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toc =Chocolate!= People have enjoyed eating chocolate for years. Hersheys, Giradelli, Lint/Lindor, See's Candies, Nestle, and other great chocolate companies have made their mark in the industry with the support of this delicious creation. This food has proven the ultimate sweet and sugar experience for kids and adults. We have researched on how chocolate is created, who started chocolate, how they did it, the biggest chocolate companies and many more things. Here's a bit about this delicious anytime snack!

What is Our Assignment?
We have been told to choose any educational topic and create a podcast giving information about this topic. We will research information about this topic using the big6 steps. The big6 steps are a series of 6 essential steps for projects involving research created by educators. Using the big6 steps, we will narrow down our research to the necessary information for our podcast. Our podcast will be created using a computer program called garage band. The topic we have chosen for our project is chocolate-all about chocolate. How it is made, who discovered it, and more. For our big6, we had to come up with 10 questions about chocolate. Stated below are the 10 questions we came up with. If you scroll down, you will find basic, easy to read, organized information,so **dig in!**

**How is Chocolate made?**
Farmers grow cacao in their farmland or just get these plants from the rain forests. From these farmlands these beans go to the factories. With some work, effort, time, and artistry the factories will make the delicious treat that we enjoy so much-chocolate. For every different type of chocolate,the is a different way to make it,depending what the chocolate is. **For an easy to read, more informative guide, scroll down to "What does chocolate come from?" and "From Farm to Factory."**

**What makes Chocolate Dangerous for Animals?**
The reason chocolate to being a big threat to animals is because of a chemical compound called theobromine. This chemical is found in the cocoa tree which is a xanthine compound belonging to the same family as caffeine and the chemical theophylline(in tea). Animals slowly metabolizes the chemical and it affects their heart, the center of the nervous system, and the kidneys. Depending on how sensitive these systems are,that is how much the toxic will spread and become worse. For some chocolates they have different amounts of cocoa in them and this changes how much the animal will be affected by it. **For an easy to read, more informative guide, scroll down to "How and Why can Chocolate Harm Animals?"**

Chocolate is considered to be both a medicine and a junk food, but which one is it really? Chocolate was considered healthy and in Aztec times and Emperor Montezuma drank 50 cups of chocolate a day, which at that time was called 'xocolatl', meaning 'bitter water' (xocolatl was originally a drink). People thought it was healthy because it gives you energy. Cortez once wrote," One cup of this liquid enables one to walk many a mile without food or substance." However, nowadays, chocolate is called a junk food. People now think of it as a once and a while food and claim that chocolate makes people fat and causes cavities, acme, and diabetes. **For an easy to read, more informative guide, scroll down to "The Benefits and Disadvantages of Chocolate"**

**What Kind of Chemicals does Chocolate Contain?**
Chocolate contains alkaloids like theobromine, phenethylamine, and anandamide. These chemicals has physiological effects on the human body. Scientists claim that chocolate, eaten in small qualities, can lower blood pressure. The theobromine in chocolate is what makes chocolate dangerous to some animals.Theobromine is a xanthine compound and also belongs to the same family as theophylline(which is also found in tea) and also to the same family as caffeine. These chemicals protect the cocoa tree and that is one reason why the cocoa tree is resistant to many tree diseases that other trees may suffer.

How Long does it take to make One Chocolate Bar?
The time it takes varies. Usually it would take about two to four days to get chocolate all ready and packaged. This even includes the tasting to see the product was good quality and alright to sell. Some types of chocolates would even take like weeks and months toali shape and make, depending on what type of chocolate they are.

**Where did the Idea of Chocolate Come From?**
The idea of chocolate started in the year of 1527. At that time Columbus and the Conquistador people were trying to bring the same object called chocolate. Chocolate was first brought to the country of Spain. Once it got famous in Spain, it was brought to Italy. After this it then was passed on to other countries and on the way also creating new ideas for chocolate as well.

Who Started the Idea of Chocolate?
The Mayans started chocolate. They had originally called it, Xocolatl, meaning bitter water. Xocolatl was made by crushing the seeds of the cocoa tree, adding hot water, and toss in some spices. It was thought to be healthy and was given to Aztec royalty. This drink was served to the royalty in a golden goblet and soon the Aztec had regarded this drink as the food of the gods. When the conquistadors came, they renamed the drink Chocolatl, meaning warm liquid.

How did Chocolate Spread Around the World?
Chocolate was taken back to Spain by a man named Cortez. He experimented with Xocolatl(see Who Started the Idea of Chocolate) and added sugar to sweeten it and fit it to the Spanish taste. Since he could not pronounce Xocolatl, he called it Chocolatl, meaning warm liquid. Soon, Chocolatl won many fans in Spain and it became the drink of the nobility. Chocolatl also received another new name, chocolate. The Spanish kept chocolate a secret from the rest of the world for about 100 years. The Spanish monks were in charge of keeping the secret of Chocolate. But when the Spanish monks traveled to France they accidentally let the secret out. Now chocolate is found all around the world.

