A while ago (several years) we went to see an exhibit at the Field Museum in Chicago on "The History of Chocolate". I was amazed! We are not the only ones who see chocolate as something "sacred". 😉
(The exhibit will be available through 2011!)
I discovered that people have been growing and using chocolate for nearly 2,000 years! (That's beautiful)
The people of Central American and Mexico not only used Cacao (chocolate) as a drink to enjoy (although they did not grow "sugar", so it was a more of a bitter drink, like coffee), they used it for ceremonial purposes - and it was so valuable that they used cacao seeds as money.
If you dare... 😉 take the chocolate quiz...
For us, today - we just like chocolate. (My daughter got some "creme brule white chococlate" - wonderful!) We like it white, milky, dark, extra-dark, solid, liquid and anywhere in between. Sometimes I think that chocolate will make just about anything taste better. A lot of people add cocoa to their chili recipe. We get chocolate from (and give chocolate to) our sweeties - including our parents and kids.
At the risk of offending anybody, this is one of my favorite ways to consume chocolate:
Gwynne
Yum! I've not had the chocolate stout, but my favorite beer is Guinness Stout (preferably right out of the tap in Ireland 😉 and I've always said it has a hint of chocolate. Interesting subject for a museum show.
Ellen
Guinness used to be my favorite...
😉
Gwynne
Well, then, I simply must try the Young's Double Chocolate Stout if I can find it.
Ellen
If you're in the right area, Trader Joe's carries it. Let me know!
Phil
Trader Joe's carries the bottled version. Beverages & More (aka, "BevMo") carries the "draught can" version. Like the Guiness cans, these, too, have a little ball full of nitrogen that releases when you pop the top. The infusion of nitrogen gives it the creamy texture, just like when poured from on tap. I didn't realize how important texture was in beer until I had the Young's Double Chocolate Stout from the draught can.
Oddly enough, I've found Young's Double Chocolate in a mom-n-pop liquour store, and in a bar of a german food buffter here in San Jose. So keep an eye out for it and get the draught can, even if it's a buck or two more.
Pingback:
MzEllen & Co. » Blog Archive » Carnival of Beauty - the Beauty of Chocolate
Blair
The history of chocolate is facinating. I read the book "The Emperors of Chocolate" and I enjoyed every minute of it. Very informative lol. I can't imagine a whole exhibit for chocolate! That would be great!