Short History of Chocolate

A ztec Indian legend held that cacao seeds had been brought from Paradise and that wisdom and power came from eating the fruit of the cacao tree. Because of a spelling error, probably by English traders long ago, the cacao beans became know as the cocoa beans.

The Spanish general, Hernando Cortes, landed in Mexico in 1519. The Aztecs believed he was the reincarnation of one of their lost gods. They honored him by serving him an unusual drink, presented in a cup of pure gold. This unusual drink was called "chocolatl" by the Aztecs.

When Cortes returned to Spain, he took the cocoa bean with him and there is was mixed with sugar and vanilla. this sweet drink became fashionable and soon there were chocolate houses in all the capitals of Europe.

A delicate tree, cacao is only grown in rain forests in the tropics, usually on large plantations, where it must be protected from wind and intense sunlight. The tree is harvested twice a year.

Milk chocolate was invented in 1876 by a Swiss chocolatier, Daniel Peter (1836-1919) of Vevey, Geneva. Daniel Peter successfully combined chocolate with powdered milk to produce the first milk chocolate. Today, the finest chocolate is still made in Switzerland, and the consumption of milk chocolate far outweighs that of plain chocolate.

Chocolate was introduced to the United States in 1765 when John Hanan brought cocoa beans from the West Indies into Dorchester, Massachusetts, to refine them with the help of Dr. James Baker. The first chocolate factory in the country was established there.

Exercises

1. Read and translate the text.

2. Now answer these questions

1. Do you find it difficult to remember people’s names?

2. Do you think it’s important to learn to cook?

3. What’s the most interesting place to visit in your town?

4. Have you ever forgotten to turn off your mobile in a cinema or a concert?

5. Do you think it’s possible to learn a foreign language without going to the country?

6. Is there any part of your town where it’s dangerous to go at night?

7. Do you always remember to phone your friends on their holidays?

8. When was the last time you promised not to come home late?

9. Have you ever pretended to be ill?

10. Have you decided to go anywhere next summer?

3. Look at the picture and write what you see and how it has been made. Use gerund or infinitive.

4. Food processing. Translate the text into your own language

M ost foods we eat have been processed. Processing changes the raw farm product into a form people can consume. Many processes – such as pasteurization, canning, drying, and freezing are done to preserve the food product. Food can also be preserved by a process called irradiation that uses radiation to kill bacteria. Some processes improve the quality of food. For example, homogenized milk does not separate and tenderized beef steaks are easier to eat.

Fresh eggs, fruits and vegetables may be only washed and sorted before they the market. Or may be dried or frozen. Fruits and vegetables also may be canned or pickled or used to make juice.

Meat packers slaughter cattle, hogs, and sheep. They then prepare the fresh meat for shipment to market. Meat packers also can, cure, freeze, and smoke meat, and they make it into sausages. Processors also slaughter and prepare chickens, turkeys, and other poultry for market. Large amounts of fish and shellfish are cleaned and marketed fresh. Processors also can freeze or pickle certain kinds fish and shellfish. Dairy plants pasteurize and homogenize milk. Most dairies also add vitamins to milk. In addition, dairies make butter, cheese, ice cream, and yogurt from milk.

Processors manufacture many foods from basic plant and animal materials. For example, they make sugar from sugar beets and sugar cane, syrup from corn and cooking oil from peanuts, soybeans, and various other plants. Other manufactured foods include synthetic and convenience foods. Processors developed margarine – which generally is made from corn, cottonseed, safflower, or soybean oil – as imitation butter. They make egg substitutes from egg whites and other ingredients. Processors use cooked meats and vegetables in canned and dried soups, frozen dinners, and canned and frozen casseroles. They combine dried eggs, flour, sugar, and other foods in packaged dessert mixes.

Many processors add chemicals called additives to foods. Various kinds of additives may be used in foods to improve or retain some quality, such as its color, flavor, nutritional value, or storage life. Additives require approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).