Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1912-08-16

ducers. Fernando Pc, by the way, is another
small island, of only $50 square miles, not far
from Africa 1t once Portuguese, but is now
Spanish
The British possessions have become remark
able producers of cacao in recent years. In the
West Indies they include Trinidad Jamaica, Gren
ada, St. Lucia and Dominica; in Africa the Gold
Coast and Lagos while in the far east Is Ceylon
which seems to specialize in crops that appeal to
the unalcohoc tastes of the modern.
The principal constituents of the cacao bean
are: ~ alkaloids: (2) starch and sugars; c3)
albuminous matters; az cacao butter, together
with various mineral substances The alkaloids
are complex organic substances which are re-
sponsible for the stimuant effects OF cacao; caf
feline Is one of them but appears in lesser amount
than In coffee or tea, and there Is variable guam
tity of theobromine, which is not very unlike caf
feline; starch is present in the proportion of about
to 10 per cent, while real sugar (glucose), at
least In the bean itself, shows only about onehalf
of / per cent, although the starch may be con-
verified preparation of cacao advances; albu
mnous matters about to IL per cent; fats, OF
which butter is the essential, from 45 to
something over so per cent; the mineral sub
stances are phosphoric acid, potash and magnesia
Other analyses may be found made yet for
practical purposes this statement is accurate
enough There Is a delicate substance called
"cacao red" which is colorng matter. and this.
with theobromine is said to give to Its
characteristic taste
Such proportions of nutrient ingredients are by
no means a perfect food. 1t may be shown that
100 parts of cacao nibs contain heat givers equiva
lent to 1872 parts of starch, while the flesh form
present amount to about II parts; or in other
terms one pound of nibs Is more than
equal in fiesh-formingx constituents to 1 pound of
lean mutton chop, but pound of cacao nibs can
not be eaten drunk at time-it would be
quite indigestble-so that argument be
based upon It's theoretic food value. The amount
of cacao butter. however important in itself. is
also of little service in this connection although
1t has other and much higher values in COM
merce; 1t would therefore be wasted II reserved
for food alone.
The great advantage cacao has over similar
substances. where also experience fails to sup
port theory is the fact that in the form Of choco
late where the fats retained, the palatabty
and assmilability OF sugar mixed with 1t very
much enhanced. Not so many years ago the drink
called chocolate thought to be reckless
dissipation for one who had no regard for his
was quite as pernicious as to eat tomatoes and
with quite much reason. Tomatoes were once
declared a poison, but today they considered
a very wholesome vegetable Chocolate once
an exotic and bizarre drink, told about by trav-
elers who had yentured into Mexico or Spain. but
today II is ordered In the sick room. and.
at least In the form of from which the fats
have largely been removed It is considered both
digestible and nourishing. Candies and pastry
with chocolate were practically taboo to we'll
brought-up children. and the adult who INDUCED