Montshire Minute: Chocolate

Originally aired during the week of February 2, 2004

Monday

We all know where chocolate comes from - the checkout line at the supermarket! To get at the real origin of chocolate, however, we have to travel to the rain forests of the Amazon or Central America. This is where the cacao tree grows. The white fruit of the cacao (cac-A-o) tree has only a mild chocolate taste. The real secret is in the dark seeds. After careful processing, these seeds become what we call cocoa beans. When Columbus arrived in the New World, many Native American cultures were using the beans as currency. The Aztecs and Mayans mixed the ground seeds from the cacao plant with other seasonings to make a spicy drink. Now that's an advanced civilization! Come learn more about the nature of chocolate with instructor LaVonne Batalden at the Montshire, Monday February 9, at 7 p.m. Call the Museum to register.

Tuesday

The Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus gave the cacao tree its scientific name, Theobroma, which means "food of the gods." But the chocolate bar we indulge in has its humble origins as a seed in the cacao plant. The tree is native to South and Central America, and now grows in equatorial regions all around the globe. The cacao tree needs regular rainfall, high humidity, partial shade, and rich, well-drained soil. Farmers harvest the fruit of the tree by hand, and cut through the tough shells with a machete. They pack the seeds into wooden boxes and cover them with banana leaves. It takes a few days for the seeds to ferment, producing enzymes that give the seeds their distinctive flavor. When the seeds turn a rich brown color, they are dried and packed for shipping. It is a very laborious process that has changed very little over the centuries.

Wednesday

We're taking a look at the sweet science of making chocolate on the program this week. So far, we know that the cocoa bean is really the seed of the cacao plant. After the seeds have been harvested and dried, they are sent to a processing plant - yes, the legendary chocolate factory. The beans need to be cleaned, roasted and crushed. The final process separates the cocoa butter from the solids. The cocoa butter will help keep chocolate products solid at room temperature. It may also be used in other goods like cosmetics. The cocoa solids are ground into a fine powder and used for chocolate beverages or cooking. Mixing the butter and powder together along with condensed milk and sugar produces a liqueur that smells and tastes like the chocolate we know and love. After further refining, the mixture is poured into molds to cool into blocks or bars.

Thursday

It was the Spanish who first brought back cacao beans to Europe from Central and South America. The beans were ground up and mixed with spices like chili peppers to create a beverage with a real kick. But when the Spanish began to use sugar in the drink, new worlds of indulgence were at hand. Other Europeans began cultivating cacao on their equatorial plantations. In 1828 Dutch chocolate maker Conrad van Houten used a hydraulic press to extract cocoa butter from the beans. He pulverized the dark, cakey residue into cocoa powder. He treated the cocoa with salts to make it mix better with water (a process still called "Dutching"). Early chocolatiers discovered that mixing the powder, cocoa butter and sugar made a solid product. In 1849, English chocolate maker Joseph Storrs Fry produced what was perhaps the world's first eating chocolate.

Friday

Why do we love chocolate? Ah, let us count the ways! It's creamy, it's sweet, and when it is mixed with warm milk on a cold winter night, it really hits the spot. But chocolate can also make us feel good. The presence of caffeine and other mild stimulants in chocolate help to explain why it can give us a boost. Other stimulants found in chocolate are related to amphetamines, which activate neurotransmitters in our brains and help us to stay alert. Of course the best way to determine what affect chocolate has on your system is to eat some of it. And that's what we'll be doing at the Museum Monday evening, February 9 when Colby-Sawyer biology professor Lavonne Batalden introduces us to the natural history behind the "food of the gods." Yes, sampling is included! Call the Museum to register at (802) 649-2200.