An Outline on the History of Chocolate (an Informative Speech)

Chocolate

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the goodness of chocolate.

Central Idea: Chocolate is one of the oldest treats enjoyed by many people.

Introduction

I. Attention Getter: By a show of hands, how many people love chocolate?

II. Credibility Statement: I have loved chocolate ever since I was a little girl. I have enjoyed the different tastes, textures, and styles of it.

III. Reveal Topic and Relate to Audience: Chocolate is one of the oldest treats enjoyed by many people.

IV. Preview: I want to share with you the history of chocolate, types of chocolate, and some benefits from eating chocolate.

(Transition: Let's start with the history of chocolate.)

Body

I. Chocolate's history started over 2,000 years ago. It began in the tropical rainforests of Central and South America from the seed of the cacao tree. This small tree grows best in the tropical atmosphere because it receives the best amount of rain, shade, humidity, wind, and nutrients.

A. According to Susan J. Terrio, the author of Crafting the Culture and History of French Chocolate, the first people known to have made chocolate were the ancient cultures of Mexico and Central America. These people, including the Maya and Aztec, mixed ground cacao seeds with various seasonings to make a spicy, frothy drink. This was the very first way that chocolate was consumed.

B. When the Spanish conquered the Aztecs, they brought the cacao seeds back home to Spain.

1. The chocolate drink was very popular in Spain. It then spread to Europe where new technologies and innovations changed the texture and taste of chocolate.

2. By the mid-1700s, the blossoming Industrial Revolution saw the emergence of innovations that changed the future of chocolate.

(Transition: Now that you had a taste of the history of chocolate, let's now explore the many types of chocolate.)

II. There are many types of chocolate.

A. According to Allen M. Young, the author of The Chocolate Tree: A Natural History of Cacao, there is five different types of chocolate.

1. The five different types are chocolate liquor, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, semisweet chocolate and bittersweet chocolate.

2. The make up of each are as follows:

a. Chocolate liquor or unsweetened chocolate is made with just the pure cocoa bean.

b. Dark chocolate is chocolate without milk.

c. Milk chocolate is chocolate with milk powder or condensed milk.

d. Semisweet chocolate is dark chocolate with high sugar content.

e. Bittersweet chocolate is unsweetened chocolate with sugar, cocoa butter and vanilla.

B. As the expansion of chocolate continued, more ingredients were added to enhance