Chocolate quiz

Are you a full-fledged chocoholic, or merely cuckoo for cocoa? Test your knowledge by answering true or false:

1. Chocolate first was used by the Aztecs, who munched on cocoa seeds for the stimulants they contained.

2. The Dutch brought chocolate to Europe.

3. Chocolate grows on a tree.

4. Chocolate is naturally sweet.

5. The biggest producer of chocolate today is Mexico.

6. Cocoa flowers are pollinated by tiny flies called midges.

7. Eating too much chocolate can cause acne.

8. Chocolate can be fatal to dogs and cats.

9. Eating chocolate can be good for your heart.

10. Chocolate contains more caffeine than coffee.

11. Eating chocolate causes cavities.

12. Chocolate is additive.

Answers

1. False. The Mayans are believed to be the first people who used chocolate, followed by the Aztecs.

2. False. The Spanish brought chocolate to Europe after their conquest of Mexico.

3. True. The tree grows only in tropical areas of the world.

4. False. Cocoa seeds are bitter.

5. False. Today 70 percent of cocoa is grown in Africa.

6. True.

7. False. No evidence exists that chocolates makes a difference in skin condition.

8. True. Chocolate contains theobromine, a stimulant that may cause harmful effects or even death in pets.

9. True. Chocolate contains flavonols — heart-healthy compounds also found in red wine, tea, fruits and vegetables — and fatty acids that may actually raise good cholesterol.

10. False. Chocolate contains significantly less.

11. False. Cocoa contains antibacterial agents that may fight tooth decay. Beware of the sugar, though.

12. False. No evidence exists that chocolate is physically addictive.

Note: Some information for this quiz was derived from fieldmuseum.org/chocolate, a website on the traveling chocolate exhibit The Field Museum in Chicago put together and debuted in 2002.