How Chocolate Got Its Wings

How many of us really know the origins of chocolate as we know it? My perspective for quite a long time was that it was something meant to be savored, and not known... but when I found out that chocolate was "discovered" in the New World by Spanish explorers in the early sixteenth century, my interest was piqued.

Chocolate was first introduced to the conquistadors by the Aztecs in beverage form. As their own wine supplies began to diminish, the highly spiced, gritty drink (made from roasted and crushed cocoa beans and spices) began to grow on them. Once they were clued into its invigorating, restorative effects -- and after adding a bit of cane sugar as sweetener -- this drink made of the "brown gold" slowly became a part of their daily lives.

So the next time I have a spiced hot cocoa at my local chocolate bar, I'll just shrug off the thought of consuming more than a day's worth of calories in a single shot. Instead, I'll raise my glass (or paper cup, or mug) in a toast to the ancient Aztecs, whose original discovery of the cocoa bean has gone on to delight trillions of people for centuries, and for many more to come.

For more interesting factoids in a highly digestible form, pick up a charming little read called The Little Book of Chocolate by Katherine Kodorowsky and Herve Robert (Flammarion, 2001).

Easter Chocolate

I was wondering about the origins of Easter chocolate and came across an interesting post on the Accidental Hedonist. While I don't think many people assume that chocolate is somehow supposed to "represent" the resurrection of Christ, I do agree with Kate in that someone, somewhere along the lines thought it would be a great money-making opportunity to make bunnies and eggs -- symbols of the pagan festival in honor of the goddess Eostre -- into chocolate. There's an interesting article on About.com that explains the convergence of the pagan festival and the Catholic holiday, and how chocolate eventually (and indirectly) became associated with Easter. The article also supports Kate's suggestion that the Germans were most likely the originators of chocolate bunnies and eggs.

Note that one of the comments to Kate's post is made by Barbara Fisher, who astutely points out the sheer and utter deliciousness of Godiva Dark Chocolate Bunnies, and I must say, I completely agree with her! But for all of those who are anti-dark chocolate, fear not: Godiva also makes the bunnies in milk chocolate and white chocolate... yum....

And here's a secret: the bunnies often go on sale at Godiva stores the day after Easter. IF there are any left, that is! I usually stock up and give a few to my nieces and nephews, and whatever's leftover, I'll either nibble at or chop up and use for baking.

And for some devilishly good fun, check out this video on how to kill a chocolate bunny. They key word here is "chocolate," everyone. Leave the real bunnies alone.

Happy Easter! Happy Spring!

Confessions of a Godiva Chocolate Lover

I love chocolate.

*Yawn* Okay, so lots of people love chocolate. And lots of people really, really love chocolate. Some people are even obsessed with chocolate. (That's fair, although I myself wouldn't go that far.)

I was born and raised in NYC, and in fact still live here, so I get to enjoy a plethora of fine chocolates made by the finest chocolatiers in the world who have set up shop in some form or another in Manhattan. Once few and far between, there now are many chocolate shops scattered around the city: La Maison, Neuhaus, Godiva, Jacques, Richart... just to name a few. Even in gourmet food stores and delis, Hershey and Nestle bars have been replaced with "finer" chocolate made by Lindt or Ghirardelli or Green & Black Organic. With all this variety and increased exposure to fine and artisanal chocolate nowadays, many a chocolate snob have been spawned.

Having tasted everything from the very best (during a trip to Belgium and France) to the very worst (sorry, Hershey), I still remain a loyal and committed Godiva Chocolate Lover. Now, I have a number of friends who I would call chocolate snobs (hereafter referred to as CBs) who turn their nose at the mention of Godiva (saying things like "I don't know what all the fuss is about" and "I've had better chocolate"), but funny, whenever I've given them a gift of Godiva chocolate (my old standby for most occasions), I sit there and watch them savor each piece!!

So why all the chocolate snobbery? Not sure. Maybe it's because Godiva's been around for a while, and they're commercial. They've got boutiques not just in the city, but also in malls across the country, including the Midwest. Is that a crime? Does fine chocolate have to be exclusive to be delicious?

I am on a quest to explore the roots of this chocolate snobbery, but also to share my experiences with my favorite Godiva products (part of why I like them so much is because of their array of offerings; there's often new collections or products to discover and enjoy). I'd also like to learn more about chocolate in general; I realized that I know so little about one of my favorite things in the world! I doubt it will change my love for Godiva, since I've loved them since I was little and continue to do so through my adult years, but I think it will probably enhance my appreciation. We'll see how it goes.