What is chocolate?
- Chocolate – raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. The seeds of the cacao tree have an intense bitter taste, and must be fermented to improve the flavour. Chocolate is a popular ingredient in confectionery items and candies.
What type of thing is chocolate?
Chocolate is a type of:
- Food – substance to provide nutritional support for the body, ingested by an organism and assimilated by the organism's cells in an effort to produce energy, maintain life, and/or stimulate growth.
- Confectionery – the set of food items that are rich in sugar, any one or type of which is called a confection. Modern usage may include substances rich in artificial sweeteners as well.
- Candy – confection made from a concentrated solution of sugar in water, to which flavourings and colourants are added. Candies come in numerous colours and varieties and have a long history in popular culture.
- Ingredient – substance that forms part of a mixture (in a general sense). For example, in cooking, recipes specify which ingredients are used to prepare a specific dish. Chocolate is often used as an ingredient in dessert items, such as cakes and cookies.
- Confectionery – the set of food items that are rich in sugar, any one or type of which is called a confection. Modern usage may include substances rich in artificial sweeteners as well.
What is chocolate made of?
Necessary ingredients
- Cocoa (processed cacao)
- Cacao bean – Fatty seed of Theobroma cacao
- Chocolate liquor, also known as chocolate mass – Pure cocoa mass in solid or semi-solid form
- Cocoa butter – Pale-yellow, edible fat extracted from the cocoa bean
- Cocoa powder – Defatted powder extracted from cocoa beans
- Chocolate liquor, also known as chocolate mass – Pure cocoa mass in solid or semi-solid form
- Cacao bean – Fatty seed of Theobroma cacao
Optional ingredients
- Milk – Nutrient-rich liquid produced by mammals
- Sugar – Sweet-tasting, water-soluble carbohydrates
- Vanilla – Spice extracted from Vanilla orchids
- Emulsifier – Mixture of two or more immiscible liquids
- Lecithin – Generic term for amphiphilic substances of plant and animal origin
- Polyglycerol polyricinoleate – Emulsion used in food production
Substances found in cacao
- Antioxidants – Compound that inhibits the oxidation of other molecules
- Caffeine – Central nervous system stimulant
- Phenethylamine – psychoactive drug that is usually inactive when orally ingested because most of it is metabolized into phenylacetic acid by monoamine oxidase (MAO), preventing significant concentrations from reaching the brain
- Theobromine – also known as xantheose, it contains no bromine and has a similar, but lesser, effect to caffeine
- Theophylline – methylxanthine drug found in tea leaves
Source of cocoa
- Theobroma cacao, also known as Cacao tree – Species of tree grown for its seeds
- Child labour in cocoa production – Use of children in the production of cocoa beans
- Environmental impact of cocoa production
- By country
