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WELCOME
TO
CHOCOLATE
FUN FACTS ABOUT CHOCOLATE
The scientific name of the cacao tree, Theobroma, means “food of the gods.”
West Africa is the source of 70% of the world's cocoa beans.
While in Jamaica, physician and naturalist Hans Sloane (1660-1753) came up with the idea of mixing the bitter local chocolate beverage with milk to improve its taste. He later patented the idea. It soon became popular back in England and quickly spread throughout Europe.
Milton Stavely Hershey first became rich selling caramels. He sold his caramel business in 1900 for $1 million and started making milk chocolate.
In the U.S. chocolate candy outsells all other types of candy combined, by 2 to 1.
American consumers average 10-12 pounds of chocolate a year, while in the UK they eat almost twice that amount.
66% of chocolate is consumed between meals.
22% of all chocolate consumption takes place between 8pm and midnight.
More chocolate is consumed in winter than any other season.
U.S. chocolate manufacturers use about 3.5 million pounds of whole milk every day to make chocolate.
In 1896, the recipe for chocolate brownies, an American snack food staple, was introduced in the Fannie Farmer Cookbook.
In 1907, the iconic Milk Chocolate Hershey's Kisses were introduced. They are one of the most successful chocolates and Hershey produces approximately 20-25 million per day in a variety of flavors.
In 1913, a process was invented by a Swiss Confectioner named Jules Sechaud that allowed chocolates to have unique fillings.
As of 2006, consumers spent more than $7,000,000 a year on chocolate related products.
The first “chocolate box” was introduced by Richard Cadbury in 1868,
when he decorated a candy box with a painting of his young daughter
holding a kitten in her arms. Cadbury also introduced the first
Valentine’s Day candy box.
More than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate are sold every year for Valentine's Day.
There are 40-50 million people who depend on cocoa for their livelihood.
Chocolate, a brief history>>
Recipes using chocolate>>
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