Since 1983 per capita consumption of chocolate in America has climbed from 9.7 pounds to 12 pounds annually (Barron, 1998, 118). Of all the foods, items made from chocolate cause the most controversy. There are clubs devoted to its praise, and there are groups that want it banned (Marcus, 1999, B13). There is even a Web site Chocoholic.com that reports 12,000 hits a day and specializes in selling boutique American chocolatiers as Richard H. Donnelly Fine Chocolates in Santa Cruz, CA and Moonstruck Chocolatier in Portland, OR.
Godiva, the famous chocolatier, also has a home on the Web (http://www.godiva.com/index.html) that does everything but let you sample its delights online. The highlight of this "tasteful" site is the Recipes from A to Z area in the Recipes section. Here are listed step-by-step instructions here for making everything from Godiva brownies (featuring a half cup of Godiva liqueur!) to Godiva Tiramisu.
The site shows how skillfully chocolate is marketed, since it even includes a Godiva horoscope in the 101 Reasons section (where you'll learn that Pisces, for example, are likely to prefer the Godiva Caramel Nut BouchTe Assortment). The site also has a chocolate meter in its "Indulge" section to measure one's addiction to the decadent stuff.
Chocolate comes from the cacao tree, or "Theobroma cacao," which comes from the Greek words meaning "food of the gods."
The primary substance in chocolate, Phenylethylamine, a natural chemical compound that produces a sense of euphoria. "Rightly or wrongly, chocolate is also considered an aphrodisiac. Not that this proves anything, but Casanova often took pre-seduction sips of a chocolate brew" (Barron, 1998, 118).
The cacao tree needs heat and humidity to grow and thrives in forests near the equator. Seeds of the cacao tree, and its flavor depends not only on the quality of the nibs (the remainder after the seeds are fermented, dried, and roasted) and t...