About Cocoa and Cappuccino

The cacao tree takes 7 years to mature and produces for 20 years. The cocoa pod ripens in 6 months with a sweet, citrusy pulp. The beans are bitter because of their alkaloid (methylxanthines) content, and fermentation brings out the chocolate flavor. The cocoa bean is about 31% fat, 14% carbohydrate and 9% protein, rich in the amino acids tryptophan, phenylatanine, and tyrosine that are norepinephrine and dopamine precursors (which is why chocolate makes one feel good). The 400 chemicals that have been identified in the cocoa bean include: polyphenols (6%) including pyrazines, quinoxolines, oxazolines, pyrroles (tannins), pyridines, and the fiavonol proanthocyanidin; the amphetamine-like phenylethylamine; the methylxanthines theobromine (2%) and caffeine (1%); and 2% salts and 1% acids. 

Types of Chocolate

Bitter, the chocolate liquor to which vanilla may be added. 
Bittersweet, 35% (by weight) chocolate liquor with cocoa butter and sugar added
Semisweet (chips) also containing 35% chocolate liquor and 27% cocoa butter
Sweet chocolate, 15% chocolate liquor; milk chocolate (Swiss) with 10% chocolate liquor, 12% milk solids, condensed or whole milk, and 3% milk fat. 
White chocolate lacks cocoa powder and its chemicals.

Good Effects

A cup of hot chocolate containing two tablespoons of cocoa, and a 1.5-oz piece of milk chocolate (41g) have 146 mg and 105 mg total phenol respectively, compared with 210 mg in 140 ml red wine.

Allowable servings

Two to three chocolate bars per week, 1.5 oz each, or a daily cup of cocoa with added skim milk, will fit in a normal diet. Dark chocolate contains less fat, and cocoa contains 10% to 22% fat compared with 58% in chocolate. Equivalent in calories to the chocolate candy bar are: 2 pats of butter, 1 oz processed American cheese, 2 oz hamburger, and 3 cups of buttered popcorn, all containing cholesterol. 

Invention of cappuccino

Espresso machines were first made in Italy at the turn of the 19th century, when it became the custom to order an espresso (a very small cup of strong black coffee whose name suggested speed, pressure and the fact that it was made to order, 'expressly' for the customer). An espresso with a touch of milk is known as a macchiato ('marked'), and espresso can also be corretto ('corrected' with a dash of brandy or sambuca). The same machine could produce hot, foaming milk; when added to espresso, usually in a larger cup, its color reminded drinkers in Italy of the robes worn by the Capuchin monks, and it became known as cappuccino.

A new type of espresso machine appeared in 1945. This forced water through the grounds at even greater pressure, and the gurgling, hissing, shiny machines were soon found in every post-war coffee bar. The new machine, with a lever handle, allowed greater control of the strength of the coffee: customers could now order a strong ristretto ('restricted' pull, forcing less water through the grounds) or a more dilute lungo (with a long pull on the water, but the coffee is still served in a tiny espresso cup).

An even wider range of espresso drinks appeared in Seattle and San Francisco in the 1970s. Best known is caffé latte, a long glass of hot milk with a shot of espresso.