Chocolate

Chocolate is a foodstuff, originating from the cocoa bean. Chocolate is often used in savory desserts.

Chocolate originated in Mexico and was used by the Aztecs. A chocolate beverage that was the precursor to hot chocolate, but stronger, was a popular drink among them. Montezuma drank around 40 cups of this beverage a day. Chocolate was spread to the Old World after Hernan Cortes conquered Mexico and traded cocoa beans to Europe in exchange for European goods as part of the Columbian exchange. Soon, chocolate was extensively used in desserts and drinks.

Nowadays, chocolate is most often eaten in the form of candy bars or hot cocoa. There is a common belief that chocolate is bad for people's health and that it causes acne. In actuality, however, chocolate contains large amounts of healthy antioxidants, and food is not a cause of acne.