Monday, February 13, 2012

Chocolate-The Mayan Ambrosia

My sister and I were at a baby shower recently, and one of the games involved melted candy bars in diapers.  The object was to guess the candy bar from appearance and aroma.  Some were difficult, but right away, we identified a Hershey Bar.  My sister pointed out that it has a smell you can’t mistake for anything else.  This little event made me realize that chocolate is a full experience from taste, to texture, from aroma, to memory. 

            As the chocolate softens, the comforting, unmistakable taste
              transports you into a delightful world of memories.”
                                                                                Herve Bizeul

Did you know that 52% of Americans say chocolate is their favorite dessert flavor?  Or that in 2001 Americans consumed 3 billion pounds of chocolate?  Cacao is the third largest agricultural export product in the world, coming in right behind coffee and sugar.
But how did we discover this magical elixir?  Where did chocolate come from?  And how did it come to be such an integral part of our world?  Let’s go back in time about 2000 years.

It all began in Central America.  The Mayans and Aztecs cultivated cacao trees, which they called cacahuaquchtl.  As a matter of fact, it was the only tree they bothered to name.  They believed it was sent by the gods as a gift.  It seems that the Mayans first ate cacao.  They made a thin, bitter drink, and also mixed it with corn meal for a kind of porridge.  The Aztecs so valued cacao that they used the beans as money.  It took about 50 cacao beans to pay for a donkey.  In their book, The True History of Chocolate, Sophie and Michael Coe contend that chocolate is possible twice as old, and was originally used by the Olmecs, and there is emerging evidence to suggest they are right. Christopher Columbus actually took cacao beans to Spain, but Isabella and Ferdinand failed to recognize their potential.  It wasn’t until after Montezuma introduced cacao to Cortez that the Spanish realized what they had. 

In the 1520s, the Spanish nobility began to mix sugar with the bitter cacao drink of the Americas.  Cacao trees were planted in Spain, and the secret formula was well guarded.  Cacao was sold in limited amounts to other countries, until in the 1630s, the secret got out.  Still, cacao was very expensive, and only a select few could enjoy it.  In 1730, the prices of cacao and sugar dropped.  The Industrial Revolution allowed for smoother and faster processing.  More people were soon able to afford chocolate treats.  Plantations were sprouting up throughout the European colonies, and chocolate made it’s way around the world. 

In 1764, the first American chocolate factory opened in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.  Baker’s Chocolate is still making chocolate in Massachusetts today.  We can thank Joseph Fry for the chocolate bar.  In 1847, he figured out how to make a moldable chocolate paste. Two years later, the Cadbury brothers perfected the process.  It wasn’t until 1875 though, that milk chocolate was mass produced.  Daniel Peter of Switzerland led the way.  Soon, Switzerland far surpassed Spain in chocolate production, and remains at the top today.

Contrary to popular belief, chocolate does not cause acne or migraines, and allergies to chocolate are rare. It is actually seen as healthy in moderation.  It contains phenylethylamine, which mimics the feeling of being in love, and can cause mild euphoria.    The many purported benefits included lifting mild depression, acting as a mild stimulant, and providing iron and fiber in small doses.  Long term, it could be good for your heart.  Dark chocolate is the most beneficial form.  For those of you white chocolate lovers out there, sorry, but it’s not really chocolate.  It does contain cacao butter, but it doesn’t have any chocolate liquer in it. 

            Chocolate is the Prozac of plants.”  Deborah Waterhouse

So what is your favorite kind of chocolate?  Mine is Lindt Dark with Sea Salt. 
Some chocolate to try:
Scharffen Berger, Guittard, Ghirardelli, Baker’s, Nestle, and Hershey from the     U.S.
Valrhona and Michael Cluizel from France
Callbaut from Belgium
Droste from Holland
Lindt and Tobler from Switzerland
Green and Blacks from England
El Rey from Venezuela
And how should you enjoy chocolate?  Carole Bloom, a professional chocolate taster recommends following these steps.  First, choose 6 similar blocks.  For example, you might choose 6 different brands of plain dark chocolate.  Look for a smooth, dark, glossy
surface.  Hold each block for a few seconds.  It should melt slightly.  Note the aroma.  Break off a piece.  It shouldn’t crumble.  Place the piece in the roof of your mouth and hold it there with your tongue for 20-30 seconds.  Allow it to melt.  Enjoy the flavor and texture.  And unlike wine or coffee tasting, don’t spit!

As you open your box of chocolates this Valentine’s Day, remember to thank the ancient Mayans and Aztecs for this extraordinary culinary contribution.  As Elizabeth Rozin says in her book Blue Corn and Chocolate,

            It left its home a bitter stimulant drink and returned as a
              sweet confection, a food of pleasure, a food of fun.”

And I couldn’t be happier that it did!

Some famous people talking about chocolate:


Mariska Hargitay




Judith Viorst
Larry David

Jim Carrey

 Thomas Jefferson


  1. Mayans 1, Spanish 0.5 (partial credit for eventually wising up and adding sugar to the Mayan delicacy). Point total subject to change following the Mayan calendar discussion!

  2. True, adding sugar was a stroke of genius. I hope I can satisfy you on the Mayan calendar issue! I'm having trouble finding research materials. Apparently the Mayans have become a popular subject throughout the Columbus Metropolitan Library system.