The True History of Chocolate

Comments:

1. Olemc civilization began about 1500-400 B.C
2. Some believe it was probably Olmec who first made chocolate from cacao.
3. There were many gods such as Maize God (the main god), Rain God, Opossum God, Cacao God, and more.
4. Cacao appears several times in Popol Vuh.
5. Cacao also appears in the far less artistic Madid Codex.

Questions:

1. What is "nixtamalization"???
2. How many gods are there in total???
3. Which god comes after Maize God???
4. What did each god mean???

Vocabulary:

1. Masonry- the craft or occupation of a mason.
2. Ethnohistoric- a branch of anthropology dealing with the development of cultures, as through the analysis of archaeological findings.
3. Obsidan- a volcanic glass similar in composition to granite, usually dark but transparent in thin pieces, and having a good conchoidal fracture.

Literary Terms:

1. ...Popol Vuh, but then we know that we do not have complete version of the epic, at least as it was known to the Classi Maya.
2. ...delicately painted and carved ceramic vessels testify to the artistic as well as material...

Overveiw:

1. This chapter is about the history of Olmec. Also the birth of Cacao. It lets the reader know where Cacao appears.

Comments:

1. Van Houten invented "cacao butter" or "cocao butter" from the fat of the cacao nibs.
2. Cacoa butter is a valuable commodity because, in addition to its role in the production of high-grade chocolate it has many uses in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
3. Interacting with female harmones in a way that produes incredible premenstrual cravings for chocolate.
4. The most extensive medical study of chocolate is by a French eloctor, Herve Robert, who published a book in 1990 called "Les vertus therapeutique dy chocolat".
5. Robert disproved any possiblity that choclate could cause migraine, ance, obesity, and tooth decay.

Questions:

1. What does the cacao bean contain???
2. What are alkaloids???
3. What does theobrime do???
4. What makes Robert believe chocolate doesn't cause migarine, ance, obesity, and tooth decay.

Vocabulary:

1. Phenylethylamine- An amine, C8H11N, that has pharmacological properties similar to those of amphetamine, occurs naturally as a neurotransmitter in the brain, and is present in chocolate and oil of bitter almonds.
2. Serotomin-
3. Commodity- an article of trade or commerce, esp. a product as distinguished from a service.

Literary Terms:

1. Its reputation as an aphrodisiac goes back as far as the European conquest of Mexico...
2. It is found, along with caffeine, in the kola nut of Africa, which bestowed its name, as well as its alkaloids...

Overveiw:

1. The chapter is about how chocolate is compared to medical problems in good or bad ways. Also the thoughts about Dr. Roberts.

The True History of Chocolate

Comments:

1. The Cacoa tree played a role in fashion, the flowers from the small cushions on its trunk and on the larger branch, were patterns known as "cauliflory".
2. A cacao tree in Comalcalco, Tabasco, Mexico, has the pods grow directly from the trunk of the tree.
3. The pods take some 4-5 months to reach a full size, and then another month to ripen completely.
4. The seed must stay between 113 and 122 in order to make chocolate.
5. There are four principal steps to produce the cacao, which are to ground into chocolate. They are (1) fermentation, (2) drying, (3)roating, and (4)winnowing.

Questions:

1. How do workers know when the pods are completely ripen???
2. How do workers know the exact temperature in order for it to become chocolate???
3. What color are pods suppose to be in order to know that they're completely ripen???
4. How do workers know the seeds are completely germinated???

Vocabulary:

1. Crillo-
2. Cauliflory- is clearly a response to ecological niche in which the cacao plant flourishes: the damp, shaded understory.
3. Forastero-

Literary Terms:

1. Cacao, like any other long-culivated plant, has many varieties, and their distribution, as well as that of the wild plant...
2. The problem was to identify a tree as "wild" rather than as a feral "escape"...

Overeview:

1. The chapter is about the foundation on making chocolate. Also how the cacao was useds for other things besides producing chocolate, such as "coco butter" we use on our body.

The True History of Chocolate

Comments:

1. Theobroma Cacao, chocolate, is known as "the food of gods".
2. Chocolate was popularized in coffee houses.
3. Chocolate was introduced to Europe, where it became the stimulating drink of Kings.
4. Aswedish man named Linnaeus gave the name Theobroma Cacao to the chocolate tree and the meaning.
5. The word "Cocoa" was often used in British English to refer to "chocolate".

