The food of the gods: Cocoa bean to chocolate bar

“Hagelslag”, chocolate sprinkles, on buttered bread is a Dutch favourite. The Dutch eat over 13 million kilos of chocolate “hagelslag” a year. (©Wikimedia)

Chocolate is an aphrodisiac, an addiction, with a complex chemical composition and a dramatic history. Montezuma, the Aztec king, is said to have drunk it to gain the strength to satisfy his many wives. The Spanish brought it to Europe in the 17th century. There, mixed with sugar, it quickly became a hit in the royal courts and another commodity to extract through the use of slaves.

Producer: Dheera Sujan

Broadcast: October 4, 2001