There are few foods that people feel as passionate about -- a passion that goes beyond a love for the "sweetness" of most candies or desserts: after all, few people crave caramel, whipped cream, or bubble gum. Chocolate is, well, different. For the true chocoholic, just thinking about chocolate can evoke a pleasurable response. You may want to grab a bar or make a nice cup of hot cocoa before you read further.

Many people believe that the Aztecs first developed chocolate. However, chocolate probably goes back to the ancient Mayans who inhabited what is now parts of southern Mexico and Central America. The word "cacao" is Mayan: as early as 500 A.D., the Mayans were writing about cacao on their pottery.

In 1828, a Dutch chocolate maker patented an inexpensive method for pressing the fat from roasted cacao beans. This created a "cake" that could be pulverized into a fine powder known as "cocoa." In 1849, an English chocolate maker produced what was arguably the world's first eating chocolate, but in the late 1800's the Swiss perfected the art by developing a number of processes including the use of powdered milk to make milk chocolate.

Chocolate has been said to cause acne and tooth decay, and has a reputation for being a fattening, nutrition-less food. On the other hand, chocolate is also known for being everything from an anti-depressant to an aphrodisiac. While there's still much we don't know about chocolate, recent research is helping us better understand how chocolate consumption affects our health. The good news is that most of the bad effects of eating chocolate are either overstated or entirely false. Eating chocolate neither causes nor aggravates acne. Chocolate also has not been proven to cause cavities or tooth decay.

One of the most pleasant effects of eating chocolate is the "good feeling" that many people experience after indulging. Chocolate contains more than 300 known chemicals. Scientists have been working on isolating specific chemicals and chemical combinations that may explain some of the pleasurable effects of consuming chocolate.

Caffeine is the most well known of these chemical ingredients, and while it's present in chocolate, it can only be found in small quantities. Theobromine, a weak stimulant, is also present, in slightly higher amounts. The combination of these two chemicals (and possibly others) may provide the "lift" that chocolate eaters experience.

Phenylethylamine is also found in chocolate. It's related to amphetamines, which are strong stimulants. All of these stimulants increase the activity of neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) in parts of the brain that control our ability to pay attention and stay alert.

So, why Chocolate? Because there's nothing else like it, and the demand for it continues to be tremendous.