A BITTER SWEET HISTORY
It all starts with the olmecs (1500-400bc.). Believed to be the first of the cacoa consumer of this magical fruit. The mayan were the very first to perfect the hordiculture,formenting, and finally roasting of this glorious pod. They ground it into a paste that was thinned out with water and cornmeal to make a drink. Carl Linnaeus, (18th century botanist) heard the mayan belief it was a gift of the gods and botanically “knighted it” theobroma. “food of the gods”. Quichly it spread to the aztecs, they believed in and worshipped this bean for it’s ability to give a man superhuman strenghth and endurance. It played it’s sweet reighn in both the battlefield and the royalties “bed chambers”. Utilized as currency, it was used as trade from chickens, to slaves. It was more valuable than gold. When Cortez arived in Mexico (1519) Montezuma II shared this royal beverage to his mistaken exiled god king. Cortez soon began trading gold for cacao. Cortez returned to Spain. This elixer was not well recieved. Soon sweetened with sugar, it quickly became the “noble” choice of the court.
THE REST IS EUROPEAN HISTORY
*The average american consumes 12 pounds of cacao product a year
*Cacao is a 13 billion dollar a year industry
*One piece of bitter sweet chocolate is equivelant in anti-oxidents as 9oz of top shelf green tea
*American dental association: “bitter sweet chocolate fights tooth decay ” Dr. Michael Kempf dds.
TODAY’S TASTES
It’s interpritations become their own animals. It teases and taunts, Quells and quirks. She romances and relieves. She humbles and haunts. She dazzles and deligates. Even saying the vary word slowly begins a ritualistic warm up of all the taste sections of one’s tongue. Sweet, bitter, salt,sour, are saliva over riden moments anticipated. Ther is a natural endorphin released by the brain when the mere thought and consumtion is actualized. It is called “Dopamine”. Her primal properties affect the brain, heart, and central nervous system. Enveloped slowly, she has the partisipant bubble the same euphoria as sex. Quite an individualistic interpritation of what that stirs, It’s true. The same sence is realized of chocolatiers. So many memories, moments, and muses are crystalized with this tempermental tar. Too hot, too cold, too simple, to risque… chocolate is living and breathing. Quit the paradox when unneeded things are always the best savoured (bitten) slowly.
