Chocolate. “Very bad for you, and your teeth, too!” your mother might say. Big surprise: for the first time ever, your mother might be wrong! That’s right, there’s much more to chocolate than sugar, sugar, and more sugar. So grab a big box of chocolates (Cadbury recommended) and prepare to be astounded by some shocking chocolate facts.

Here’s something you probably know: Chocolate grows on trees! Well, actually, it’s called cocoa, and it tastes nothing like chocolate. And that’s why lots of sugar has to be added to cocoa, to get rid of that foul bitter taste. Yuck!

Did you know that there are three types of cocoa trees? The three types are Criollo, Forastero and Trinitario. The Forastero species is more widely used, as it is stronger and more easily cultivated. A few rare cocoa trees grow flowers, too. The cocoa tree flowers in two cycles of 6 months, producing thousands of white and pink flowers. Very few of these will develop into cocoa pods.

The cocoa pod resembles an elongated green melon. During the next 6 months the cocoa pods grow and change to a pale orange colour. The pods are then ready to be harvested. After harvest, the cocoa pods are left to ripen for a few days. The outer peel of the cocoa pod is then opened and the pulp which contains the cocoa beans is collected into large baskets. The beans are then put onto the ground and covered with leaves; they are then left for up to seven days to ferment. During fermentation the beans develop their flavour and change to a purple colour. The beans are then dried in the sun for up to 6 days. During this time, the beans are regularly turned to retain a tiny amount of their moisture. At the end of the drying process, the beans are packed into sacks and exported. The beans are then cleaned and the shells removed. The cocoa nibs are roasted and ground into cocoa liquor. Finally, this chocolate liquor is mixed with other ingredients such as sugar, vanilla and milk to make chocolate. Fascinating process! Don’t try this at home, though.

Do you remember the movie Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban? Harry Potter ate chocolate on several occasions to restore tranquility and happiness to his soul. Believe it or not, this actually works! Chocolate is a highly effective anti-depressant. By eating chocolate, your body produces endorphins, or ‘feel-good’ drugs which make you feel incredibly happy. Also, your body produces a chemical called Phenylethylamine which will make you feel as if you’re in love. Amazing stuff, chocolate!

Anyway, that’s about all I know about chocolate, so it’s time for me to pen off here. And remember: You can never have too much chocolate!