There aren't many people who don't like chocolate! But perhaps
there are many people who have no idea of the origins of
Chocolate.
In 1519, the
Spanish explorer Hernando Cortes, on his expedition to Mexico,
tasted a cold, bitter drink called CACAHUATL, which meant
" bitter water".
The Aztecs
believed that the cacao seeds were brought from Paradise by one
of their prophets. If one drank the liquor pressed from the
seeds, he acquired universal wisdom and knowledge.
Cortes
introduced a sweetened version called, " chocolatl" into the
Spanish court and it was an immediate success.
The sweet recipe
spread to Italy, France and England. Each country added its own
special aromatics.
King Louis IV of France, established the position of Royal Chocolate Maker of
the King, in his court. Napoleon is said to have eaten
chocolates to restore energy during his military campaigns.
In England the
name was changed to " chocolate".
In the USA, in
1765, factories converted cacao beans into chocolate bars.
It seems now
that the world is " hooked" on chocolate!
It's
interesting to note that the National Institute for Dental
Research found that chocolate contains an anti-decay factor that
coats and therefore protects teeth from decay. However, a milk
chocolate bar is 55% sugar by weight and sugar does cause tooth
decay!
The students
can use this information for preparing a dialogue between two
persons talking about the origins of chocolate. They can use
expressions like:
Did you
know... It seems strange but...
They actually believed...
It seems
impossible but... It's said that... Contrary to popular
opinion...
A Nice Thought!
" God made chocolate in
Heaven and the Devil added the calories when it landed!"