Chocolate vs. Vanilla (What you need to know)
There is a timeless discussion that many people who love sweets debate over. Chocolate or vanilla? One can choose either of these options in things like candy, ice cream, or baked goods. Some people like to imagine chocolate and vanilla as opposites, but in reality, they are very similar.
The origin of chocolate dates back to 450 BC. The Mayans believed that chocolate was a gift from the god of wisdom, Quetzalcoatl. They ate cacao seeds and used them as currency. It is said that when Hernan Cortes was in Montezuma’s court he was given chocolate, which he then brought to Spain where it was made into hot chocolate. Then from Spain, chocolate traveled the world. People everywhere loved chocolate, and it became a worldwide phenomenon. Today it is not as healthy as it was in the past but is still a beloved treat.
The Theobroma Cacao, also known as a chocolate tree, is Greek for “food of the gods.” This tree is related to cotton, okra, and durian. The part of the tree we eat is the seed. The chocolate tree is pollinated by a small fly called a midge. Chocolate contains serotonin, a chemical that makes people feel happy. That’s why people might say; chocolate is happiness you can eat. Chocolate is very interesting and a good topic to research.
Unlike the Mayans, we don’t eat chocolate as a seed. We eat it mixed with other ingredients as a sweet treat. To turn chocolate into candy you first have to clean the cocoa beans you pick. Usually, they go through a machine that gets rid of extra parts of the cocoa beans, like the pulp and pieces of the pod. Then the beans are blended. Next, they are roasted in large cylinders for two hours. After that, the shells of the cocoa beans are removed, and the nibs of the cocoa bean are grounded up. The cocoa butter is then separated from the cocoa. After all that work, the cocoa is still only a powder instead of a chocolate bar. To make it into chocolate the cocoa powder is mixed with some ingredients that turn it into a chocolate paste. The chocolate mixture is heated, cooled, and reheated. Then finally, the chocolate is done.
Vanilla originates from the Gulf of Mexico. It was first used by the Olmecs as a drink flavoring and as protection from evil spirits. The Totonaca used vanilla after the Olmecs. Like chocolate, vanilla was thought to be sacred and was a gift from the gods. Vanilla first arrived in Spain in the 1500s and was used as a perfume. It wasn’t until Hernan Cortes went to America in 1519 that he discovered its use as a flavor. Vanilla wasn’t grown outside of Mexico until the 19th century. Since then, it has become a product in high demand and is almost extinct.
Vanilla is often thought of like a bean. However, it is a fruit. Vanilla Planifolia is the only edible plant in the orchid family. It is related to those pretty little delicate flowers that are hard to grow. Vanilla, like its relatives, is also hard to grow. It used to be impossible to grow vanilla outside of Mexico because the only thing that could pollinate vanilla was the Melipona Bee native to Mexico. That all changed in the 1800s when an eleven-year-old boy with a stick, was able to hand-pollinate vanilla. Since then, it has been grown outside of Mexico but needs to be hand-pollinated.
The most common form of vanilla is vanilla extract. The process of making vanilla extract is a lot easier than for chocolate. However, you still have to be careful. First, you take some vanilla beans, then cut them in half. Next, you put your vanilla beans in a jar with alcohol. Then you shake the jar, put it in storage, and shake it every week. The longer you store it, the better it will taste. Finally, you have some vanilla extract to use whenever you need it.
Chocolate and vanilla could be seen as opposites. However, after examining the facts, a person could say they are also very similar. The bitter nature of chocolate and semi-sweet nature of vanilla has developed over time to become yummy flavors for treats. So instead of seeing chocolate and vanilla as the forces of darkness and light, fighting over the throne of sweets, you can begin to see them as the plants that people can’t get enough of.
