Chocolate

High school (ages 12+)
Food & Cooking

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/chocolate

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name of cacao tree?Theobroma cacao, meaning 'food of the gods'
2. What is the primary cacao producing continents?Africa (over 70%), Asia, and the Americas
3. What is chocolate made from?Chocolate comes from cacao beans, the seeds of the cacao tree. The beans are roasted, ground, and mixed with cocoa butter, sugar, and sometimes milk to make chocolate.
4. Why did chocolate change from a bitter drink to a sweet treat?When Spanish explorers came to the Americas, they added sugar and honey to the bitter cacao drink, making it sweeter and more popular in Europe.

Theobroma cacao: The scientific name for the cacao tree, whose beans are the source of chocolate.
Cacao Nibs: Roasted and crushed cacao beans, the fundamental ingredient for chocolate liquor.
Tempering: A precise heating and cooling process that gives chocolate its smooth texture and glossy appearance.