EigoPro 2級 読解 — The Story of Chocolate

The Story of Chocolate Today chocolate is sold almost everywhere, from tiny village shops to grand hotels. Most of us think of it as a cheap, sweet treat. Yet for most of its long history, chocolate was neither sweet nor cheap. Its story stretches back more than three thousand years to the rainforests of Central America. There, ancient peoples were the first to discover that the beans of the cacao tree could be made into a drink. This early chocolate was very different from the bars we know today. The beans were roasted, ground, and mixed with water and spices such as chili, producing a bitter, foamy drink. It was so highly valued that the beans were even used as money, and the drink was often reserved for rulers, priests, and warriors. When Europeans arrived in the Americas in the sixteenth century, they carried cacao back across the ocean. At first the bitter drink did not suit European tastes, so people began adding sugar and, later, milk. For two hundred years, chocolate remained an expensive luxury enjoyed mainly by the rich. Everything changed in the nineteenth century, when new machines made it possible to produce solid chocolate bars quickly and cheaply. For the first time, ordinary people could afford it. Behind the sweetness, however, lies a less pleasant truth. Much of the world's cacao is grown by small farmers who are paid very little, and some farms have been criticised for poor working conditions. Today a growing number of shoppers look for "fair trade" chocolate, which promises a better deal for farmers. The next time you unwrap a bar, it is worth remembering the long and surprising journey it has taken to reach your hand.

新規登録 または ログイン が必要です