History of Chocolate

North Carolina Testing Program
EOG Grade 8 Reading Sample Items

History of Chocolate
from World Cocoa Foundation

Chocolate Through the Years
While they took chocolatl back to

Spain, the idea found favor and the drink
The story of chocolate, as far back as
underwent several more changes with newly
we know it, begins with the discovery of
discovered spices, such as cinnamon and
America. Until 1492, the Old World knew
vanilla. Ultimately, someone decided the
nothing at all about the delicious and
drink would taste better if served hot.
stimulating flavor that was to become the
The new drink won friends, especially
favorite of millions.
among the Spanish aristocracy. Spain wisely
The Court of King Ferdinand and
proceeded to plant cocoa in its overseas
Queen Isabella got its first look at the
colonies, which gave birth to a very
principal ingredient of chocolate when
profitable business. Remarkably enough, the
Columbus returned in triumph from America
Spanish succeeded in keeping the art of the
and laid before the Spanish throne a
cocoa industry a secret from the rest of
treasure trove of many strange and
Europe for nearly a hundred years.
wonderful things. Among these were a few

dark brown beans that looked like almonds
Chocolate Spreads to Europe
and seemed most unpromising. They were

cocoa beans, today’s source of all our
Spanish monks, who had been
chocolate and cocoa.
consigned to process the cocoa beans, finally
The King and Queen never dreamed
let the secret out. It did not take long before
how important cocoa beans could be, and it
chocolate was acclaimed throughout Europe
remained for Hernando Cortez, the great
as a delicious, health-giving food. For a
Spanish explorer, to grasp the commercial
while it reigned as the drink at the
possibilities of the New World offerings.
fashionable Court of France. Chocolate

drinking spread across the Channel to Great
Food of the Gods
Britain, and in 1657 the first of many famous

English Chocolate Houses appeared.
During
his
conquest of Mexico, Cortez
9
The hand methods of manufacture
found the Aztec Indians using cocoa beans in
used by small shops gave way in time to the
the preparation of the royal drink of the
mass production of chocolate. The transition
realm, chocolatl, meaning warm liquid. In
was hastened by the advent of a perfected
1519, Emperor Montezuma, who reportedly
steam engine which mechanized the cocoa
drank 50 or more portions daily, served
grinding process. By 1730, chocolate had
chocolatl to his Spanish guests in great
dropped in price from three dollars or more
golden goblets, treating it like a food for the
per pound to within the financial reach of all.
gods.
The invention of the cocoa press in 1828
5
For all its regal importance, however,
reduced the prices even further and helped
Montezuma’s chocolatl was very bitter, and
to improve the quality of the beverage by
the Spaniards did not find it to their taste.
squeezing out part of the cocoa butter, the fat
To make the concoction more agreeable to
that occurs naturally in cocoa beans. From
Europeans, Cortez and his countrymen
then on, drinking chocolate had more of the
conceived of the idea of sweetening it with
smooth consistency and the pleasing flavor it
cane sugar.
has today.

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North Carolina Testing Program
EOG Grade 8 Reading Sample Items

The 19th Century marked two more
Growing the Cocoa Bean
revolutionary developments in the history of

chocolate. In 1847, an English company
Cocoa beans are the product of the
introduced solid “eating chocolate” through
cacao tree. The origin of the cacao tree is in
the development of fondant chocolate, a
dispute. Some say it originated in the
smooth and velvety variety that has almost
Amazon basin of Brazil, others place it in the
completely replaced the old coarse-grained
Orinoco Valley of Venezuela, while still
chocolate which formerly dominated the
others contend that it is native to Central
world market. The second development
America.
occurred in 1876 in Vevey, Switzerland,
Wherever its first home, we know the
when Daniel Peter devised a way of adding
cacao tree is strictly a tropical plant thriving
milk to the chocolate, creating the product
only in hot, rainy climates. Thus, its
we enjoy today known as milk chocolate.
cultivation is confined to the lands not more

than 20 degrees north or south of the
Chocolate Comes To America
equator.


In the United States of America, the
The Need For Shelter
production of chocolate proceeded at a faster

pace than anywhere else in the world. It was
The cacao tree is very delicate and
in the prerevolutionary New England–1765,
sensitive. It needs protection from the wind
to be exact–that the first chocolate factory
and requires a fair amount of shade under
was established.
most conditions. This is true especially in its
12
Chocolate has gained so much
first two to four years of growth.
importance since that time, that any
A newly planted cacao seedling is
interruption in its supply would be keenly
often sheltered by a different type of tree. It
felt.
is normal to plant food crops for shade, such

During World War II, the
as banana, plantain, coconuts or cocoyams.
U.S. government recognized chocolate’s role
Rubber trees and forest trees are also used
in the nourishment and group spirit of the
for shade. Once established, however, cacao
Allied Armed Forces, so much so that it
trees can grow in full sunlight, provided
allocated valuable shipping space for the
there are fertile soil conditions and intensive
importation of cocoa beans. Many soldiers
husbandry.* Cacao plantations (trees under
were thankful for the pocket chocolate bars
cultivation), and estates, usually in valleys
which gave them the strength to carry on
or coastal plains, must have evenly
until more food rations could be obtained.
distributed rainfall and rich, well-drained
Today, the U.S. Army D-rations include
soil.
three 4-ounce chocolate bars. Chocolate has
As a general rule, cacao trees get their
even been taken into space as part of the diet
start in a nursery bed where seeds from
of U.S. astronauts.
high-yielding trees are planted in fiber

baskets or plastic bags. The seedlings grow
so fast that
in a few months they are ready for
transplanting, container and all.

