Milk chocolate provides about two thirds as much iron as plain chocolate. Cacao TreeThe cacao tree produces a fruit from which cocoa is derived. Following harvest the fruit is fermented to give the cocoa seed, or bean, its distinctive flavour. Cocoa, containing approximately 20 per cent protein, 40 per cent carbohydrate, and 40 per cent fat, is high in nutritive value. Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Brazil are leaders in cocoa production. Melting Point: 93 degrees F (34-35 degrees C) Freezing Point: 32 degrees F (0 degrees C) Separates: Dark Chocolate: 120 degrees F (49 degrees C); Milk and White Chocolate: 110 degrees F (43 degrees C) % of Ingredients: Dark Chocolate: Sugar: 50-55%; Cocoa Solids: 45-50%; Dairy Butter: 1-2% Milk Chocolate: Sugar: 40-50%; Milk Solids: 30-40%; Cocoa Solids: 10-20% Cocoa Butter Content: Drinking Chocolate: Uses cocoa powder containing a cocoa butter content of 10-12%. Higher quality products will use cocoa butter levels of 22-24% Milk Chocolate: Milk chocolate is made of ground cocoa beans, full cream milk, and sugar. Cocoa butter is added to provide a smooth texture. The ratio of ingredients Sugar 40-50% Milk Solids 30-40% Cocoa Solids 10-20% Chocolate manufactures may start with liquid milk, dry full cream milk powders, skim milk powder plus dairy butter, depending on the individual processes and ingredient availability and/or cost. However, to be legally called chocolate, only cocoa butter and dairy butter may be used. No other fats are permitted. Dark Chocolate: Dark chocolate is sometimes called plain chocolate, and is the connoisseurs preference. Dark chocolate represents only 5-10% of the total chocolate consumption in most countries around the world. It is, or can be a confectioner's delight in creating secret recipies from exotic flavored beans. The ratio of ingredients Sugar 50-55% Cocoa Solids 45-50% Often a manufacturer will add small amounts of salt to sharpen the taste, and lecithin to create a smooth texture. Dairy butter is permitted and is usually added at 1-2% as a bloom inhibitor. History of Chocolate Cultivating and consuming chocolate is an over 3000 year old tradition in Central and South America. Chocolate is a part of Mexican Indian's mythology and plays an important part in their religious rites. Chocolate was first formed as a beverage, made by grinding cocoa beans into a paste, and adding water, sugar, and spices. This drink was prized by the Aztecs and the courts of Kings. When the Spaniards came over in 1519, they discovered how to use it from the Aztecs. For a long time, chocolate was drunk only by high-society Spaniards. It was then introduced to England in 1657. Eventually, it became more common, and cheaper. In the United States, chocolate was first manufactured at Milton Lower Mills, near Dorchester, Massachusetts, in 1765. In the early 1990s, annual U.S. production of chocolate and related confections exceeded 1.2 million metric tons. Annual U.S. comsumption was 11.3 lbs per person per year. ...