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Good Food

Monocrops vs. chocolate and beer

Now that we've got you covered for the weekend's cocktails, let's move onto another important Valentine's Day tradition: the chocolate exchange. It may surprise you to learn that most of the bonbons, truffles and heart-shaped candies eaten on February 14 come from just a few different cacao bean varieties.

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By Evan Kleiman • Feb 12, 2016 • 1 min read

Now that we've got you covered for the weekend's cocktails, let's move onto another important Valentine's Day tradition: the chocolate exchange. It may surprise you to learn that most of the bonbons, truffles and heart-shaped candies eaten on February 14 come from just a few different cacao bean varieties.

Journalist Simran Sethi says this is a much larger trend: three quarters of the world's food supply come from 12 plants and five animal species. In her new book Bread, Wine, Chocolate: The Slow Loss of Foods We Love," Sethi looks at how monodiets and monocrops are changing the taste and makeup of our favorite foods, especially chocolate and beer.

Music: "Ziguala" by Steios Kazadjid

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    Evan Kleiman

    host 'Good Food'

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    Laryl Garcia

    Senior Director, Good Food

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    Abbie Fentress Swanson

    Independent reporter and producer

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    Camellia Tse

    Producer, Good Food

    CultureFood & Drink
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