theobromine
thee-oh-BRO-meen
Definition
A bitter alkaloid compound found in cacao and certain other plants, historically used as a chemical marker to identify traces of chocolate in archaeological residues.
Etymology
The term is derived from the genus name of the cacao tree, 'Theobroma' (from Greek 'theos', meaning god, and 'broma', meaning food), combined with the chemical suffix '-ine'.
In the news
The article explains that theobromine, once considered a reliable 'chemical fingerprint' for identifying cacao, is also present in yaupon holly, making it insufficient on its own to confirm ancient cacao consumption.
Ancient cacao DNA has been recovered from two pottery fragments dug out of eleventh and twelfth century feasting pits at Etowah in Georgia, reported as the first clear evidence that cacao consumption was part of the Mississippian world
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com