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THESE ARE THE DIRECTIONS. DELETE THIS PART WHEN MAKING YOUR PAGE.

Skill Builder 1A - Topic:  Chocolate

Use the listed topic and accompanying text to create a simple web page.  You are not required to use all of the text. You just need to be sure to include the correct coding for each of the following requirements. 

1.  use a DOCTYPE declaration for transitional XHTML 
2.  use head tags correctly 
3.  declare character encoding in the head tag 
4.  use title tags correctly 
5.  use both paragraph and line break tags as appropriate 
6.  use a comment tag somewhere in the body 
7.  use both paragraph and line break tags as appropriate 
8.  use link tags to create an external link to the following websites
http://www.42explore.com/choclat.htm
http://www.fmnh.org/chocolate/
9.  use list tags to create an unordered list and set the symbol type (such as circle or square)  
10.  create named anchors that link to sections within the page 
11.  add a graphic of your choice. For ideas, go to http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic20.htm
12.  create an INTERNAL style sheet 
13.  create style rules for your internal style sheet. Set the font style for p, h1, h2, and h3. Also, be sure to include formatting for AT LEAST one font type, font style, font color, link font color.
14.  use headings including h1, h2, and h3 somewhere in your body.
15.  use an XHTML validator and indicate the validator used at the bottom of the page
16.  use a CSS validator and indicate the validator used at the bottom of the page

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Chocolate Mania

From candy bars and coffee to cookies and ice cream, chocolate is all around us.

The Popular Flavor

Chocolate is the favorite flavor of Americans. However chocolate is popular around the world. Europeans are known for their expensive specialty chocolates. Companies like Hershey's have made chocolate popular with everyone. Milton Snavely Hershey once said "Caramels are only a fad. Chocolate is a permanent thing."

The Cacao Tree

Chocolate beans comes from the dark, purple-colored seeds of the cacao tree. The scientific name of the cacao tree is Theobroma which means "food of the gods." Native to Central and South America, there are three main varieties.

Forastero. This common tree accounts for nearly 90% of the world's production of cacao beans.

Criollo. Cacao beans from these trees are the most highly prized because of their aroma and delicacy. The best chocolate makers from around the world seek out these beans.

Trinitario. This cacao bean is a cross between the Criollo and the Forastero.

The History of Chocolate

Although many people think that the Mayas developed chocolate around 500 A.D., some think chocolate may have been developed earlier by the Olmec civilizations. At was probably first consumed as a drink mixed with water and wine. The word chocolate was probably derived from the Aztec word chocolati. Christopher Columbus brought cacao beans back to Europe on his fourth voyage in 1502. While these beans were used as local currency in the Central America, the Spanish didn't see their value for many years. However by the 1800s, chocolate became commonly used in pastries, cakes, and sorbets. Today, the beans are grown on farms and send around the world.

Making Chocolate Candy

Chocolate production involves a number of steps including:

Drying. First, the beans are picked and dried.

Selecting. The best beans must be carefully selected by hand.

Roasting. The beans are roasted.

Winnowing. The hard outer hulls are separated from the nibs.

Grinding. Beans are mashed into a thick paste. Sugar and vanilla are added.

Conching. The mixture is heated to ensure even blending.

Tempering. The chocolate is heated and cooled until cocoa butter crystals are formed.

Molding and Packaging. The chocolate is pored into molds, cooled, and packaged.