Monkey Chocolate - Chocolates

Chocolates

Chocolates Around the World

Each and every year an average of 3 billion pounds of chocolate is consumed. The beauty of it is that it can be enjoyed as a beverage or in cookies or (more commonly) candy. Originally most of the cacao that was shipped all over the world to satisfy the ever increasing demand for chocolates in particular came from Mexico. But now over half of the world's cacao comes from Africa and only 1.5% comes from Mexico. So who in the world is consuming all of the chocolates that start out as simple cacao?

The Taste for Chocolate Remains Largely A Western One

Although most of the cacao used for chocolates comes from Africa, hardly any of it stays there. In fact, the vast majority of it is exported. Asians do not seem to have much of a taste for even gourmet chocolates either, with the exception of Japan and China where its popularity is increasing. At this point the Chinese eat about one bar of chocolate for every 1,000 that the British consume.

In Mexico, it is not chocolates that are the most commonly eaten, but rather the drink that is mostly consumed at weddings and birthday parties for example. Mexicans use chocolate also as a spice and use it in the traditional mole sauce. Godiva chocolates and other chocolates have yet to make a very strong impression there!

Americans are one of the biggest consumers of chocolates. We eat an average of 12 pounds per person every year. That means that we as a nation are spending about $13 billion every year on the stuff. But the Europeans have still got us beat. Even as far back as the 18th century, Spaniards have been consuming 12 million pounds of chocolate every year. And 15 of the 16 highest per capita chocolate-consuming countries are in Europe. Switzerland takes the cake for being number one on that list. They don't call them European chocolates for nothing!

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