Exercise
Tap all the highlighted words in the story below to see their definition. ⇩For some, it’s a source of comfort. For others, it’s a part of every celebration. A lot of us probably can’t imagine life without it.
We’re talking about chocolate, of course.
Read on to learn a bit about this famous treat!
The early days
There’s evidence that chocolate was enjoyed by ancient Mesoamericans around 1900 B.C. It began as a bitter drink which was then flavoured with honey, chili peppers, and other spices.
Because it’s an energizer, a mood enhancer, and an aphrodisiac, chocolate was thought to have mystical powers. Some cultures even worshipped a god of cacao!
Did you know?
- To make about two kilograms of chocolate, it takes 400 cacao beans.
- The tree that produces cacao beans is called Theobroma Cacao, which means “food of the gods.”
- About 70% of cacao comes from West Africa.
- Cacao beans were so valuable that Mesoamericans used them as currency!
Decadent desserts
Many people will tell you dessert isn’t really dessert without chocolate. If that sounds like you, here are a few mouth-watering dishes to try!
Brigadeiro
Made for all kinds of celebrations, this Brazilian treat is basically a sweet ball of soft fudge made of cocoa powder, condensed milk, and butter; it’s typically covered with sprinkles. It’s impossible to eat only one!
Religieuse
If you go to France, remember to taste the religieuse! This dessert is made of two pastry shells filled with chocolate or mocha cream. The shells are covered in ganache and joined together with buttercream frosting.
Sachertorte
This Austrian specialty is one of the most famous desserts in Vienna. It’s a dense chocolate cake with apricot jam spread between its layers and dark chocolate covering the top and sides. Sachertorte isn’t complete without a dish of unsweetened whipped cream!
Nama
Nama, created in Japan, is a smooth, creamy ganache. It’s cut into squares and sprinkled with cocoa powder. You can sometimes find nama in unique flavours like matcha, mango, and even wasabi!
Churros con chocolate
If you’ve tried fresh Spanish churros, you know they’re an amazing treat: Crispy yet soft, and covered in cinnamon and sugar. Now imagine adding chocolate. Churros con chocolate are served with a dish of rich, dark chocolate dip to make your churros even tastier!
Share your favourites
Time to share! Which dishes would be on your list of amazing chocolate desserts?
Death by Chocolate Comprehension
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In Argentina we love “chocotorta”, it’s made with cream cheese, coffee, dulce de leche, and a kind of buscuits called “chocolinas” wich give the chocotorta its tipical taste.
That sounds like a delicious dessert!
In Italy there many dessert with chocolate as “cake caprese” and “millefoglie”.
I love dark chocolate
The desserts sound delicious!
Thank you Andrea and George! I love dark chocolate and Sachertorte is one of my favorite, but all the desserts you listed are so inviting to be tried!!!
You are so welcome, Cristina 🙂
🥭 Hi Andrea, thank you for this little sweet moment.🍫 Hmmmm, the chocolate…. that’s true it goes up the mood. I love chocolate, but chocolate doesn’t like me. Whole my chilhood, chocolate made me sick. Not because, I ate it a lot, no, one square was enough to make me sick. Today, I have found THE chocolate fits for me. The true, without milk, without add. I can eat it and it’s only happyness. 🤗 I don’t like buttercream, but I like the pastry cream that you find in the religieuse. I like chocolate fondue where you dip fruits. The… Read more »
Thank you so much for sharing all this information. I hope you enjoy eating some chocolate today 🙂
I love brigadeiro!
It sounds great!