The True History of Chocolate - Softcover

Coe, Sophie D.; Coe, Michael D

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0500294747 ISBN 13: 9780500294741

Publisher: Thames and Hudson Ltd, 2019

Synopsis

Chocolate the food of the Gods has had a long and eventful history. Its story is expertly told here by the doyen of Maya studies, Michael Coe, and his late wife, Sophie. The book begins 3,000 years ago in the Mexican jungles and goes on to draw on aspects of archaeology, botany and socio-economics. Used as currency and traded by the Aztecs, chocolate arrived in Europe via the conquistadors, and was soon a favourite drink with aristocrats. By the 19th century and industrialization, chocolate became a food for the masses until its revival in our own time as a luxury item. Chocolate has also been giving up some of its secrets to modern neuroscientists, who have been investigating how flavour perception is mediated by the human brain. And, finally, the book closes with two contemporary accounts of how chocolate manufacturers have (or have not) been dealing with the ethical side of the industry.

About this title

Review:

A beautifully written, indexed and illustrated history of the Food of the Gods, from the Olmecs to present-day developments --Chocolatier

Begins with the origins of the cacao tree and follows the story up to today's mass-produced chocolate ... A pleasure, not just for chocoholics but for anyone who enjoys lively, thorough historical sleuthing via the printed page --Gourmet

Genuinely scholarly and highly entertaining ... erudite and delightful --Sunday Telegraph

'A true classic - Literary Review

A splendid treat --New York Review of Books

Just like a tasty bar of chocolate, this hugely entertaining book is a real treat and deserves to be devoured --All About History

An attention-grabbing account ... an engaging and entertaining story about something that is extraordinarily delicious! --Books Monthly Reviews

A beautiful book for anyone interested in how chocolate got to be one of the world s most popular food stuffs --Prosecco Diaries

An in-depth, meticulously researched and cited, hugely interesting piece of historical research ... fascinating --I Can Only Blame My Shelf

Beautifully designed ... full of amazing facts and stories --Inspired in the City

Beautifully designed ... If you have a book-lover in your life, I cannot think of a better gift to give this Easter --Of Beauty and Nothingness

If historical food books float your boat, then this is definitely the book for you --Art of Healthy Living

A perfect Easter read --Mummy Pages

About the Author:

Sophie D. Coe, an anthropologist and food historian, was the author of America's First Cuisines. Michael D. Coe is Professor Emeritus of Anthropology and Curator Emeritus in the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University. His books include The Maya, Reading the Maya Glyphs and Mexico and The True History of Chocolate, all published by Thames & Hudson.

About this edition

• Publisher: Thames and Hudson Ltd
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 0500294747
• ISBN 13: 9780500294741
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 280