Interesting Facts About Chocolates

     Fact #1 : Aztecs and Mayans use chocolate as currency

                   Mayan people consider cocoa beans to be so valuable that they were used as currency. It is said that ten beans could buy a rabbit, or even a prostitute. When the Aztecs came along they adopted these traditions and continued using cocoa beans as currency. People would buy everything from livestock, to food and tools with the beans and some people actually created counterfeit beans using clay. Generally only the richer people drank chocolate regularly.

    
Fact #2 : The biggest chocolate bar made weighs almost six tonnes (5792.5 kg's) !!

           
             In September 2011, a chocolate bar was created that weighed almost twelve thousand pounds. The bar required roughly seventeen hundred pounds of cocoa butter and about fourteen hundred pounds of chocolate liquor. It was supposed to tour around the country in an effort to get kids to “think big” and “eat smart” (although we're not really sure how..). This record was recently broken with an even bigger chocolate bar made in England. The bar, which was inspired by the story 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory', took more than fifty people to make. Fortunately, all of that chocolate will not be wasted. This particular bar is slated to be broken up into pieces and sold, with the proceeds all going to charity.

 Fact #3 : Chocolates contain antioxidants which are beneficial to  us

              Recent research has shown that chocolate contains flavonoids (which are good for your heart and assist in preventing the onset of cancer). However, it is important to note that some studies have shown only dark chocolate will really give you a significant boost in antioxidants in moderate doses. According to researchers, dark chocolate was great for reducing blood pressure, but washing it down with milk, even if you didn’t eat milk chocolate, would reduce the beneficial effects.



 Fact #4 : Chocolates make you happy !!

             Why ? Because chocolate contains serotonin, which is the most concentrated of all the neurotransmitters contained in chocolate and are responsible for feelings of well-being and contentment, as well as curbing anxiety and depression. 

Fact #5 : The microwave oven was accidentally discovered by accident using a chocolate bar !

             You don't believe me ? In the 1940's, American and British scientists were experimenting with micro waves with the hope of creating better radar detectors. At that time, they were testing devices called magnetrons ( microwave tubes ). Percy Spencer, a scientist/engineer, entered the lab with a chocolate bar in his pocket and realized it quickly began to melt. Spencer then realized that the magnetron could potentially be used to cook food.  He successfully tried popping corn and then attempted to cook an egg which cooked so quickly, it blew up in his face!