Outline of chocolate

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to chocolate:

What is chocolate?

What type of thing is chocolate?

Chocolate is a type of:

  • Food – substance to provide nutritional support for the body, ingested by an organism and assimilated by the organism's cells in an effort to produce energy, maintain life, and/or stimulate growth.
    • Confectionery – the set of food items that are rich in sugar, any one or type of which is called a confection. Modern usage may include substances rich in artificial sweeteners as well.
      • Candy – confection made from a concentrated solution of sugar in water, to which flavourings and colourants are added. Candies come in numerous colours and varieties and have a long history in popular culture.
    • Ingredient – substance that forms part of a mixture (in a general sense). For example, in cooking, recipes specify which ingredients are used to prepare a specific dish. Chocolate is often used as an ingredient in dessert items, such as cakes and cookies.

What is chocolate made of?

A cacao tree with fruit pods in various stages of ripening. Chocolate is created from the cacao bean.

Necessary ingredients

  • Cacao bean – Fatty seed of Theobroma cacao
    • Chocolate liquor, also known as chocolate mass – Pure cocoa mass in solid or semi-solid form
      • Cocoa butter – Pale-yellow, edible fat extracted from the cocoa bean
      • Cocoa solids – Mixture remaining after cocoa butter is extracted from cocoa beans
Substances found in cacao
Source of cocoa
  • Theobroma cacao, also known as Cacao tree – Species of tree grown for its seeds

Types of cocoa

Optional ingredients

  • Lecithin – Generic term for amphiphilic substances of plant and animal origin
  • Milk – Nutrient-rich liquid produced by mammals
  • Sugar – Sweet-tasting, water-soluble carbohydrates
  • Vanilla – Spice extracted from orchids of the genus Vanilla

Types

Types of chocolate – Classification of different chocolate types

Production methods

Producers and trade organizations

Brands

  • List of chocolate bar brands – Alphabetical listing of brand names and marketing regions
    • Scho-Ka-Kola – German chocolate brand containing coffee and kola nut – a chocolate brand containing coffee and cola nut

Edibles

Drinks

A mug of hot chocolate. Chocolate was first drunk rather than eaten.[6]
  • Cafe mocha – A chocolate-flavored variant of a caffè latte
  • Chocolate milk – Sweetened chocolate-flavoured milk
    • Banania – A chocolate drink found most widely distributed in France
    • Nesquik – Brand of products made by Nestlé
    • Swiss Miss – American cocoa powder and pudding brand
    • Yoo-hoo – American brand of chocolate beverage
  • Crème de cacao – A sweet liqueur that tastes like chocolate.
  • Hot chocolate – Heated beverage of chocolate in milk or water
  • List of chocolate beverages – A list of notable beverages flavoured with chocolate

History

Effects on health

References

  1. ^ "Theobroma cacao". Hort.purdue.edu. 9 January 1998. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  2. ^ Yang HY, Neff NH (November 1973). "Beta-phenylethylamine: a specific substrate for type B monoamine oxidase of brain". Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 187 (2): 365–71. ISSN 0022-3565. PMID 4748552.
  3. ^ Suzuki O, Katsumata Y, Oya M (March 1981). "Oxidation of beta-phenylethylamine by both types of monoamine oxidase: examination of enzymes in brain and liver mitochondria of eight species". Journal of Neurochemistry. 36 (3): 1298–301. doi:10.1111/j.1471-4159.1981.tb01734.x. ISSN 0022-3042. PMID 7205271. S2CID 36099388.
  4. ^ Malisoff, William Marias (1943). Dictionary of Bio-Chemistry and Related Subjects. Philosophical Library. pp. 311, 530, 573. ASIN B0006AQ0NU.
  5. ^ Bennett, Alan Weinberg; Bonnie K. Bealer (2002). The World of Caffeine: The Science and Culture of the World's Most Popular Drug. Routledge, New York. ISBN 0-415-92723-4.
  6. ^ "History". Archived from the original on 17 March 2009.