I LOVE CHOCOLATE!! It’s delicious and I can never get enough, so I wanted to do some research.  The scientific name for the lovely tree that chocolate grows on actually means “food of the gods.” The ancient Maya are the first people who grew cacao trees and drank chocolate. Later on chocolate became popular with the Aztecs. In fact, one Aztec emperor drank more than 50 cups of chocolate everyday. Chocolate was a drink before it was a candy bar. Interestingly enough, the first chocolate bar was made in 1847. Now the chocolate industry is worth BIG BUCKS, $100 billion per year.

One not so fun fact is that you may be eating insect parts in your candy bar….so if you have a chocolate allergy, this might be why! Even with bugs, chocolate can be good for you. The cacao beans have antioxidants and are rich sources of iron, copper, and magnesium. Chocolate is also good for the brain, and can improve thinking and put you in a better mood.

Quaker Oats, the maker of the Wonka Bar, wanted to promote it in the film “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” which is why the original title of the book, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” was not used in the movie. I guess anything to sell a candy bar.