Episode Transcript
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I Wonder Podcast (00:03):
Hey there,
curious minds.
Welcome to another episode of IWonder, the show where we
explore the questions you'vebeen wondering about.
Today's question comes fromTheo.
Theo asked who inventedchocolate.
What a delicious question, Theo.
Chocolate is one of the world'smost beloved treats and its
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story goes back thousands ofyears.
Let's unwrap the fascinatinghistory of chocolate, discover
who first made it and learn howit's transformed into the sweet
treat we enjoy today.
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The, the story of chocolatebegins more than 3,500 years
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around 1500 BCE, in the tropicalrainforests of Central and
South America.
The first people to unlock thepotential of cacao, were the
Olmecs, one of the earliestcivilizations in the region.
region.
They didn't make chocolate bars, of course, but they are
believed to have used cacao tocreate a bitter, frothy drink
for rituals and medicinalpurposes.
Cacao is the name of the plantthat they used.
The Maya and Aztecs laterelevated cacao into a cultural
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phenomenon.
For the Maya, cacao was sacred.
They made a drink from groundcacao beans, water and spices,
chili, like chili calling itcacaua.
The drink was central toreligious ceremonies, weddings
and even funerals.
Meanwhile, the Aztecs, whocalled cacao chocolatl, meaning
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bitter water, used it not onlyas a drink but also as currency.
A hundred cacao beans could buyyou a turkey, and a single bean
might pay for a meal.
Aztec rulers like EmperorMontezuma were said to drink
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several cups of cacao daily,believing that it gave them
strength andenergy.
Chocolate made its way to Europein the early 1500s, when
Spanish explorers, includingCortes, encountered the Aztecs
and brought cacao beans back toSpain.
Initially, europeans found thedrink bitter and unappealing,
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but when sugar and cinnamon wereadded, cacao quickly became a
favorite among the BritishSpanish elite.
For centuries, chocolateremained a luxury item, enjoyed
mostly Daniel a drink by thewealthy.
The modern chocolate bar didn'tcome into existence until the
1800s, thanks to technologicaladvancements.
Dutch chemist Conrad Johannesvan Houten developed the cocoa
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press in 1828, making it easierto separate cocoa butter from
cocoa solids.
This innovation paved the wayfor solid chocolate.
In 1847, british chocolatierJoseph Fry created the first
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chocolate bar, and in 1875,daniel Peter and Henry Nestle
invented milk chocolate byadding powdered milk to the mix.
Why did people first makechocolate?
The Olmecs, Maya and Aztecsdidn't think of chocolate as a
sweet treat.
For them, cacao had deepcultural and spiritual
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importance.
It was seen as a gift from thegods, used in rituals to
symbolize life, fertility andpower.
The bitter cacao drink wasbelieved to provide energy,
mental clarity and even healingproperties.
When chocolate arrived inEurope, it became a status
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symbol.
Drinking chocolate was a signof wealth and sophistication,
and its reputation as anindulgent luxury continues to
this day.
How is chocolate made today?
Modern chocolate making startswith the cacao tree, which grows
in tropical regions near theequator.
Each cacao tree produces about20 to 30 pods per year, and each
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pod contains around 30 to 50beans.
On average, a single cacao treeyields enough beans to produce
about two pounds of chocolateannually.
That's not much chocolate whenyou think about how much we
consume.
Farmers harvest the pods by hand, carefully cutting them from
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the tree with machetes.
After opening the pods, theyscoop out the beans and sticky
pulp, which are left to fermentfor several days.
The fermentation is a criticalstep as it develops the beans'
flavour, turning them frombitter seeds into the beginnings
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of something chocolatey.
After the fermentation, thebeans are dried in the sun,
hacked into sacks and shipped tochocolate factories worldwide.
At the factory, the beans areroasted to enhance their flavour
, then cracked open to removethe shells, leaving behind the
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cacao nibs.
These nibs are ground into apaste called cocoa mass or
chocolate liquor.
This paste contains both cocoasolids and cocoa butter, which
are the building blocks ofchocolate.
To make chocolate bars, cocoamass is mixed with sugar,
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additional cocoa butter andsometimes milk powder.
This mixture is refined,conched, which is a process of
heating and stirring to smooththe texture, and finally
tempered, which gives thechocolate its shiny appearance
and satisfying snap.
Once poured into molds andcooled, the chocolate is
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packaged and ready to enjoy.
What makes chocolate sodelicious?
Chocolate's incredible flavorcomes from a mix of science and
artistry.
The fermentation, roasting andconching processes all
contribute to its complex taste.
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While sugar balances thenatural bitterness of cacao,
cocoa butter gives chocolate itscreamy texture and when you eat
it, your brain releasesfeel-good chemicals like
serotonin and dopamine.
And that's why chocolate issuch a comforting treat.
Here's some fun facts aboutchocolate.
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Did you know that whitechocolate isn't technically
chocolate?
It's made from cocoa butter,sugar and milk, but it doesn't
contain any cocoa solids.
Here's another one.
Cacao trees are also essentialto the environment.
They thrive in the shade oflarger trees, making them a
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vital crop for sustainablefarming in tropical rainforests.
Plus, the sweet pulp insidecacao pods is loved by animals
like monkeys and birds, whichhelps spread the seeds and grow
more cacao trees.
While chocolate brings joy tomillions, the cacao industry
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faces challenges likedeforestation, climate change
and unfair labor practices.
Growing cacao islabor-intensive and many farmers
earn very little for their hardwork.
Supporting fair trade chocolatebrands can help ensure farmers
are paid fairly and that cacaois grown sustainably.
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So Theo, who invented chocolate?
While no single person can takeall the credit, the Olmecs were
the first to discover thepotential of cacao over 3,500
years ago.
Over 3,500 years ago, the Mayaand Aztecs turned it into a
cultural treasure, and Europeaninnovators transformed it into
the sweet treat we enjoy today.
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From the tropical cacao tree tothe chocolate bars we love,
every step of the process is ablend of history, science and
artistry.
A blend of history, science andartistry.
Thanks again to Theo for such adelicious question, and remember
, if you have a question you'recurious about, submit it on our
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website, iwonderpodcast.
com, and we might just featureit in our next episode of I
Wonder.
Until next time, stay curiousand keep wondering.