The Chemistry of Chocolate

What is it about chocolate? No other food rivals its ability to tantalize and tempt
us, and it is said that chocolate is a surrogate for love, a gift provided to us by the
Aztec gods. This lecture will initially explore the procedures that transform the fruits
of the cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao L.) to the chocolate products available
today. A great deal of science and engineering is necessary to process the
cocoa beans to control the texture and flavor of the final product. The macroscopic
properties of the complex mixture that is chocolate will be related to the
molecular structure of its ingredients. Later we will explore the active components,
such as theobromine, that are responsible for the stimulating properties of
cocoa products. Are there negative health effects related to chocolate? Is there
really “death by chocolate”?