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Chocolate is any of a group of foods that originate from the bean of the tropical cacao tree. It has a distinctive flavor that is among the most popular in the world, and it is used in many types of desserts and other sweets, including cakes, pies, cookies, ice cream, puddings and candies. Chocolate was long used in the Mayans and Aztecs in Central America and Mexico as a beverage and in sauces, and it was brought to Europe by the 16th century explorer Cortez. It was not until the early twentieth century that it processed into bars for eating and use in cooking. Today, cacao beans are produced in many tropical areas, particularly in West Africa. Chocolate has a complex chemistry which is still not well understood. However, in addition to tasting good, it is suspected that it can have health benefits, at least in the case of high quality chocolate that does not contain any milk products or trans fats. So-called white chocolate is a mixture of sugar, cocoa butter, lecithin and vanilla as well as milk solids in lower quality versions. It is not officially classified as chocolate because there is no chocolate liquor in it, and thus there is very little chocolate flavor. The word chocolate comes from the Nahuatl words xocol meaning bitter and atl meaning water. Created October 25, 2006. |