Unknown properties of dark chocolate
With a consumption culture of thousands of years, chocolate, when consumed as dark, not only gives taste and happiness, but also health.
The main ingredient of chocolate, known as the food of the gods in history, cocoa is so valuable that it was used instead of money on the trade routes of great and powerful civilizations. Here is the brief history and unknown properties of dark chocolate…
They used cocoa instead of money in trade
The protagonists of chocolate, which emerged thousands of years ago, are Mayans and Aztecs. These two important civilizations roasted cocoa beans, grinded them, mixed them with water, and added corn and spices to this mixture, and named it "Food of the Gods." The Aztecs and Mayans not only drank cocoa, but also used cocoa instead of money in trade.
Discovery of chocolate in Europe
While the Mayans and Aztecs enjoyed the liquid form of chocolate, Europe realized the taste of this indispensable flavor in the 16th century. This flavor, which Christopher Columbus saw during his expedition, was first spread to Europe and then to the world by the Spaniards. The first chocolate was produced in England in 1876. In the same period, Swiss Daniel Peter introduced milk chocolate to the world by removing excess water from milk and mixing it with chocolate.
Do you know these about dark chocolate?
- According to Aztec mythology, the cacao tree was the representative on earth of the "tree of good and evil" that grew in heaven.
- The word chocolate comes from the Aztec word "xocolatl." "Xocol" means "noise" due to the noisy pounding of cocoa beans in a pestle, and "atl" means "water" or "drink".
- Chocolates that contain high amounts of cocoa and do not contain milk and milk derivatives are considered dark chocolate.
- 100 grams of dark chocolate with 70–85 percent cocoa content contains an average of 11 grams of fiber, 67 percent of daily iron needs, 58 percent of magnesium, 89 percent of copper, 98 percent of manganese, and also plenty of It contains potassium, phosphorus, zinc and selenium.
- Dark chocolate is one of the flavors that have the most flavonoids, which delay aging with its strong antioxidant effect, next to vegetables and fruits.
- Dark chocolate protects the heart while supporting brain functions. It increases energy as well as reduces stress.
Dark chocolate, which contains unsaturated fatty acids that are beneficial for health, lowers bad cholesterol while raising good cholesterol.
- Theobromine in dark chocolate is good for coughing and itching in the throat, which many people suffer from, especially on cold winter days.
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