Sunday July 26, 2009

Ode to chocolates

SINCE it was introduced to Europe in the 16th century, and from there to the rest of the world, chocolate has become so entrenched in people’s lives that it is now not just seen as food but also as an important economic and cultural product.

In countries that produce the cacao beans, from which chocolate is extracted, people’s livelihood depends on it.

In some others, the imagery of chocolate has been used in creative works such as books and films. Two that come to mind are Like Water For Chocolate (a 1989 Laura Esquivel novel that was later turned into a film in 1993), and Chocolat, a 2000 movie starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp.

And it has even been taken up as names, like English pop group Hot Chocolate, and India-based hotel group, Chocolate Hotels.

Some historical facts (from Wikipedia): Archaeological evidence indicates that the earliest use of cacao was as an alcoholic beverage. The Aztecs of South America associated chocolate with Xochiquetzal, the goddess of fertility. Chocolate was consumed in a bitter, spicy drink called xocoltl, often seasoned with vanilla, chilli pepper, and achiote (food colouring).

It wasn’t until the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs that chocolate could be imported to Europe, where it quickly became a court favourite. The first recorded shipment to Europe for commercial purposes was in a shipment from Veracruz to Sevilla in 1585. It was still served as a beverage, but the Europeans added sugar and milk to counteract the natural bitterness and removed the chilli pepper, replacing it with another Mexican indigenous spice, vanilla.

By the second half of the seventeenth century, chocolate was introduced into England. The first chocolate house opened in London in 1657. In 1689, noted physician and collector Hans Sloane developed a milk chocolate drink in Jamaica which was initially used by apothecaries, but later sold to the Cadbury brothers.

And then there are the numerous quotable quotes which almost always bring a smile to anyone who reads them. Following are a sample:

> Chocolate is cheaper than therapy and you don’t need an appointment.

> Eating chocolate can have significant influences on mood, generally leading to an increase in pleasant feelings and a reduction in tension. – Peter Rogers, Ph.D., Institute of Food Research

> When no one understands you, chocolate is there.

> The superiority of chocolate, both for health and nourishment, will soon give it the same preference over tea and coffee in America which it has in Spain. – Thomas Jefferson

> Momma always said life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get. – Forrest Gump

> Chocolate makes everyone smile – even bankers. – Ben Strohecker, chocolatier

> If they don’t have chocolate in heaven, I ain’t going.

> Save the Earth! (It’s the only planet with chocolate.)

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