30 Facts about Chocolate - mental_floss on YouTube - List Show (304)

A weekly show where knowledge junkies get their fix of trivia-tastic information. This week, John looks at some delicious facts about chocolate.
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[@darjanator]

Poisoned in the Name of Chocolate sounds like an awesome name for an album.

[@homefreylf]

Another fun Danish translation from Harry Potter is that Gilderoy Lockhart is named Glitterik Smørhår- which literally means 'butter hair'.

[@HouseMDaddict]

The bishop learned to never get between women and their chocolate haha. It's true, especially during the time of the month when chocolate is crucial for survival.

[@FiniteAtticus]

Chocolate - the best way to get your daily allowance of lead.... But I love it so much!

[@chach9572]

Stfu, that's only in Mexico.

[@TheOriginalEviltech]

I prefer my lead from car wheel balancing weights. The taste of thousands of miles of dirt and grime really appeals to me.

[@talideon]

That's because Ireland, the UK, Switzerland, and Germany all have significantly better chocolate than the US.

[@orangemann2492]

that's mean :-(

[@talideon]

Heather Vastakis Not mean, but a sad fact. It's not there aren't good chocolatiers in the US, just that the mass produced stuff, like Hershey's, is rubbish.

[@mckinleymadison493]

British chocolate tastes like dirt

[@talideon]

mckinleymadison493 Well, nothing is to everybody's taste. If you don't like it, fair enough.

[@HouseMDaddict]

toblerones! and yeah swiss chocolate is awesome

[@alexandrujuncu]

Hello John and Mental Floss team, Please take this as a kind request and not just a rant but.. Would you please start using also metric units on the show? I know it's not popular in the US, but remember that KZbin is world wide and most of the world doesn't get the US measurements. Not asking to only use metric because it would be unpopular to US views. But please use both so that people like me don't get confused mid sentence because of not being able to understand what you say. Thank you!

[@tianacross6475]

I'm from the US, but I don't live there, so I've used the metric system for all my life. The US measurements are just plain weird.

[@Sunborne187]

Or at the very least use both systems.

[@joshuaminton7583]

for god sakes looks it up

[@alexandrujuncu]

@@joshuaminton7583 "just look it up" is not a positive attitude here because you are missing the points. When you are watching something you don't want to get to a point when the flow breaks and need to pause to go somewhere else to find out what the presenter meant. It's like saying that if every 10 words, presenter uses a word in an unknown language and that you should look it up in the dictionary. Sure, you could, but it's easier if it's in a language everyone in the conversation understands. I can only wish that we get to the point where everyone uses the same units of measure but until then my request is to at least use both. Thanks

[@realspacemodels]

My father was in an airport about 20 years ago and had a little time between flights. He went to a newsstand and said "I'd like a nickel candy bar please". The lady behind the register said "Nickel candy bars are now a dollar and we charge a dollar seventy-five". He says he knew then, he had become old.

[@AlltimeNumbers]

Only 99g of chocolate eaten each year per person in China. That's a really surprising fact!

[@CharlotteMulcahy]

I think it's like 80%

[@Naiadryade]

I could be totally wrong, but I'm guessing that this actually means that most Chinese people don't eat any chocolate at all, but then a minority (possibly mostly in Hong Kong??) eat a an amount closer to what everyone eats in the US.

[@Riyokintyu]

***** That sounds off to me. When I was there I saw an awful lot of flavored milk and yogurt drinks. It was nowhere near the amount of different tea drinks, but I regularly saw people drinking them.

[@Naiadryade]

***** Some people were saying that they thought Chinese people don't eat chocolate because they are lactose intolerant, and a lot of chocolate has milk in it. Riyokintyu's point was to dispute the alleged percentage of people in China who are lactose intolerant.

[@SuperSMT]

Lactose intolerance is actually the norm, lactose _tolerance_ is the mutation. It started in Northern Europe, and spread from there - so many Chinese and parts of Africa end up being mostly lactose intolerant.

[@blmackenzie]

John may be my spirit animal!

[@KitCat898]

*Fish from SpongeBob* "CHOCOLATE! CHOCOLATE! CHOOOCCLLLAATTEE!!!"

[@soggytortillla]

WHAT WHAT DID HE SAY

[@KitCat898]

HE SAID THEY'RE SELLING CHOCOLATES

[@soggytortillla]

You need these chocolate bar carrying bags!

[@VoidPetsBack]

That character is unnamed, being called Incidental 6 on the wiki. spongebob.fandom.com/wiki/Incidental_6?mobile-app=false

[@cmd2tuts]

If a non-communist government wont allow ITS CHILDREN to protest the rising price of candy then I don't know why we aren't all communist. The surviving members of that protest deserve an explanation and an apology.

