Sweet History: 1753 … Food of The Gods, Chocolate

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Affordable and readily available, from the wealthy to the everyday-person, chocolate, by the middle eighteenth century, had secured a place in a person's life. Many varieties chocolate creations – from drinking to eating – were readily available in coffee & tea shops, pastry shops and food shops. But where does chocolate actually come from?

Sweet History: 1700-1750 … Mi Piace Il Cioccolato

And then it was Italy's chocolatiers to turn the world on its head.

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A chocolate hazelnut paste became a popular nut-enhanced chocolate variation. They called this Gianduja, named after the tiny island where Columbus unknowingly first saw cacao beans. But the chocolate revolution did not end in Italy, but kept spreading throughout Europe. In 1711, it migrates to Vienna along with Charles VI when he transferred his royalty court from Madrid. And in 1720 Italian chocolatiers are welcomed in France and Switzerland.

Unfortunately, not everything goes smoothly. Like when chocolate first made its appearance in Germany in 1704, Frederick III of Prussia imposed tax – perhaps to keep this 'delicacy' within reach of the rich only?

 

Pralines: What Is Unique About Belgian Chocolates?

Belgium should be proud.

When sharing a box of chocolates with friends and told to choose one only, how many times do we fear that we'll have the last choice and when our turn comes, we can't just make that selection? Fortunately, when it is a box of Belgian chocolates, any choice is always good. I have to say there are no gross Belgian chocolates; you can eat the entire box. Chocolate in its finest form, Belgian chocolates can be addictive.

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Belgium is one of the biggest producers of chocolate world-wide. It is especially famous for its pralines. Unlike in the USA where pralines consist of whole nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, pecans) individually coated in caramelized sugar, European pralines refer to the powder (or the paste made from it) resulting from grinding sugar-coated nuts which is then mixed with chocolate.

Belgian chocolates or chocolate bonbons are chocolate that contain this type of pralines … simplifying, in general, pralines may refer to filled-chocolate pieces and when you say chocolate, you're talking about the former, pralines.

Sweet History: 1600-1700 ... J'aime Le Chocolat

You can never keep a good thing hidden!

Almost a century after the Spanish court discovered the goodness of drinking chocolate, the French became aware of cocoa in 1615 when Spanish Princess Anne introduced this luxurious beverage to the French royalty after marrying French King Louis XIII. Rumors abound that Princess Anne gave her soon-to-be-husband an engagement gift of chocolate packaged in an elegantly ornate chest. No wonder, chocolate is reputed to be romantic.

Pralines: The Accidental Confectionery

It's 1671 and here you - Clement Lassagne - are the personal chef of Marshal César, duc de Choiseul, comte du Plessis-Praslin. A sugar industrialist, an ambassador serving King Louis XIII, expecting nothing but perfection! It's a rush, it's a stress to get the food perfect. And you've got a clumsy apprentice accidentally dropping a bowl of almonds and spilling a pan of hot burnt sugar. Can't start over again; there's no time; you don't have more ingredients.

What are you gonna do?

Sweet History: 1500-1600 … Me Gusta El Chocolate

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Too bitter, too spicy … so the Spaniards changed the Aztecs' way of preparing and flavoring this chocolate drink. Sweeter and milder, frothed with a wooden whisk called molinillo, this new “chocolate drink” became a favorite by 1520 of the Spanish King, Charles V, and his court and afterwards quickly became popular as a luxury throughout Spain.

Years earlier – 1502 – Christopher Columbus blew his chance of making chocolate history and instead it was his fellow conquistador successor Hernan Cortes to do so. Columbus had captured a Mayan trading canoe whose cargo included grains, metal wares, fibers and some large seeds, like almonds. In the process of transferring these to Columbus' ship, some of these seeds spilled and the natives ran for them, gathering and treating them with great value. Sorry for him, but Columbus didn't put value in this incident.

Sweet History: -1500 ... Ancient Beginnings

Everybody just loves chocolate!

My first memories of chocolate was on the Sunday morning – every Sunday without fail – when my Dad would take out this heavy-bottom pot, start beating a tune with his steel ladle to wake up the kids. Then he would take out his tin of cocoa powder and proceed in concocting his special hot chocolate drink. It was a truly comforting drink, a wickedly creamy treat. Though I thought that was it, it was always the best. Growing older, I learned that chocolate wasn't limited to the chocolate drink. I became truly captivated from the small brown squares to cakes, fudges, chocolate truffles, pralines, caramels, and numerous chocolate creations. I just keep wanting and coming back for more.