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Chocolate: A Marvelous Natural Product of Chemistry

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Ginger Tannenbaum

Fairfield, OH 45014

J. Chem. Educ., 2004, 81 (8), p 1131

DOI: 10.1021/ed081p1131

Publication Date (Web): August 1, 2004

Section:

History, Education, and Documentation

Abstract

Chocolate is a natural product as ubiquitous as television. Of course, it is eaten, but it is also found in air fresheners, marking pens, flavoring in a multitude of products including soda pop, and as an aroma in "chocolate-dyed" T-shirts. However, most of us are completely unaware of the complex chemical reactions that take place to produce chocolate and the necessary technology that has evolved to produce chocolate and all its byproducts. Processing results in a mixture of many components, an interesting contrast to most of the simple, one-step reactions introduced at the high school level. This article is a survey of chocolate from tree to table. After a brief introduction to the history of chocolate and how and where it is grown, the manufacturing process is examined, and the chemistry is explored. A bit of the jargon used in the industry is mentioned. Cocoa butter is a significant ingredient in chocolate, and an investigation of it introduces triglycerides, fatty acids, polymorphic behavior, and molecular packing of the fats in chocolate and how they affect the tempering process. There is a brief discussion of chocolate's non-Newtonian behavior and the resulting challenges presented in the manufacturing process.

Keywords (Audience):

General Public

Keywords (Domain):

History / Philosophy

Keywords (Feature):

Products of Chemistry

Keywords (Subject):

Natural Products

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This article has been cited by 3 ACS Journal articles (3 most recent appear below).

The Science of Chocolate: Interactive Activities on Phase Transitions, Emulsification, and Nucleation
Amy C. Rowat, Kathryn A. Hollar and Howard A. Stone, Daniel Rosenberg
Journal of Chemical Education2011 88 (1), 29-33
- The Science of Chocolate: Interactive Activities on Phase Transitions, Emulsification, and Nucleation
  Amy C. Rowat, Kathryn A. Hollar and Howard A. Stone, Daniel Rosenberg
  Journal of Chemical Education2011 88 (1), 29-33
  Nearly everyone loves chocolate, which makes this an excellent topic for communicating scientific concepts to the general public and to students in the classroom. Here we present the outline and activities for an interactive presentation on the science of ...
  Abstract | Full Text HTML | Hi-Res PDF | PDF w/ Links
JCE Classroom Activity #105. A Sticky Situation: Chewing Gum and Solubility
Ingrid Montes-González, Jose A. Cintron-Maldonado, Ilia E. Pérez-Medina, Verónica Montes-Berríos and Saurie N. Román-López
Journal of Chemical Education2010 87 (4), 396-397
- JCE Classroom Activity #105. A Sticky Situation: Chewing Gum and Solubility
  Ingrid Montes-González, Jose A. Cintron-Maldonado, Ilia E. Pérez-Medina, Verónica Montes-Berríos and Saurie N. Román-López
  Journal of Chemical Education2010 87 (4), 396-397
  In this Activity, students perform several solubility tests using common food items such as chocolate, chewing gum, water, sugar, and oil. From their observations during the Activity, students will initially classify the substances tested as soluble or ...
  Abstract | Full Text HTML | Hi-Res PDF | PDF w/ Links
Meet the Molecules in Chocolate: Informal Opportunities for Building Thematic Molecular Models with Children
Jennifer R. Amey , Matthew D. Fletcher , Rachael V. Fletcher , Alison Jones , Erica W. Roberts and Ieuan O. Roberts
Journal of Chemical Education2008 85 (10), 1361
- Meet the Molecules in Chocolate: Informal Opportunities for Building Thematic Molecular Models with Children
  Jennifer R. Amey , Matthew D. Fletcher , Rachael V. Fletcher , Alison Jones , Erica W. Roberts and Ieuan O. Roberts
  Journal of Chemical Education2008 85 (10), 1361
  We describe the development and use of a molecular model building activity with a chocolate theme, suitable for a public presentation of chemistry through interaction with visitors to science festivals and museums, and as a special classroom activity ...
  Abstract | Hi-Res PDF | PDF w/ Links