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A review by bemused_writer
The True History of Chocolate by Michael D. Coe, Sophie D. Coe
4.0
This is an excellent book that gives a very clear idea of how chocolate has developed into it's familiar form today. I thought it was interesting that chocolate used to exclusively be a drink and that when the Spanish were first introduced to it they hated the stuff. When it did finally become popular in Europe it was unfortunately linked with the slave trade (and there are quite a few issues with it today as well). Definitely an informative book!
I love how learning about one specific food will teach you a great deal about many other things. For example, the humoral system of Europe lasted so long that chocolate had to fit into it and there were centuries of debate regarding just this. However, no once could decide if it was "hot" or "cold" and whether it qualified more as a food or drink for religious observations (if it was a food it couldn't be had during a fast).
I originally discovered this book because of a history class but I enjoyed reading it on my own for how well researched it is.
I love how learning about one specific food will teach you a great deal about many other things. For example, the humoral system of Europe lasted so long that chocolate had to fit into it and there were centuries of debate regarding just this. However, no once could decide if it was "hot" or "cold" and whether it qualified more as a food or drink for religious observations (if it was a food it couldn't be had during a fast).
I originally discovered this book because of a history class but I enjoyed reading it on my own for how well researched it is.