“A mouth watering sensation of a book that examines the historic significance of chocolate in Mesoamerica.”This was a wonderful book about one of my favorite things. Now, the more I know, the more I understand why it is a universal favorite. It truely was a gift from and to the Gods as Meredith Dreiss explains.
The book comes with a video which is fun to watch at a chocolate fountain party! A book of solid history about a subject that is fun to learn about. Keep a little chocolate handy while reading!
Lisa GreenChocolate: Pathway to the Gods provides an in depth view into the culture, history and influence of the cocoa bean throughout the ages. This book is a wonderful gift or self indulgence.
Don’t misunderstand. I’m not a chocoholic, drooling over the latest episode in the delicious saga of my favorite substance. Actually, I’ve never been that fond of the stuff. But, as part of history and anthropology, the links between cacao and the peoples of Mexico and Central America are many and deep. The authors of CHOCOLATE have compiled a great collection of beautiful photographs of many Mesoamerican objects to do with the growing and ingestion of chocolate, of the use of chocolate for religious and medicinal purposes. And what’s more, there’s a DVD that accompanies the book. The film shown on it does not merely repeat the same information, nor are more than a few images repeated either. Instead, you get an interesting look at how chocolate spread to Spain and Portugal after the conquests of the New World, and from there to other parts of Europe. Chocolate in ancient times in Mesoamerica connected to religion—it was the food of the gods, perhaps the sustenance for the soul as corn was for the body. Chocolate unadulterated with sugar can be very good for your heart, so kings of the Maya world, who were supposed to be immortal, might have kept it for themselves. We notice cacao pods peeping out on all sorts of statues, objects of daily use, paintings from temples and the codexes that survived. The cacao pods grew from the very bodies of gods in some representations. There is an interesting chapter on the pre-Columbian cacao trade and the rise of a wealthy class of merchants in both Aztec and Maya worlds centered around the chocolate-producing cacao bean, which even became a form of cash. You’ll see a large number of vessels (ancient and modern) used for drinking or serving chocolate, and learn about the beliefs of the Mesoamerican peoples in the medicinal properties of the substance. A healthy forest, with many cacao trees, but not ONLY cacao trees would restore the ecological soundness of many areas that have been deforested in our days. All in all—a beautifully produced book with a lot of interesting information. If chocolate at all tickles your curiosity, rather than just your appetite, read this one. And I confess. When I finished the book I went out and bought a bar of dark chocolate for the first time in my life. Mmm.
Whether you are an anthropologist seeking an authoritative reference on Mesoamerican culture and history, or an avowed chocaholic in search of intellectual justification for your culinary habits, you will find this book and
DVD to be an irresistible treat!
Chocolate: Pathway to the Gods is a carefully researched volume that thoroughly portrays the current cacao bean farming industry while also linking it to customs from the past. You will learn about the archeology of the region as well as the culture of chocolate in Middle America. An accompanying DVD by the same name gives further insight into the topic by providing video clips of the people in action and authentic regional music.
Beautifully illustrated with photos and color illustrations, the text illuminates the role of choclate in our collective conciousness. Be sure to purchase your favorite chocolate treats to savor while reading and/or watching Chocolate: Pathway to the Gods. read more.
Tags: Chocolate, Gods, Pathway