[@Thindorama]

Druidtton Darksun no its communist cause the free market should get to determine the price of anything not ignorant kids or anyone else for that matter

[@cmd2tuts]

Thindorama I did not say that it wasn't communist. I only suggested that it might not be a bad thing. Imagine that.

[@Thindorama]

Druidtton Darksun its oppressive, i dont care what one individual thinks is bad or good but as long as an individuals or even a groups decisions get to reign supreme its oppressive

[@cmd2tuts]

Thindorama You said, "as long as an individuals or even a groups decisions get to reign supreme", this could be every single decision that anyone has ever made under any circumstances ever, including in democratic elections, so your point makes no sense. Government and law is oppression, that is their point. You don't care about the opinions of an individual, then why do you care enough about your opinions to voice and defend them on the internet? You're an individual too. Point in place: You don't know what you're saying and have no way of winning this argument. Good day to you and I hope you won't respond.

[@butternutsquashpie]

Thindorama first comment "no its communist cause the free market should get to determine the price of anything not ignorant kids or anyone else for that matter" communists cause the free market? lolwut.

[@xenagabbyxena]

I like chocolate, but I don't like chocolate flavored stuff, like ice cream.

[@RepDuval]

Wha...What's wrong with you?

[@chillsahoy2640]

I'm the same. Chocolate ice cream just tastes..off, somehow. However, vanilla ice-cream with chocolate chips or chocolate chip cookies, that's fine. I hypothesize that it's the chocolate flavoring they use that I dislike, since chocolate itself is delicious.

[@ExternalDialogue]

I get sick by just a few peices

[@jdlgrishanne]

Same here. I think chocolate ice cream tastes like what you would get if you burned your chocolate.

[@RepDuval]

I don't think you guys have ever tried any of Ben & Jerry's chocolate ice creams.

[@kaizoebara]

Halloren Schokoladenfabrik is in my hometown! They have a museum with adjecent shop where they sell the chocolate at reduced prices.

[@eleonorasmith4612]

Easter - you buy chocolate for ppl, YOURSELF included - most chocolate sold. Valentine - you buy chocolate for someone else that you care about - second most chocolate sold. Halloween - you buy chocolate for strangers - least chocolate sold :D

[@amyattard9873]

John Green ..you are one of the best authors ever 💚💛💜💙 Your amazing!!! 👏👏

[@MeggieMags]

As an Edmontonian, I can say that learning about the candy bar strike is important in elementary. I had to write a paragraph on how I would react if the same thing happened today when I studied the picket.

[@cathe8282]

My mother used to talk about the protest you mention in #18!! She remembered a chant that went "Don't be a dope! I'd rather eat soap than an 8 cent chocolate bar!"

[@TheNascomplex]

So, I didn't learn this until THIS MOMENT. This is the same guy that wrote "The Fault Our Stars". Ashamed I didn't realize sooner.

[@wanderlustlovelace]

The chocolate ration went UP from 30 grams to 25g per week! Thank you Big Brother!

[@SilkeH6]

I'm mildly upspet Belgium wasn't mentioned even once. Honestly it's kind of a trend with these videos. They're super interesting, but incredibly US-centric. Can we have some about Europe or other continents?

[@GraceIsMyFace1]

German, Swiss, Uk and Ireland eat the most chocolate because we have the most delicious chocolate!!

[@leukocyteofdoom]

that bishop clearly had it coming though

[@juststeveschannel]

Stupid owls? But owls are generally regarded as being wise . . . so they're some kind of oxymoronic blend of wisdom and ignorance? I don't know; there's some kind of joke in there somewhere but it's probably pretty sophomoric.

[@chach9572]

You used some big words... Compensating for something?😑

[@InorganicVegan]

Captain Sarcastic Perhaps compensating for the lack of vocabulary among most people? :p

[@NovemberCrystal]

***** I'm danish, but whenever people used 'plat' it was never for meant for anything flat though it does mean that. (We mostly use the word 'flad' for that) It has a tons of different meanings depending on context. Like in a coin toss heads or tails (plat eller krone) Or for something simple or shallow. (likely the one John alluded to.) Or derogatory, or for trickery and political fraud (plattenslageri)

[@rabbitos]

***** But why do they get turned into owls in the Danish version? They're frogs :(

[@winni8220]

Z00L0GY It has notting to do with owls. It's a word for impersonator or a person that tricks people. But my guess is that the word originates from the compitation of the word "plat" meaning to deceive and "Ugle" because they are smart. So "platugle" means a person that is good at deceiving people.

