12 Chocolate Facts You'll Wish You Knew Sooner

It probably won't surprise you to hear that humans have been enjoying chocolate in one form or another for thousands of years. Its origins can be traced back to ancient Mesoamerica. The Olmecs, Mayans, and Aztecs were the original cultivators of the cacao plant and in fact, the word for chocolate comes from a Spanish interpretation of the Aztec word "xocolātl," as well as the Mayan word "chocolhaa." In English, this word means "bitter water."

It's thought that the Olmecs were the first people to cultivate cacao and process it into an early form of chocolate. While there's no written record indicating such, pottery shards dating back as early as 1400 B.C. have been found to contain traces of chocolate. From there, the Mayans likely took up the practice — we can still see Mayan vase paintings depicting chocolate being used in ceremonies. Later, the Aztecs took cacao beans and chocolate as tribute from conquered tribes. 

To the Mayans, the cacao tree had divine powers and served as a bridge between the earthly and divine realms. Since chocolate had a religious significance, it was used during rites and religious ceremonies, as well as on special occasions and celebrations. The Mayan myth states that the serpent god Quetzalcoatl was the original planter of cacao trees. This special significance can still be felt in the name of the plant. The scientific name for the cacao tree is Theobroma cacao, which translates to "food of the gods."

During the Classical Maya period, spanning from 200 to 900 C.E., cacao beans emerged as a medium of exchange within the communities. The Maya, unlike civilizations that minted coins, relied on bartering as the foundation of their economic transactions. Because cacao beans were so highly valued not only as a commodity but as a spiritual item, they quickly became a highly sought-after and easily portable form of currency that could be traded, used to pay taxes, or given as tribute. The act of presenting cacao beans to rulers was a display of loyalty and an acknowledgment of the leader's divine authority.

The Aztecs also embraced the use of cacao beans as currency, though they did use copper ingots to trade as well. Ancient Mesoamerican societies valued the cacao bean as somewhat of a luxury item, and the hot chocolate drink made from it was usually reserved for the nobility and the higher-ups in society, giving it an exclusive appeal that only furthered its value. One cacao bean was worth the same as a tamale, but 100 beans could purchase a turkey hen.

With the arrival of Spanish colonists in Central America during the early 16th century, cacao beans found a new audience. We see accounts of Spanish colonists using them to pay their laborers. In the 1570s, naval explorer Diego García de Palacio wrote that one Spanish real was equal to about 200 cacao beans and that 1,600 beans were equal to about one peso.

Chances are, there's no need to fret about your Halloween or Valentine's Day stash going bad. Since chocolate doesn't contain much moisture, it doesn't grow mold as easily as other foods do. With proper storage, you can indulge in your favorite chocolate treat long after you initially bought it. Keep your chocolate fresh for as long as possible by sealing it in an airtight container, which will help shield it from heat and moisture that could affect the texture or taste.

Just as important as storage is the kind of chocolate you intend to store. The general rule is that the darker the chocolate, the longer it lasts. Milk and white chocolate will last you about six months unopened, but dark chocolate with a higher cacao content can last up to two years. You might also consider whether the chocolate contains other ingredients that might add moisture, like peanut butter, cherries, caramel, or nuts, since they won't last as long as plain chocolate.

But even the darkest chocolate won't last forever without undergoing a few changes. If you've ever found an old piece of candy in the back of your cupboard, then you know that years-old chocolate can develop a chalky gray or white substance on its exterior. This isn't mold, and it won't make you sick, but it likely won't taste very good, either. Check for cracks or discoloration to ensure your chocolate is still good to eat.

If you've ever taken a bite of white chocolate and thought that something was a bit off, you're not quite wrong. There's a reason it doesn't taste quite the same as dark or milk chocolate: It's not actually chocolate. Chocolate contains cocoa solids, which it gets from the cacao beans it's made from. Those solids give chocolate its unmistakable taste, texture, and color. But since white chocolate doesn't contain any cocoa solids, it doesn't meet the criteria set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be officially classified as chocolate. 

So if white chocolate isn't made of cacao solids, then what is it made of? Mainly, cocoa butter, milk solids, and sugar. However, to qualify as true white chocolate and not merely a white coating, it must contain at least 20% cocoa butter. Also, it's worth noting that the percentage of cocoa butter in white chocolate can vary, and some artisanal or craft white chocolate bars may contain more than others; but it cannot contain more than 55% sugar.

If you're a white chocolate fan, you're not alone — while it may not technically be chocolate in the most traditional sense, it is still very much an integral part of confections, candy, and chocolate treats. In fact, it makes up about 10% of the chocolate market, and its popularity is steadily growing.

While you may think of dark chocolate as a bit of a guilty pleasure, there are more reasons to enjoy it. Dark chocolate has a higher cocoa content and contains less sugar than milk or white chocolate. It also has a few surprising benefits that make it more than okay to indulge in.

One of the most remarkable health benefits of dark chocolate lies in its ability to protect the heart. A 2017 study by the Journal of the American Heart Association revealed that the flavonoids and antioxidants in dark chocolate can improve blood flow, reduce inflammation, and enhance heart health overall. Consuming moderate amounts of dark chocolate has been linked to lower blood pressure and a reduced risk of heart disease, making it a sweet addition to any heart-healthy diet.

We all know chocolate is great for a pick-me-up, but did you know that it's scientifically proven to put you in a better mood? In a 2022 paper in The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, it notes that eating 85% dark chocolate helps to promote the diversity of your intestinal bacteria, which creates a prebiotic effect in your gut's microbiome that positively affects the gut-brain axis. According to a 2013 study from the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, not only does dark chocolate contain caffeine and theobromine, which could help with focus and alertness, but also improve brain functions like memory and learning capacity!

Did you know that, according to Statista, the average American eats about 8.94 kilograms of chocolate a year? That's just about 20 pounds per capita! But while humans have been refining and enjoying cacao products for thousands of years, the chocolate bar wasn't invented until the 19th century. Before then, chocolate was mainly consumed as a frothy and spicy hot beverage.

It wasn't until the early 1800s that Dutch chemist Coenraad Van Houten invented the cocoa press, which could process cacao beans into cocoa powder. This process became known as "Dutching," and it made cocoa smoother and more soluble. That meant that cacao could be mixed with other ingredients and liquids easily. It's this cocoa powder that became the base for chocolate bars.

In 1847, chocolatier Joseph Fry introduced another significant contribution. He developed a special technique to mix melted cocoa butter with cocoa powder and sugar to create a paste that he could mold into a solid bar. A few decades later, Swiss chocolatier Daniel Peter would take the chocolate bar one step further when he figured out how to add milk to chocolate, creating the first milk chocolate bars. Later,  Peter would partner with Henri Nestlé to perfect the formula for milk chocolate by using Nestle's revolutionary powdered milk, giving rise to the beloved milk chocolate bars we know and love today.