Chocolate most commonly is found in dark, milk, and white varieties, each with its own unique flavor, and most people have their own preferences as to what they like best. For me it’s all about milk chocolate, especially when it accompanies peanut butter, and that could be ice cream or the coveted Reese’s peanut butter cups. Chocolate is a commodity I have apparently taken for granted over the years.
In week 3 we completed a Contemplative Practice involving chocolate. This practice allowed me to realize the sheer amount of labor that accompanied the production of my beloved treat. Cacao farmers and local children that are enlisted to assist gather the seeds of the cacao trees, which are then fermented, the beans are dried, cleaned, and roasted. The shell is removed to produce cacao nibs, which are then ground powder and sold in its most authentic form, with farmers making little to nothing in the process.
It was interesting to learn that the supply of chocolate may not outlast the demand, that chocolate is something the world may run out of it someday and yet we are still consuming it at an alarming rate.
As I sat at my computer with a piece of Hersey’s milk chocolate in front of me while learning of its production, thinking about how it would taste, I was anticipating feeling differently about chocolate once I was able to eat it. The chocolate however tasted just as it always had. It was smooth and melted in my mouth, creamy and sweet. I enjoyed eating it, even in its simplest form, it was delicious. Although being more aware of its creation and the hardships behind its transition from seed to chocolate I was unfortunately un-phased in my overall opinion chocolate and the way its made. This did however inspire me to take a deeper look at chocolate in hopes to learn something else that I may have not thought about.
Below is an interesting article of interesting facts regarding chocolate. I hope you enjoy!
https://www.buzzfeed.com/allisonwild/my-mind-is-blown?utm_term=.oimDe6ZlK#.jbyRr081X