chocolate

views updated

chocolate Like cocoa, chocolate was originally a drink (introduced to Europe in the 1500s) produced from the seeds of the tropical tree Theobroma cacao. The seeds are beans contained in an elliptical pod, and do not have the flavour or colour of chocolate until they have been fermented and roasted. The beans are then ground up to make chocolate powder. The first chocolate bar was produced in the late 1700s.

More From encyclopedia.com