That's Why There's Chocolate And Vanilla

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - You might not think about it when you're eating a candy bar or licking an ice cream cone, but chocolate and vanilla both come from plants. Vanilla beans grow on a special orchid called Vanilla planifolia (all those black specs in your ice cream are vanilla seeds), and chocolate comes from cocoa beans of the Theobroma cacao plant. And you can explore these exotic plants and the tastes they create this Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 4 at the Chocolate and Vanilla Family Festival at the Camden Children's Garden, right next to the Adventure Aquarium.

Bring the kids, try all the tasty treats, vote for the flavor you like best. With crafts, activities and even sniff tests, it's a fun and easy way to help kids understand how these exotic tropical plants make these favorite natural flavors possible. For details and directions to the Chocolate and Vanilla Family Festival this Saturday and Sunday at the Camden Children's Garden go to CamdenChildrensGarden.org.

Reported By Phran Novelli, KYW Newsradio