Cacao is a tree, native to South America, whose seeds are the source of cocoa and chocolate.

The U.S. produces more chocolate than any other country but the Swiss consume the most, followed closely by the English.

 The average American eats 10-12 pounds (4.5 kg) of chocolate a year. The average Swiss eats 21 pounds (9.9 kg) a year. Despite the fact that the average swiss eats 21 pounds (9.9 kg) of chocolate, they have the lower incidences of obesity and coronary heart disease in Wester Europe. Whereas the United States consumes half less, they have the highest lean body mass index in the Western world.

(Pretty intense, wouldn't you say so? Read on for more interesting chocolate facts!)

Several medical studies show that eating chocolate in moderation can actually prolong your life by reducing risk of blood clots and fighting bad cholesterol.

The Midwest and the Northeast U.S. States consume more candy per region than the South, Southwest, West or Mid-Atlantic states of the U.S.

Chocolate is the food most commonly craved by women.

Ready for more chocolate facts?

 Americans prefer milk chocolate, but dark chocolate's popularity is growing rapidly.

U.S. chocolate manufacturers use 3.5 million pounds of whole milk every day to make chocolate.

Chocolate manufacturers currently use 40% of the world's almonds and 20% of the world's peanuts. (whoa... pretty interesting chocolate facts there, no?)

As of 2006, consumers spent more than 7 million dollars a year on chocolate related products.

Chocolate is not physically addictive and does not cause acne, as shown in several medical studies.

Chocolate is not high in caffeine. A 1oz bar of milk chocolate contains only 5-6mg of caffeine. This is significantly less than in coffee, tea, and soft drinks.

In general, the shelf life for chocolate is a year.

The largest chocolate bar ever made weighed over 5,000 pounds and was made in Italy in 2000. The largest slab of fudge was over 2,000 pounds and was made in Canada.

Chocolate is America's favorite flavor, according to recent surveys with a little over 50% of adults preferring chocolate to other flavors.

According to Pat Kendall, PhD, a Food Science and Nutrition Specialist at the Colorado State University. Chocolate is the most commonly craved food in North America. 40% of American women and 15% of American men are "chocoholics".