Chocolate and Candy Quiz: Sweet History and Facts

This chocolate and candy quiz unwraps the sweet history of cacao, from the Maya and Côte d'Ivoire's cocoa farms to Swiss milk chocolate, M&M's, Nestlé's Kit Kat, white chocolate, cotton candy and the PEZ mint. Ten questions, 90 seconds, answers explained.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 90 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 90s

Origins
Chocolate is made from the beans of which tree?
History
Which ancient civilization drank chocolate as a bitter, spiced drink?
Records
Which country is usually said to eat the most chocolate per person?
Candy
Which candy's name comes from the initials of Forrest Mars and Bruce Murrie?
Brands
Outside the United States, which company makes Kit Kat?
Types
Which kind of chocolate contains cocoa butter but no cocoa solids?
Candy
What was the job of William Morrison, who helped invent the cotton candy machine in 1897?
Production
Which country grows the most cocoa beans?
History
Which Swiss chocolatier created the first milk chocolate in 1875?
Candy
Which candy was first sold in Austria in 1927 as a peppermint for people trying to quit smoking?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Chocolate is made from the beans of which tree?
Answer: Cacao
Cacao pods grow directly on the trunk of the tree, and each holds 20 to 60 beans. The beans are fermented, dried and roasted before they become chocolate.
Q2: Which ancient civilization drank chocolate as a bitter, spiced drink?
Answer: Maya
The Maya and later the Aztecs mixed ground cacao with water, chili and spices. The Aztecs even used cacao beans as money.
Q3: Which country is usually said to eat the most chocolate per person?
Answer: Switzerland
The Swiss eat around 10 to 11 kilograms of chocolate per person each year. Switzerland is also home to famous makers such as Lindt and Toblerone.
Q4: Which candy's name comes from the initials of Forrest Mars and Bruce Murrie?
Answer: M&M's
M&M's went on sale in 1941, and their candy shell kept the chocolate from melting, which made them popular with American soldiers during World War II.
Q5: Outside the United States, which company makes Kit Kat?
Answer: Nestlé
Kit Kat was created by Rowntree's in York, England, in 1935, and Nestlé bought the company in 1988. In the U.S. it is made by Hershey. Japan has sold hundreds of Kit Kat flavors.
Q6: Which kind of chocolate contains cocoa butter but no cocoa solids?
Answer: White chocolate
White chocolate is made from cocoa butter, sugar and milk, so it has the fat of the cacao bean but not the dark solids that give chocolate its brown color and bitter taste.
Q7: What was the job of William Morrison, who helped invent the cotton candy machine in 1897?
Answer: Dentist
Dentist William Morrison and confectioner John C. Wharton introduced fairy floss at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, where it was a big hit.
Q8: Which country grows the most cocoa beans?
Answer: Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire produces around 40 percent of the world's cocoa, and neighboring Ghana is second. Most cocoa is grown on small family farms.
Q9: Which Swiss chocolatier created the first milk chocolate in 1875?
Answer: Daniel Peter
Daniel Peter spent years mixing chocolate with milk before succeeding, later using condensed milk made by his neighbor Henri Nestlé. Rodolphe Lindt invented conching, which makes chocolate smooth, in 1879.
Q10: Which candy was first sold in Austria in 1927 as a peppermint for people trying to quit smoking?
Answer: PEZ
PEZ comes from the German word for peppermint, Pfefferminz. The famous dispensers with character heads arrived after the candy reached the United States in the 1950s.

Chocolate and Candy Quiz – The Sweet History of Treats

Chocolate has a history of more than 3,000 years. It began in Central America, where the Olmec, Maya and Aztec peoples ground cacao beans into a bitter drink flavored with chili and spices. Cacao was so valuable that it was used as money, and chocolate drinks were served at religious ceremonies and royal feasts.

When Spanish explorers brought cacao to Europe in the 1500s, people added sugar and the drink became fashionable among the wealthy. The big change came in the 1800s, when inventors found ways to make solid chocolate bars. Swiss chocolatiers such as Daniel Peter and Rodolphe Lindt created milk chocolate and the smooth texture we know today.

Candy has its own colorful story. Cotton candy was popularized at a World's Fair, M&M's were designed not to melt and PEZ began as an Austrian mint for adults before becoming a children's favorite with collectible dispensers. Many candy brands date back more than a century.

Today chocolate is a global industry worth more than 100 billion dollars. Most cocoa is grown by small farmers in West Africa, especially in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, and there is growing interest in fair pay and sustainable farming.

This quiz covers the origins, science and history of chocolate and candy.

Making good chocolate takes more steps than most people imagine. Beans are fermented for several days, dried in the sun, roasted, cracked and ground into a paste called cocoa liquor. Makers then add sugar, cocoa butter and sometimes milk, and stir the mixture for hours before carefully tempering it so the finished bar snaps cleanly and shines.

What This Quiz Teaches

This quiz is a treat for anyone with a sweet tooth, from chocolate lovers to candy collectors.

Where chocolate comes from and how it is made
How ancient civilizations used cacao
Who created milk chocolate
How M&M's, Kit Kat and PEZ began
What makes white chocolate different
Where most of the world's cocoa is grown

Quick Facts About Chocolate and Candy

Chocolate melts at around body temperature, which is why it melts in your mouth.
Chocolate can be dangerous for dogs because of a compound called theobromine.
The Hershey's Kiss was introduced in 1907.
Gummy bears were invented by Hans Riegel, the founder of Haribo, in Germany in 1922.
Ruby chocolate, with a natural pink color, was introduced in 2017.
Halloween is one of the biggest candy-buying days of the year in the United States.