Chocolate or “The food of the gods” Prune Fulton – Y4B

The history of chocolate The first people to make chocolate were the ancient tribes of Mexico and Central America, including the Incas, Aztecs and Mayans. They mixed ground cocoa seeds with various seasonings to make a spicy, frothy drink which they called ‘chocolatl’. The Aztecs called the cocoa beans “Food of the gods.” Aztecs and Mayans used cocoa beans as “money.”

How did chocolate get to Europe? Hernan Cortez was a Spanish explorer. He bought back the chocolate to Spain for the King to taste. The chocolate was not well received, probably because it was strong and bitter. So, he added sugar and other spices and the drink became quite popular.

Timeline BCCocoa is created. -6 th CenturyChocolate is used by the Mayans as a drink Mayans begin trade with the Aztecs and called it ‘Cacahuatl’ Chocolate becomes popular among the Aztecs Christopher Colombus presented cocoa to the Spanish King Hernan Cortez began a cocoa plantation Hernan Cortez brought chocolate to Spain Chocolate goes to market Cocoa beans are a currency in Spain too Chocolate is an Industry.

What is Fair Trade? There are a million of farmers all over the world who work hard to grow the cocoa beans. Sometimes farmers in developing countries don’t get a good price for their cocoa beans; the price can change suddenly and sometimes they ‘re very low. This means farmers often find it difficult to pay for all the essential things they need (like school books, or medicine.) That’s where Fairtrade comes in. Fairtrade is a way of making sure that these farmers can get a fair price for their cocoa beans. A fair price: The farmers receive a fair price from the company that bought their cocoa beans, which is enough for them to afford the essential things they need and have a fair standard of living.

Slavery in the chocolate industry In 2001, various sources revealed that children were being used as slaves in cocoa farms. More than ten years later, there are still over a million children working farms with little more than the torn clothes on their backs. Their hands and faces are often sliced with a machete scars, by cutting the cocoa pods. Most children can’t read or write and have never tasted the chocolate they produce for us.

Slavery in the chocolate industry Harkin-Engel Protocol signed in 2001 by major chocolate companies asked for the stop of child labor, but still… WHAT MUST WE DO? STOP BUYING THIS CHOCOLATE FROM THOSE COUNTRIES

Is chocolate healthy? YES!! It may improve your skin It boosts your brain It helps blood flow It makes you live longer It is nutritious But don’t eat chocolate too much, you could not enter in your pants anymore!!