Na'vi and chocolate

[MarkD]

Well since on Earth the trees that make the cocoa pods to make chocolate exists only in rainforest type environments, what if there are similar trees or plants on Pandora? The Na'vi could have something similar.

Though careful of a Na'vi on a sugar high. XD

[Ximphron]

Though careful of a Na'vi on a sugar high. XD

Chocolate isn't naturally sweet, it's very bitter, chocolate candy is over half added sugar.
The Na'vi could make it like the Aztecs, as a spicy drink, or like the colonial-era Spanish, as a coffee-like drink.

Chocolate is pretty rare here on Earth though. The Cacao tree only comes from southern North America and northern South America, and has absolutely no relatives elsewhere.
I hope it's unique to Earth so when we form a galactic empire we will be known as the origin of the best stuff in the universe.

[MarkD]

Africa is also shown as a place the Cacao tree grows.

Well who knows with Pandora.

[Ximphron]

It's not native to Africa though. It never grew there until people moved it. We have a tendency to do that; Maize used to only grow in the highlands of Mexico, bananas used to only grow in Southeast Asia, Oranges only in china, etc. The Cacao tree was likely even less widespread in the Americas before Aztec cultivation.

I'm just saying its a rather unusual plant here because it only comes from a single area and has no closely related plants.

[_Omaticaya_]

I think there might be something very similar to cocoa on Pandora ^_^ As Ximphron was saying, it is naturally bitter, nothing like we think of our industrial chocolate. It would be cool to know more about flora on pandora, or maybe even see some more food and traditional Na'vi food in the sequel

[HufweMakto]

Reading this makes me wonder if Na'vi are similar to some animals on Earth when they respond to chocolate. It's well known that dogs and cats cannot eat chocolate due to the chemical theobromine, which is metabolized in dogs much more slowly than in humans. Theobromine poisoning causes seizures, vomiting and cardiac arrest in dogs who eat chocolate. Unsweeten baker's chocolate actually contain high amounts of theobromine. I'm wondering if the Na'vi have natural resistance to chemical compounds in their foods, though on Pandora, given the toxic chemicals in the enviroment, I think a lot of resistance to deadly chemicals would be the case.

I'm reading a report in which a couple feed their 8 lb poodle a POUND of chocolate on it's birthday, and nearly killed it while think: "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?! Don't you know chocolate is toxic to dogs? Geez..."

[Ximphron]

I don't understand people who give animals food they obviously cannot eat. Everyone tells you that dogs can't eat chocolate. I have a Guinea Pig and I've heard of instances where some idiot gave their Guinea pig cake or cat food. They can't digest most sugars, and can't digest meat, so they died. I mean, seriously, why would you give an animal that lives entirely on grass cake or meat?

I don't know what I would do if we couldn't remove the toxins. I use cocoa all the time, even unsweetened or in such things as Mole Poblano. I absolutely love chocolate, although some areas of the world sweeten it too much for my taste, like most European brands.

[Raidrik]

this just got me wondering. Would candy chocolate or unsweetened chocolate even taste the same to a Na'Vi as it does to a human?

[Ikaríyu]

I think they would probally die because of the sugar and Raidrik i think it would taste the same to them

[prowler]

I think they would probally die because of the suguar and Raidrik i think it would taste the same to them

I dont think they would die from the sugar.. Pretty sure they have food or fruits with sugar in