[@borbalafadare9076]

I LOVE CHOCOLATE!!!!!😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@prczek02]

we watched this today at english class and it was like the best english class i ever had

[@Anaaewp]

That bishop had it coming. Don't touch a woman's chocolate, dude. That's what keep us going.

[@4plainlimbs]

I'm pretty sure i speak for the whole world outside of (North) America. Can you please say everything in metric? (kg's etc) or say both! 250 lbs means nothing to me. keep it up!

[@Robin-qf5dp]

Or at least use the same units for the two things he is comparing! 24lbs compared to 99g didn't mean an awful lot to me. I mean I know 24lbs is bigger but I have no idea how much bigger.

[@alec8182]

Lots... A lot bigger. A newborn is usually about 6 pounds I belive. So imagine 4 newborn babies

[@MiriaJiyuu]

4plainlimbs Disclaimer: I'm about to mock you a bit, don't take it personally, I was never actually offended by your statement, I'm just bored. Hi, I'm Canadian. In case you aren't aware Canada is located on the North American Continent. I'm now going to tell you that only 3 countries in the world do not use the metric system. They are not the 3 located on the North American Continent. 2 of them are tiny 3rd world countries located in Asia and the last is the United States. Canada and Mexico both are countries that make sense and use the metric system. So, I'm going to amend your statement and say "I speak for the whole world outside of the United States to please either give your measurements in metric or, since you are US based, to please display the equivalent weight in the metric system on screen for those of us who have no clue what you mean" This post was brought to you in complete mockery and unpleasantness (and also delivered in a joking manner because it is 3 AM and I'm mostly amending your statement out of boredom not actual offence) in order to say 'Please recognize Canada uses a logical measurement system and not one where originally a foot varied in length every time there was a new King' Now I'm going to bed before someone in Australia beats me to it.

[@4plainlimbs]

thanks for the clarification, i do know that, but the colloquial term for USA is North America,at least to me. Please accept my humble apology from a silly Scot.

[@MiriaJiyuu]

4plainlimbs ah, well, care in doing that. Some people here don't appreciate being grouped with our southern neighbour. I'm not one, but I know several. For now though, I'll accept your humble apology and return a sincere Canadian sorry for the wording of the previous post, even though I put the disclaimer on it. Just remember it is said witha slight down turn of the head and spoken in a tiny shy tone. That's a Canadian Sorry. Sorry, I'm sarcastic at 4 AM.

[@Warheads2Foreheads]

You are John Green. Thus, this was a great video.

[@wholeNwon]

OMG, I finally learned something important from "Mental Floss": I thought Snickers was the Mars' family dog. Now I know better and wonder how I could possibly have wallowed in such ignorance so long. Thank you!

[@lalosour5274]

4:30 That pyramid is not Aztec... it's Mayan. And Moctezuma does not drank chocolate, he drank "Pozol" a beverage made from cacao and corn, without any sugar.

[@butternutsquashpie]

>Industrial revolution - 0:36 >Battersea powerplant lolwut Also: Pink Floyd Animals.

[@rjfaber1991]

Even funnier considering he then says "during the early 1700s"...

[@DavePoo]

butternutsquashpie Nothing screams industrial revolution like a picture of a 1930's Power Plant, right?

[@butternutsquashpie]

Dave Poo Lmfao. Exactly. I love how a [now] useless building is so influential that it goes back to influence its own history.

[@jacqykc]

There's a short children's novel based on the 1947 chocolate strike, called "Maggie and the Chocolate War" :)

[@Naiadryade]

That last fact made me think of the movie Chocolat.

[@Uchixxxx]

I had to rewatch the chocolate frog fact four times because I couldn't understand what you were saying in Danish, haha!

[@deborahmckinney1770]

I worked in a local family owned candy factory one summer in my late teens. One thing people asked me about is those white marks sometimes found on chocolate. It's harmless. All it means is that the chocolate was cooled down too low.

[@superpcstation]

That sony hack joke was hilarious.

[@SavvyScribblin]

Well, now I'm craving chocolate. Thanks a lot, Mental Floss. XD

[@linkleisure]

UK "chocolate " manufactures were almost ordered to remove the word chocolate from their packaging as there was so little if any chocolate inside. American and Canadian chocolate has even less coco in it , its mostly wax, might as well put a candle wick in it .

[@cherylcampbell9369]

Good dark chocolate (at least 70%), unsweetened black tea, and thc are my best medicines.

