3 Fascinating Facts about Chocolate

By Kaz Bosali

Chocolate! A guilty pleasure for all of us, and a treat for those with a sweet tooth. What most people don’t appreciate is that it has a rich history and the industry that it has evolved into. Here are 3 facts on chocolate that will leave your mind blown.

Humans discovered chocolate 4,000 years ago

Our love affair with chocolate began when the Olmecs (in present-day Southern Mexico and Central America), cracked the code on how to eat the bitter seed cacao, where it grew in abundance.

Chocolate has been used as medicine

Who says chocolate is unhealthy! Due to the sugar content, this might be unexpected but it’s true. It has ingredients and properties that can aid the body in the healing process. Throughout history, it has been prescribed to underweight patients to help them gain weight, and it has components that’ve been used to soften extremely dry skin.

Chocolate is a multibillion pound industry

It seems little has changed in the 4,000 years as our love of chocolate shows no signs of slowing down and is increasing year on year. The chocolate industry globally is worth an estimated $130 billion and 40-50 million people rely on chocolate as their livelihood.

If this isn’t enough, our documentary showcases the history from the very beginning, to the industry it spurred and how it was embraced by the world. Watch The Story of Chocolate here.

To read our study guide on a comprehensive history of chocolate, click here.