Chocolate is the name of a food which is derived from the cacao tree found in tropical regions of the world. These foods can be sometimes raw or unprocessed and processed ones. Generally chocolate is found in white, milk, brown and dark brown colors. The brown coloration is due to the addition of cocoa solids to the chocolate. Cacao trees have been cultivated for around three hundred years in the tropical regions of South America, Central America and Mexico. Documental proofs show that it was even used before Christ. The word chocolate comes from the Mexican word ?xocolatl? which is derived from xocolli meaning bitter and atl meaning water. So actually xocolatl means bitter water. The mayans and Aztecs of Mexico used xocolatl as a drink. Chocolate is associated with the Mayan god of fertility.

Chocolate has been used as a drink all throughout the past ages. Recently in November, 2007, archeologists found that chocolate was even used somewhere in 1100 B.C. It was not only used as a beverage, but the white pulp around the cacao beans was used as a source of sugar in an alcoholic drink. Today, chocolate is consumed as a bitter and a spicy drink along with milk or water and often flavored with vanilla, strawberry, chile pepper and annatto. Noted physician and collector named Hans Sloane in 1689, developed a chocolate drink with milk in Jamaica, but it was later sold by the Cadbury brothers. Mayans used cacao beans as a currency even and was considered a luxury item in those days.

The seeds of cacao tree cannot be used as they are because of their utterly bitter taste. Fermentation is done to get a flavor and then roasting and grounding is done to get chocolate or cocoa. Almost 2-thirds of the world's cocoa production comes from western Africa. Even the cacao farmers are prone to the volatility of the world food markets. Unlike traders who can dump shares at any time, farmers cannot dump their farms or abandon tress or increase production at will. When prices drop, farmers use cheap slave labors to compensate. Cocoa Foundation estimates that almost 50,000,000 people across the world are dependant on cocoa.

Chocolate is a product made primarily from cocoa solids and fats. Flavors and the strength of flavors can be varied by varying the temperature and time while roasting the beans and also by changing the quantities of cocoa solids and fats while mixing. Sometimes non-chocolate items can also be added. Costs can be lowered by reducing the cocoa solid content or replacing the cocoa fat with a non-cocoa fat, but using non-cocoa fats might have a negative impact on the millions of lives.

A cacao seed has to go through a series of processing to get cocoa. Harvesting, Blending, Conching, Tempering and storing need to be done to get to a candy of chocolate. Chocolate has some health benefits to its credit. It is highly pleasurable to consume a chocolate. As the melting point of chocolate is slightly lower than the body temperature, it melts smoothly in the mouth. Brain releases Serotonin which gives a pleasurable feeling. The brain activity after consuming a chocolate was found to be very active than that of a passionate kissing and also lasted more than 4 hours. Chocolate also releases a hormone called dopamine which has a feel-good factor, similar to that when cocaine or heroin is consumed, but its legal in chocolate's case. There are other benefits like usefulness in heart diseases, lowering of blood pressure, protection against LDL oxidation, fighting against cancer as it contains anticarcinogenic properties, maintaining or even lowering LDL cholesterol levels, aphrodisiac, mood enhancer.

Dark chocolate is a powerful antioxidant as it contains rich flavonoids Epicatechin and Gallic acid. It is to be noted that chocolate which has more than 70% cocoa in it is known as dark chocolate and only it is rich in flavonoids.