Chocolate

Chocolate is known almost in all world. Every child likes it. Different types of chocolate we can see in every shop, every country.

The cocoa plant is grown in tropical countries near the eguator. It needs a hot climate and plenty of sun. Growing the cocoa plant requires time, skill and patience.
- First, the forests are cleared and the cocoa beans are planted. After four years, the young cocoa trees begin to appear.
- The cocoa pods turn yellow when they are ripe. The farm workers cut the cocoa pods and take out the beans.
- The beans are dried for twenty days. They turn brown. Then they are sold and sent all over the world.

Chocolate is a good source of energy. It can contain up to 40 % fat and 50 % sugar. Mountaineers often take chocolate with them on expeditions because they need extra energy. But other types of food also provide us with energy, and too much fat and sugar is bad for you. So enjoy your chocolate, but don`t eat too much.

Here are some important dates in the story of chocolate:
- 1521 The Aztecs, in Mexico, were conquered by Hernn Corts, from Spain. The cocoa plant was brought fron Mexico to Europe.
- 1650 In London, the first Chocolate House was opened.
- 1870 Milk chocolate was invented in Switzerland.

The chocolate industry is absolutely enormous. In Britain alone, 60,000 people are employed in the industry. The United Kingdom exports 70,000 tonnes of chocolate each year. This produces about £3 bilion (£3,000,000,000) of income for the country. It is said that the industry produces at laest twenty bilion pieces of chocolate a year.

Some curious:
- In Switzerland people eat more chocolate than in any other country of the world. Person in that country eats on average 4.8 kilos chocolate in year.

- The largest chocolate model was of a Spanish sailing ship. It was made in Barcelona, in 1991. It weighed an amazing 4000 kg, and measured 13 m X 8.5 m X 2.5 m.