Book description
International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) 2010 Award
Finalists in the Culinary History category.
Chocolate. We all love it, but how much do we really know about
it? In addition to pleasing palates since ancient times, chocolate has
played an integral role in culture, society, religion, medicine, and
economic development across the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe.
In 1998, the Chocolate History Group was formed by the University of
California, Davis, and Mars, Incorporated to document the fascinating
story and history of chocolate. This book features fifty-seven essays
representing research activities and contributions from more than 100
members of the group. These contributors draw from their backgrounds
in such diverse fields as anthropology, archaeology, biochemistry,
culinary arts, gender studies, engineering, history, linguistics,
nutrition, and paleography. The result is an unparalleled, scholarly
examination of chocolate, beginning with ancient pre-Columbian
civilizations and ending with twenty-first-century reports.
Here is a sampling of some of the fascinating topics explored inside
the book:
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Ancient gods and Christian celebrations: chocolate and religion
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Chocolate and the Boston smallpox epidemic of 1764
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Chocolate pots: reflections of cultures, values, and times
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Pirates, prizes, and profits: cocoa and early American east
coast trade
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Blood, conflict, and faith: chocolate in the southeast and
southwest borderlands of North America
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Chocolate in France: evolution of a luxury product
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Development of concept maps and the chocolate research portal
Not only does this book offer careful documentation, it also features
new and previously unpublished information and interpretations of
chocolate history. Moreover, it offers a wealth of unusual and
interesting facts and folklore about one of the world's favorite
foods.
Louis Evan Grivetti, PHD, is Professor Emeritus,
Department of Nutrition, at the University of California, Davis. His
honors include the Nutrition Foundation's Book Award for the best
nutrition book published in 1977, Food: The Gift of Osiris. From 1987
to 1990, he was the Institute of Food Technologists Scientific
Lecturer for the United States. Dr. Grivetti is a member of the
editorial boards of Ecology of Food and Nutrition, The
International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition,
Nutrition Today, and The Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine.
Ooward-Yana Shapirh, PhD, is Global Director of Plant Science
and External Research at Mars, Incorporated, the largest chocolate
company in the world. Dr. Shapiro serves as Chairman of the Board of
the Agricultural Sustainability Institute at the University of
California, Davis, and is an Adjunct Professor in the College of
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. He is a Fellow of the World
Agroforestry Centre and a contributing author of the World Bank IAASTD
Report, has presented at more than 150 international conferences and
meetings, is a frequent contributor to media outlets worldwide as a
writer and speaker, and has published three books on sustainable
agriculture.
