2_1_DiscoverBenelux_10_October_2014:Scan Magazine 1
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Discover Benelux | Feature | A History of Chocolate
A
HI S TORY
OF
CHOCOL ATE
From Aztec deity to new heights TEXT: JULIE LINDÉN | MAIN PHOTO: MARINA DE JONGE FOTOGRAFIE
Never before has chocolate been so in vogue − considered by many a connoisseur to be as finely nuanced in tastes as the finest of wines. The 15th edition of London’s Speciality & Fine Food Fair 2014 proved the sweet treat has never been more in demand, as a record-breaking 12,410 attendees gathered to see and taste the latest products – but the beginning of chocolate was more bitter than sweet. The history of chocolate can be traced back to 1900 BC, when the roasted cacao seeds were used to make beverages. Many people combine early chocolate history with that of the Aztecs, who attributed the seeds with divine powers as they believed they were gifts from the God of wisdom. Stirred to a bitter and frothy liquid together with spices, wine or even corn
A record-breaking 12,410 attendees at London’s Speciality & Fine Food Fair 2014 proved that chocolate has never been more in demand than today.
puree, the mixture was believed to be one of the most effective energy boosters of the time. Despite Christopher Columbus bringing the cocoa bean back to Spain, the bean was not initially appreciated. It was when Hernando Cortes, the Spanish conquistador, first brought it back to his homeland that the custom of drinking chocolate spread throughout the continent. The divine liquid, also referred to as “the food for the gods”, had become a trend drink, but not before it had been sweetened with cane sugar. A century later, the Dutch broke Spain's monopoly of cocoa when they captured Curacao. They brought cocoa beans to Holland, where cocoa was greatly acclaimed and recommended by doctors as a cure for almost every ailment, some-
thing which also enabled the cocoa trade to spread. As more people could afford to drink chocolate, there was increased interest in its manufacture. Some of the earliest cocoa makers were apothecaries (early chemists) who became interested because of the beans’ presumed healing powers. Gradually it became more freely available, and today chocolate is considered more of an indulgence than a medicinal remedy. The Speciality & Fine Food Fair proved that chocolate has also reached new heights within decorative confectionery, as Jean-Marie Dessard and Philippe Wall brought a 10ft tall chocolate saxophone to the launch of the exhibition. From divine seed to modern day sculptures, chocolate has surely proved to be a stayer in the culinary world.
Philippe Wall & Jean-Marie Dessard at the Speciality & Fine Food Fair 2014.
Issue 10 | October 2014 | 59