[@highdough2712]

Something I have been curious about for a long time; why does he always say, "And I return to my salon...", when he's been there the entire time. What am I missing?

[@hannahvlevene]

Kudos to Lindt for doubling an average Swiss or German's chocolate intake!

[@hughchester]

Curse the ones who do not like the chocolate! There's more of them than you think...

[@spacemonster7051]

I like stuff that isn't entirely chocolate but has chocolate in it, like Cake or cookies, but straight chocolate is just, ugh...

[@Thoomas2001]

Hugh Chester Not liking chocolate isn't a reason to curse on people. XD

[@BooksStuffbooks]

I like it, but I don't like the after taste

[@InorganicVegan]

As someone who doesn't like chocolate, go fuck yourself.

[@ThingMaBobJimmy]

Diana Peña I support your statement.

[@TheJulestjerne]

"Platugle", what a wonderful Danish accent

[@iaml3642494]

Can't wait till Easter because of the chocolate. I loooooooooooooooooooooooooove chocolate : D

[@nemesis962074]

Interesting that while mentioning Moctezuma, am Aztec emperor, you showed a picture of Chichen Itza, a Mayan pyramid.

[@Mu51kM4n]

gosh darn it, John, now I need chocolate...

[@user-ve4qt3uj3r]

Can I get a playlist of all John Green episode of mental floss please?😂😂😂

[@TheChirp333]

Candy is delicious.

[@GroovySauce]

Poor Domo. Good one John. :)

[@beescakefactory]

thanks for reminding me to be awesome. i always forget

[@madi32]

I was going to write something intelligent but my brain's gotten all mushy because I love chocolate sooo veeery much.

[@Daniel1307AR]

Am I the only person who noticed that when talking about Moctezuma II, an Aztec emperor, they used a photo of the Mayan pyramid Chichen Itza?

[@1Royce1]

Guys, Cadbury with a U.

[@satansamael666]

Chocolate needs to be the new bacon strip! It's just sweet!

[@irishman6414]

Why does he say "I return to my salon"? At what point did he leave?

[@InorganicVegan]

I don't know. Someone, answer this.

[@irishman6414]

Yeah, this really makes no sense.

[@InorganicVegan]

Unless... Is he a wizard?

[@irishman6414]

It would make as much sense as anything else.

[@irishman6414]

Yeah, but he stays there for the entire video.

[@legendary176]

CHOCOLATE! CHOCOLATE! CHOCOLATE! I want some now. Question: When can we start emailing chocolate?

[@jaypillsbury843]

I'm currently suffering from a wicked cough. I guess I should have some chocolate, then.

[@LetsGetLifted420]

One of my friends hates chocolate with a passion. Thinks it taste exactly like shit and I feel so bad for him. He'll never know how awesome chocolate is!

[@betwixt2215]

Wait.... is chocolate considered candy, or is everything that is non-chocolate but still sweet called candy? This might be a common problem or (most likely) I'm just being stupid.

[@PinkThorn242]

No mention of how the formulation of the Tropical Bar made it so hard it was impossible to actually chew?

[@thinker8682]

Nutella is the best !

[@cosmasindico]

The Snickers bar was NOT invented by Frank C. Mars, but by his son, Forrest who was the real genius behind Mars candies.

[@rpandya97]

That fish from Spongebob wants each chocolate fact.

[@lunadashyolexandro4648]

Incredible

[@Nerales_]

Wow, I live like 5 minutes away from Ladysmith! :P

[@RhiannonEmily]

Oh man now I want some chocolate!

[@tegantalks9612]

Yay! They mentioned my home town… viva la resistance of expensive chocolate! Ps I can get chocolate bars for $0.69

[@cecilialeni3664]

The image of fact #20 (about the AZTEC ruler Moctezuma) is actually the MAYA pyramid from Chichen Itza...

[@kmaglion]

Controlled trials are capable of establishing causation, John. You can safely say that eating chocolate improves your memory. Assuming N and effect size are high enough, and p is low enough. Once it's been replicated.

[@randersbagne]

John thant you for your fine danish (Joking, it was horrible) But NF's in Denmarks still loves you!

[@mimiiokay]

This made me crave chocolate (luckily I had a hershey's bar in my freezer)

[@joshl1350]

Dark chocolate is the best chocolate ever

[@colmnicholl8598]

*Dank chocolate

[@Czxvkq]

The toilet scene in Trainspotting had chocolate splattered all over the walls instead of... you know...

[@eleonorasmith4612]

A lot of cocoa beans farmers haven't tasted chocolate and even don't know what their harvest is used for exactly.

