The True History of Chocolate, Second Edition | Sophie D. Coe, Michael D. Coe

The True History of Chocolate, Second Edition | Sophie D. Coe, Michael D. Coe | A Delectable Treat.

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The True History o...

	The True History of Chocolate, Second Edition Sophie D. Coe, Michael D. Coe Thames & Hudson, 2007 - 288 pages average customer review:based on 13 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

"A beautifully written...and illustrated history of the Food of the Gods, from Olmecs to present-day developments."?Chocolatier

This delightful and best-selling tale of one of the world's favorite foods draws upon botany, archaeology, and culinary history to present a complete and accurate history of chocolate.

The story begins some 3,000 years ago in the jungles of Mexico and Central America with the chocolate tree, Theobroma Cacao, and the complex processes necessary to transform its bitter seeds into what is now known as chocolate. This was centuries before chocolate was consumed in generally unsweetened liquid form and used as currency by the Maya, and the Aztecs after them. The Spanish conquest of Central America introduced chocolate to Europe, where it first became the drink of kings and aristocrats and then was popularized in coffeehouses. Industrialization in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries made chocolate a food for the masses, and now, in our own time, it has become once again a luxury item.

The second edition draws on recent research and genetic analysis to update the information on the origins of the chocolate tree and early use by the Maya and others, and there is a new section on the medical and nutritional benefits of chocolate. 100 illustrations, 15 in color.

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A delicious read about a delicious treat

Okay I must first confess I only read the first edition of this book, not the fancy schmancy second edition, but since I feel the two editions are mostly alike I shall proceed to review anyway, or I will just add the proviso that this review is intended for the first edition of this book. Anyway, back to the actual review. This book was sweet and I mean sweet like ground cacao beans mixed with sugar. Not only will this book tell you a ton about chocolate and the cacao tree from which it sprang(which info is sure to dazzle all your friends, if you can remember it), but it also gives info about the civilizations and people which produced and used chocolate from its origins with the Olmec, to the modern age of mass produced chocolate bars. The role of chocolate in history and the impact it has made in the lives of millions across time and space is truly quite fascinating. So if you like chocolate, or history, or both(like me) then I would highly recommend this book.

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A Delectable Treat.

The history of chocolate has never been so wonderful woven like it is in this book. This uncomplicated book traces the cacao story back to its origin with the Olmec, Maya, and Aztecs, and from there it migrates to Europe and taking the noble courts by storm. The book goes beyond just the basic history, it lists in details how chocolate is manufactured, prepared and consumed since the beginning of time to the modern age. There isn't a part of chocolate the Coes don't cover. Unfortunately, this book focuses too much on the ancient history of chocolate with special attention to the three ancient Mesoamerican civilizations and then European consumption in the 16-19th century. The last chapter speaks briefly, too briefly, on the modern history of chocolate in the 20th century. The authors do not cover the modern chocolate trade, its environmental impact, what it means for million of people, or what are the modern significances of chocolate. The story basically stops at Hershey and his factory in Pennsylvania. The epilogue asks the readers to be conscious in buying fair-trade chocolate, but other than that, there isn't a modern history of chocolate in this book. Overall, however, this is a well written and heavily researched book that dispels many misconceptions and provides a clearer understanding about this dark mistress of our taste bud.

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Delicious Chocolate

Good book, well researched, but not much different to other books written on this subject. However, as a chocolate addict anything written about the best food on earth gets me in and for the research content and general easy to read writing style I give it a 4 star rating.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3

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