What are the Different kinds of Chocolate in the World?
There are a lot of different chocolates in the world. Milk,dark,semi-sweet, Ghiradelli, Lindor, See's, and caramel chocolate are just some of the many different types of chocolate in the world. There are many types of chocolate and many different chocolate companies. Some of the most famous are Hersheys, Giradelli, Lint/Lindor, Dove, See's Candies, and Nestle. There are many, many different types of chocolate.

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**What Does Chocolate Come From?**
With all its lush wrapping and fine texture, it's hard to imagine chocolate as a bean in a forest. A cacao bean doesn't look as good as chocolate, but that's how it started! This wonderful creation starts out as a cacao bean in a forest. They grow on cacao trees that have a lot of requirements. Cacao beans grow in rain forests along the equator. This gives it exactly the right climate and environment. The cacao trees grow a lot better near other trees that give it shade. On the trees grow cacao pods, each holding about 60 cacao beans. The pods turn from green or maroon to yellow or orange when they ripen. These pods are grown by small farmers that can not afford to grow much. For this reason, the cacao beans are being considered as slightly valuable.

From Farm to Factory
You know how the beans are found and picked, but we don't just eat those beans raw, do we? These cacao beans are sent to big factories for the __real deal__... The actual process that makes this snack taste just right! Farmers put these delicious beans into a truck and ship them over to the nearest factory. Some of the most famous factories are Hershey's, Ghiradelli, Nestle, and Lindt/Lindor. These factories clean out the beans and then remove the unnecessary pulp. They then begin the roasting. The factories have big round rotating ovens to roast the beans in. This brings out the flavor in the beans, though the process can take 30-120 minutes! Roasting these beans makes them dry and turn a deep brown color, like coffee beans. They then begin the winnowing. A cone like machine cracks the beans open and blows away the shells. The remaining inside, or nibs, are then turned into a chocolate liquor. Big grinders grind the nibs to create a paste, thus making the liquor (containing no alcohol). After this process, the cocoa butter is screened out of the chocolate liquor. Then the chocolate is made into a powder and the necessary ingredients are added: sugar, milk, etc. This is churned until the mixture becomes kind of crumbly. Then this "crumb" is turned smooth by going under steel rollers. Workers have to get it at just the right thickness and smoothness. After this it is turned back into a paste. This process can take up to six days! The final process is tempering the chocolate. a machine rises and lowers the temperature so that it is just right. Then it is ready to be shipped to companies, who will put them in their molds, pack them, and eventually sell them.

The Benefits and Disadvantages of Chocolate
Everyone knows that there are bad sides of chocolate. This is why it is sometimes restricted, is never seen being consumed by people on diets, and is at the very top of the food pyramid. However, there are some good things about chocolate. In fact, in some cases, chocolate can benefit your health!
 * || The Good Side :D || The Bad Side >:D ||
 * || *chocolate does not causes cavities - it cleanses the teeth instead || *chocolate is a junk food and causes cavities ||
 * || *chocolate does not make you fat-the sugar in it does || *chocolate is supposed to make you fat due to all the calories in it ||
 * || *chocolate does not contain much caffeine || *chocolate makes people hyper due to the high amounts of caffeine in it ||
 * || *chocolate is considered a medicine that gives you energy but it is not to be used on animals || *chocolate is bad for animals as they can not control the chemicals that are in it ||
 * || *chocolate is considered slightly valuable because farmers that can's afford much grow cocoa beans || *chocolate causes diabetes due to all the sugar in chocolate ||

How and Why Can Chocolate Harm Animals?
It's a pretty true fact: chocolate can be fatal to animals. How do people survive it? And how come some animals are not harmed by it? The answer is an apparently fatal chemical named theobromine. Why don't chocolate makers remove it then? Well, theobromine occurs in the original cacao beans. (see what does chocolate come from by scrolling up) Although the effect varies by animal type,size,weight,type of chocolate, chocolate company, and amount that has been taken, you should be very careful. The most known effect is on dogs, because of its severity. The effect of chocolate on dogs can cause comas,seizers, or worse, kill. This deadly chemical comes from the same family as caffeine-which can also be harmful to dogs. If there isn't too much intake, the effects will be mild-just some digestive problems. But high intake can cause vomiting, having diarrhea, and even more. The reason humans can survive it is because our bodies are designed to absorb these chemicals that gives energy. Dogs and some other animals can't take it because of the amount of energy that they can take. Chocolate contains theobromine, a chemical similar to caffeine, and caffeine gives energy. Basically, that is why theobromine can harm animals. Below is a chart of how much chocolate can be taken by a dog before it dies, so **keep your dog safe!!!!**


 * Type of Chocolate: || How much Chocolate is needed: ||  ||
 * Milk Chocolate: || 1 oz. for every 1 lb. your dog weighs ||
 * Semi- Sweet Chocolate: || 1 oz. for every 3 lbs. your dog weighs ||
 * Bakers Chocolate: || 1 oz. for every 9 lbs. your dog weighs ||

=Chocolate! page 2=

EVAN has so much information that they need a new page! So click on the link above for videos, slide shows, and, of course, MORE CHOCOLATE!!!!

Chocolate! page 2 (click above link to go to Chocolate! page 2)
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