Chocolate is a typically sweet, usually brown, preparation of Theobroma cacao seeds, roasted and ground. It is made in the form of liquid, paste or block, or is used as a flavouring ingredient in other foods. Cacao has been cultivated by many cultures for at least three millennia in Mesoamerica. The earliest evidence of use of traces to Mokaya (Mexico and Guatemala), with evidence of chocolate drinks dating from 1900 BC.
After fermentation, the grains are dried, cleaned and toasted. The husk is removed to produce cocoa beans, which are then grinded to the mass of cocoa, unadulterated chocolate in rough form. Once the cocoa mass is liquefied by heating, it is called chocolate liqueur. The liquor can also be cooled and processed in its two components: cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Baking chocolate, also called bitter chocolate, contains cocoa butter and cocoa butter solids in varying proportions, with no added sugars. Much of the chocolate consumed today is in the form of sweet chocolate, a combination of cocoa solids, cocoa butter or added vegetable oils and sugar. Milk chocolate is sweet chocolate which also contains milk powder or condensed milk. White chocolate contains cocoa butter, sugar and milk, but contains no cocoa solids.
Cocoa solids are a source of flavonoids and alkaloids, such as theobromine, phenethylamine and caffeine. Chocolate also contains anandamide. Chocolate has become one of the most popular types and flavors in the world, and has created a lot of chocolate related food products, especially desserts that include cakes, puddings, mousse, chocolate brownies and crackers of chocolate. Many candies are filled or covered with sweetened chocolate, and solid chocolate bars and chocolate-covered chocolate bars are eaten as snacks. Chocolate gifts molded into different shapes (eg, eggs, hearts) have become traditional at certain Western festivities such as Easter and Valentine's Day. Chocolate is also used in hot and cold drinks like milk chocolate and hot chocolate and in some alcoholic beverages, such as cacao cream.
Although cocoa originated in the Americas, in recent years African nations have taken a leading role in cocoa production. Since the 2000s, West Africa has produced almost two-thirds of the world's cocoa, with Ivory Coast growing almost half that amount.