Cacao
A confection produced from the fruit of the tropical tree Theobroma cacao. The fruit, known as cacao beans, are fermented, dried, roasted, and ground, and the resulting product is called cocoa liquor, which can be separated into cocoa butter, a smooth, solid fat used in both food and cosmetics, and cocoa powder. Cocoa butter and cocoa powder are combined in various proportions with other ingredients to produce chocolate.
Types
Pure Chocolate : is unsweetened chocolate which contains primarily cacao solids and cacao butter in varying proportions.
Milk Chocolate: is sweet chocolate that additionally contains milk powder or condensed milk.
White Chocolate: conatains cacao butter, sugar, and milk but no cacao solids ( and thus does not qualify to be considered true chocolate).
Dark chocolate: is sweetened chocolate with high content of cacao solids or very little milk. They could be semisweet, bittersweet or un sweetened.
History: * The tasty secret of the cacao tree was discovered 2.000 years ago in the tropical rainforests of the Americas. The pods of this tree contain seeds that can be processed into chocolate.
* The first people known to have made chocolate were the ancient cultures of Mexico and Central America. These people including the Maya and Aztec , mixed ground cacao seeds with various seasonings to make a spicy, frothy drink.
* Later, the Spanish conquistadors brought the seeds back home to Spain, where new recipes were created. Eventually, and the drink’s popularity spread throughout Europe. Since then, new technologies and innovations have changed the texture and taste of chocolate, but it still remains one of the world’s favorite flavors.
Special uses of chocolate on occasions:
-Easter: chocolate bunnies and eggs.
-Hanukkah: chocolate coins .
-Christmas: chocolate ,Santa, Claus, trees, etc…
-Valentines day: chocolate