[@yambaopaula]

Really shocked they didn't add a Nutella fact in there.

[@jennyramirez4957]

Poison him! In the name of chocolate!

[@theleastcreative]

I'm definitely eating chocolate right now

[@calebsussman753]

John's Back!!!!

[@stizan24]

Why would you want to eat less pizza? I love the seared ahi tuna and gnocchi over at pinstripes because it is salty, and hot, and garlicky, and tuna is awesome. Now my mouth is watering and I still have about two months before u can go and get some. It is on their summer menu.

[@arturogonzalez1165]

John, a small correction on fact number 20, the image used is from Chichen Itza, a Pre-columbian Mayan city not Aztec (But lets blame the error on Mark :P ). Apart from that, Great video!

[@samramdebest]

70% of people would give their password if bribed by chocolate. But most of them would even do it when not bribed. It has been done on a Belgium TV show, you just need to say it is for research and lots of people will give you the password, and some of them will even tell for what accounts the passwords are.

[@C0RNL0RD]

An academic study where you're given a bunch of chocolate and then a bunch of pizza? WHERE ARE THESE STUDIES BEIND HELD AND HOW DO I GET INTO ONE!?

[@troe2339]

Wow. Denmark mentioned twice in this video :O

[@arunkhanna7210]

Any other nerdfighters watch this right after hankgames

[@bkohn]

Me!

[@ShadowedCross]

31. Chocolate is delicious.

[@hvadad]

Good job on murdering the pronunciation of the danish "stupid owls" love the video though :)

[@Wired4Life2]

One shouldn't be consuming much during Mass anyway, but that's an awesome final fact. ^_^

[@sh0shin]

no, john, we cannot all agree that candy is delicious.

[@zoek192]

No. 24, WTF...That is insane!!

[@cherylcampbell9369]

Mmmm....chocolate. Sick in bed today. I'm thinking chocolate would cure me.

[@ReginaAnnRod]

I love how then next list show is gonna be facts about pigs!!! Gotta build up that Staff Pork Chop Party Fund, John!!!

[@JessRushworth]

I think you'll find it's Nestlé - pronounced Nest-lay.

[@rjfaber1991]

***** In 'Murica, you've also managed to turn "day-trwah" into "dee-troit" for Detroit, "or-lay-añ" into "or-leens" for New Orleans and "bwaaz" into "boy-zee" for Boise. I'm not sure that makes the US the worldwide authority on correctly pronouncing French names...

[@JessRushworth]

***** it's originally a French company so that's how it's pronounced

[@JessRushworth]

***** then stop using French words ;)

[@MatthewSchooley94]

Jess Rushworth For most of those, we're not the ones who named those places in the first place. If you'd look up your history, you'd find that Detroit and New Orleans were originally settled by French colonists, and became part of the US later on. And also, I find it kinda odd that you say that when the French language has also adopted English words.

[@JessRushworth]

Matthew Schooley I'm not 100% serious ;) anyway, I was saying it purely because its a proper noun so it only has one pronunciation :)

[@cecilialeni3664]

Since cacao and chocolate come from Mesoamerica I would have liked more facts about the early history - in stead of facts about factories. Like, how maya rulers had special vessels incribed with glyphs with the name and titles of the ruler and describing what type of cacao drink it would contain. Also, the 'Moctezuma' fact had an image of a maya pyramid 😒 love the show, though!

[@smaz1400]

who else immediately craved Cadbury Creme eggs after the opening?

[@redwood1133]

If you wana know smthing amazing take a pack of m&m’s put them in a bowl and microwave them for 30 seconds and the insides melt and not the shell.... dont burn the shell...its liquid chocolate w a hard shell...i dont eat them any other way. Enjoy!

[@happypiano8397]

I buy mine at Walmart :) green n blacks organic, ah so gud

[@martiplay6393]

in honor of easter... i´m watching this 2 years after the publish 3 days before easter

[@sojunikkyu]

There was a huge theological debate in the XVI and XVII centuries in Mexico and Spain over the question if chocolate was a beverage or food. And by huge I mean literally huge, even the Pope intervened. At the time, people only drank chocolate, so if it was a beverage it could be consumed during Lent; if it was a food it could not. The solution? If chocolate was made with water and sugar, it was a beverage and could be consumed during Lent. If it was made with milk or flour, it was a food. Oh, the Christianity!

[@aguyfromdenmark]

Someone outside Denmark mentioned Denmark!!!!

[@CalvinKaralus]

I was eating chocolate while watching this