*husbandry: farming



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North Carolina Testing Program
EOG Grade 8 Reading Sample Items

The First Fruit
The fruit, which will eventually be

converted into the world’s chocolate and
With pruning and careful cultivation,
cocoa, has green or sometimes
the trees of most strains will begin bearing
maroon-colored pods on the trunk of the tree
fruit in the fifth year. With extreme care,
and its main branches. Shaped somewhat
some strains can be induced to yield good
like an elongated melon tapered at both
crops in the third and fourth years.
ends, these pods often ripen into a golden
Everything about the tree is just as
color or sometimes take on a scarlet hue with
colorful as its history. An evergreen, the
multicolored flecks.
cacao tree has large glossy leaves that are
At its maturity, the cultivated tree
red when young and green when mature.
measures from 15 to 25 feet tall, though the
Overlays of clinging moss and colorful
tree in its wild state may reach 60 feet or
lichens are often found on the bark of the
more.
trunk, and in some areas beautiful small
The potential age of a tree is open to
orchids grow on its branches. The tree
speculation. There are individual trees
sprouts thousands of tiny waxy pink or white
known to be over 200 years of age, but no one
five-petaled blossoms that cluster together
has determined the real life span of the
on the trunk and older branches. But, only
species. However, in 25 years the economic
3 to 10 percent will go on to mature into full
usefulness of a tree may be considered at an
fruit.
end, and it often becomes desirable to
replant with younger trees.

“History of Chocolate” from the World Cocoa Foundation (www.chocolateandcocoa.org), © 1999-2004 World Cocoa
Foundation. Used by permission.


1.
Which word best describes chocolate
2.
How did the Spaniards react when
in Europe before 1492?
first introduced to chocolate?
A
coarse
A
They did not like it.

B
bitter
B
They used cocoa beans as

currency.
C
luxurious

C
They shared it eagerly with other
D
unknown
nations.


D
They rewarded the Aztecs who

introduced them to it.


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Published April 2008. May reproduce for instructional and
educational purposes only; not for personal or financial gain.

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North Carolina Testing Program
EOG Grade 8 Reading Sample Items

3.
In paragraph 5, what does concoction
6.
How did European processing methods
mean?
affect chocolate?
A
gift
A
It became cleaner, safer, and

healthier.
B
mixture

B
It became sweeter, smoother, and
C
medicine
milder.

D
treatment
C
It became more costly, less

available, and more desirable.



D
It became more stimulating, more
4.
In paragraph 5, what does the author
harmful, and more expensive.
mean by “regal importance”?


A
value as a money crop


7.
In paragraph 12, what does the author
B
needed to maintain good health
imply would happen if people could

not buy chocolate?
C
impression on the invading
Spaniards

A
They would be upset.

D
use as a refreshment for royalty
B
They would find substitutes.



C
They would experience fatigue.

5.
In paragraph 9, which kind of
D
They would become
transition does the author mention?
undernourished.

A
from nutritious bean to unhealthy

dessert



B
from uneven or inferior quality to
excellent quality

C
from specialty product to widely
available product

D
from a cheap product to an
expensive product



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Published April 2008. May reproduce for instructional and
educational purposes only; not for personal or financial gain.

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North Carolina Testing Program
EOG Grade 8 Reading Sample Items

8.
What is the best reason for having
9.
How were the Spaniards’ addition of
this selection on a chocolatier’s Web
flavorings and sweeteners to
site?
chocolate, the English production of
fondant chocolate, and the Swiss
A
Internet
customers
need
invention of milk chocolate similar?
assurance about the product’s
quality.

A
They were attempts to make the

product affordable.

B
Buyers of gourmet chocolates
might like to grow their own.
B
They made the product appeal to

European tastes.

C
Chocolate lovers would be
interested in chocolate’s history.
C
They
were
additions made for the

sake of purity and health.
D
Cacao tree farmers want to know
about markets for their crops.
D
They made the manufacturing

process less costly.





End of Set


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Published April 2008. May reproduce for instructional and
educational purposes only; not for personal or financial gain.

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EOG Grade 8 Reading Sample Items


Question
Correct

Objective
Selection Title
Number
Answer
Thinking Skill
Number






History of Chocolate
1
D
Analyzing
2.01





History of Chocolate
2
A
Analyzing
2.01





History of Chocolate
3
B
Analyzing
6.01





History of Chocolate
4
D
Analyzing
2.01





History of Chocolate
5
C
Analyzing
2.01





History of Chocolate
6
B
Analyzing
2.01





History of Chocolate
7
A
Analyzing
5.01





History of Chocolate
8
C
Generating
2.01





History of Chocolate
9
B
Analyzing
2.01



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Published April 2008. May reproduce for instructional and
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