The first civilization to cultivate the cacao tree was the Olmecs, three thousand years ago.
The Mayans, who came along centuries later, called the cacao tree simply “tree”, just as “cake” means “chocolate cake” to me.
Next, the Toltecs believed their king to be the god of air, whose mission it was to bring cacao seeds from the gods to Man.
The Conquistadors didn’t care for chocolate at first, since the Aztecs drank it bitter, greasy, black and full of bits of grit and hull. Sometimes chili powder was included, and sometimes maize. It wasn’t until 1522 that sugar and sweet spices were added, to please the Spanish palate.
Department of Nothing New Under the Sun: Aztec warriors carried energy-boosting chocolate compressed into tablets or wafers. Yeah, Willy Wonka–tell Mr. Montezuma all about your golden tickets.
And now comes me, who counts an empty calorie wasted if there’s no chocolate in it.
But what’s my favorite? Maybe a top five list is more appropriate. Therefore, in no particular order:
- Ferrero Rocher‘s hazelnut chocolates, which Mom keeps for me as a treat
- Dove‘s Dark Chocolate Promises, which I keep in the freezer and don’t chew, but let melt slowly…slowly….
- Lindt‘s Excellent Orange Intense, with bits of almond and candied orange peel
- Denali Moose Tracks ice cream, with miniature peanut butter cups and swirls of fudge
- anything else with chocolate in it
Let’s see … Yep. I think that just about covers it.
Come back a later today for a guest post from a Hydra Blog Hopper. Meanwhile, I’ll be hopping over to visit Dianne Gardner. Please join me there, too.
A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: How does your main character feel about chocolate?
MA
Jane
September 10, 2012 at 1:17amHmm, chocolate. I like the stuff you can cook with chocolate. The Scharfenberger brownie, for instance, is truly a delicacy. And the so-called flour-less cake (so that leaves largely chocolate, butter, and maybe cream) is a powerful bit of baked goods. Oh, yes, and vanilla. A great match for chocolate. Mom made a wicked hot chocolate sauce for ice cream sundaes. Yow! Oh, and hot fudge sauce! Yum. I don’t like the ice creams, etc., that add a bunch of bits in with the ice cream. A few nuts, of course, can’t be beat, but most additions to ice cream are too hard when frozen. Oh, and trip food: Melt dark chocolate chips over a double boiler, stir in chow mein crispy noodles and pecans. Let set a few seconds on some wax paper. Yay.
Marian Allen
September 10, 2012 at 7:52amFlourless cake — YEAH! Like fudge, only not nasty. Your point about ice cream is SO right! That’s why I love Denali Moose Tracks. You take a bite and let it melt, leaving the bitey bits stranded on your tongue, where they melt. Hedonist? ME?
~Tim
September 10, 2012 at 3:09amMy main character is partial to bourbon and, while I’ve honestly never considered it before, I don’t see him as the type to go for sweets. Give him a Bourbon ball and if he can’t squeeze the Bourbon out of the chocolate he’ll probably toss the whole thing aside.
Marian Allen
September 10, 2012 at 7:53amTim, your guy should try one of my bourbon balls. They would be too sweet for him, I’m sure, but the bourbonicity of them would probably make up for it.
Jane
September 10, 2012 at 9:42amYes they WOULD!
Shelley Munro
September 10, 2012 at 6:36amYour list sounds about right to me 🙂
Um, does chocolate body paint count? My characters have a liking for it in my current WIP.
Marian Allen
September 10, 2012 at 7:55amNo, I don’t think chocolate body paint counts. It wouldn’t for me, anyway. I like to concentrate on one deadly sin at a time. 😉
Brinda Berry
September 10, 2012 at 7:44amI would gladly take any chocolate on your list of favorites. Yum… That’s cool about the origins of the delectable stuff. I don’t think I would have liked drinking it without the sugar (bitter and hull loaded), but I can see how it caught on quickly.
Marian Allen
September 10, 2012 at 10:25amI love dark chocolate but I can’t go beyond about 70% without sugar added. 🙂
Ciara Knight
September 10, 2012 at 12:38pmDove dark chocolate? Excellent choice! One of my favorites.
Thanks so much for participating in the chocolate blog hop.
Ciara
Marian Allen
September 10, 2012 at 1:25pmThanks for thinking it up! I’m so happy to know there are so many other choco-fiends in the world. 😀
Mary
September 10, 2012 at 1:23pmWhat great facts on chocolate. Chocolate plays a role in my sci-fi. It’s donuts in the fantasy … 🙂
Marian Allen
September 10, 2012 at 1:47pmMmmm…. I have fantasies about donuts, too…. 🙂
Maryann Miller
September 10, 2012 at 4:12pmOf course “cake” means chocolate. Is there any other? (smile) It has been so much fun visiting all the blogs on the blogfest today. Lots of great information and recipes have been shared.
Marian Allen
September 10, 2012 at 9:43pmMaryann, I’m glad you agree. Sara had some friends over once and I told them I was going to bake a cake for them. One of them said, “What kind of cake?” And I said, “I said ‘cake’, didn’t I?” And the kid said, “Oh, chocolate!” lol!
Alex J. Cavanaugh
September 10, 2012 at 7:22pmThanks for the history lesson! And you like the fancy stuff.
Marian Allen
September 10, 2012 at 9:45pmYou’re quite welcome, Alex! Yes, I DO like the fancy stuff. My idea of counting calories is to make every calorie count! 😉
Laura Eno
September 12, 2012 at 11:14amChili powder in chocolate? *shudder* Great info here on the history of chocolate! Thanks for joining the blogfest. 🙂
Marian Allen
September 12, 2012 at 2:37pmI see high-priced bars in the store of chocolate with chilis. And I know chocolate is a popular ingredient in chili, so why not chili in chocolate? 😉 I think the chocolatier in CHOCOLATE had an extra-special concoction of hot chocolate laced with chili pepper. Seems weird to me, though!
Thanks for co-hosting the fest! It’s been lots of fun. 🙂
The Capillary
September 13, 2012 at 3:40amI guess I never thought about whether or not my characters like chocolate. I don’t like chocolate so I guess most of them would end up being indifferent to it. Coffee on the other hand…
Just stopping by from the Chocolate Blog Hop and saying hi!
Marian Allen
September 13, 2012 at 8:18amOh, but that’s the fun of it, Capillary! Giving your characters tastes you don’t share. 🙂 How about another of my favorites: chocolate-covered coffee beans? Mmmm…WOW!