Questions:

1. Who were the gods that Linnaeus had in mind when he gave Theobroma Cacao its definition???
2. Where were the coffee houses located???
3. In what year did Linnaeus give the chocolate tree a name???
4. How many gods were there???

Vocabulary:

1. Barbaric- uncivilized; primitive
2. Commodities- an article of trade or commerce, esp. a product as distinguished from a service.
3. Defatted- To remove fat from

Literary Terms:

1. ...if it does not get it, it sheds its otherwise evergreen leaves in a protest that is described as looking like autumn in New England.
2. ...(an eagerness that was doubled by the fact that among the Aztecs cacao beans were used as money as well as foodstuffs)...

Overeview:

1. The chapter of the book was basically about how Theobroma Cacoa got its name and defintion. Also about how it became very popular all over the world. Linnaeus was the master mind behind the name and definition. Who knows who the gods were, but him.

The True History of Chocolate

Comments:

1. The first people that were known to discover the cacao were the Mayans.
2. They took the tree from the rainforest and grew it in their backyards.
3. That's were they hardvested, fermented, roasted, and ground the seeds into a paste.
4. To make the spicy chocolate drink they mixed water, chile peppers, cornmeal, and other ingredients.
5. For these people chocolate wasn't only a drink or food, it also played an important role in their religious and social lives.

Questions:

1. How did the spicy drink taste?
2. How did chocolate play an important role in their religious and social lives?
3. How long did it take for the cacao to grow?
4. Did this drink help them with any health problems?

Vocabulary:

1. fermented- Something, such as a yeast, bacterium, mold, or enzyme, that causes fermentation
2. cacao- A small tropical American evergreen tree
3. frothy- Of, like, or having froth; foamy.

Overview:

The Mayas were known to be the first to discover the tree. They took they tree from the rainforest and re-grew it in their own backyards. They made the drink by using water, chile peppers, cornmeal, and other ingredients. Later, the Spanish conquistadors brought the seed to Spain, where the new reipes were created. The popularity of the drink grew and spread throughout Europe. Ever since the new technology changed the texture and taste of chocolate. And is still one of the world's favorite flavors.

The True History of Chocolate

Comments:

1. Chocolate came from a tree called " The Caco Tree".


2. The tree was discoverd 2,000 years ago in the tropical rainforest of the Americas.


3. The pods of the tree has seeds that can produce into chocolate.


4. Chocolate grew from local Mesoamericans.


5. Mesoamericans drank chocolate as a beverage.

Questions:

1. How did they discover the tree?
2. How did they know what was in the pods or if they were poisonous?
3. Who were the first to discover the tree?
4. What else did they use chocolate for besides a beverage?

Vocabulary:

1. pods- A dry, several-seeded, dehiscent fruit.
2. encompasses- To form a circle or ring around; surround
3. Mesoamerican- A member of one of the various peoples inhabiting Mesoamerica

Overview:

Chocolate was basically discovered 2,000 years ago. It was seed of pods that came from a tree called the cacao tree, in the tropical rainforests of the Americas. Back then chocolate was mainly used to drink. The Mesoamericans mixed ground cacao seed (chocolate) with a lot of seasonings to make a spicy, frothy drink.

Go Ask Alice (5/4//3/2/1)

Comments-

1. I thought on the day of Alice's birthday, she was going to be excited, but she wasn't.
2. I can relate to Alice when it is about school and exercising; we both think school is basically dumb and boring, and we both need help with exercising and eating right.
3. Alice really wants to be considered important and popular.
4. Alice s when her parents bug her, but now they are starting to be cool.
5. Alice gets over Roger and goes on a date with a boy name Scott.

Questions-

1. Where are Alice and her parents moving to???
2. Why does Alice want to lose more weight after losing more than 7 pounds she gained before???
3. Who are Tim and Alex???
4. What does a Dean of Political Science do???

Vocabulary-

1. slugabed- a sluggard
2. repine- to feel
3. indolent- lazy

Literary Terms-

1. "He's as excited as a little boy...."
   
2. "I've put on seven ugly, fat, sloppy, slobby pounds...."

Overview-

Alice's world is turning up side down, as she's beginning to move into her new home. Everything is becoming better for her. As of school she's starting to become more interesting as of before she d it. Now her and her mother are getting better and they both are changing their ways. She got over Roger, he said "hi" to her, but she kept on walking. A boy named Scott asked her out to the movies and she likes him, but is upset that she has to leave.