BOOK REVIEW #11 (The Story of Chocolate)

A thousand years ago, chocolate was a big secret.

(page 3)

This book has six stories. The first story is about the first chocolate drinkers. It was monkeys. They lived in the rain forest where was full of tropical plants and there was the small cocoa tree, and they spat out the bean of cocoa. Then a farmer discovered by turning bean into a drink, and their group called Myans. And Mayan kings began to drink it every day. But it was hard to preparing cocoa beans, so most people allowed drink it on a special day.

Hundreds of years later, a group of merchants arrived in a Mayan village.

(page 13)

This group, Aztecs, journeyed for days to find exotic goods for their emperor. Then they found cocoa beans and they knew how to make the chocolate drink so they served it to their emperor. He was delighted. Then they bought beans from Mayans and grew cocoa. But poor people couldn't drink it. Eventually, chocolate drink passed into legend.

In 1519, a Spanish explorer named Cortes set out with an army to fight the Aztecs.

(page 19)

The third story is about the time after many battles. Emperor Montezuma wanted to make peace and he served chocolate drink to Cortes. So he brought cocoa beans to Spain. And he served a drink for his friends. Then chocolate gossip spread fast. But it was very expensive so only rich people buy the drink.

Lots of goods could be made more easily including chocolate.

(page 25)

The fourth story is about machine which can put out bar of chocolate. In 1847, the boss of an English chocolate maker came up with bar of chocolate. Meanwhile, a man developed milk chocolate in Switzerland. These chocolates were popular very much.

By the 20 th century, people had learned how to make milk chocolate smoother, creamier and even more tasty.

(page 34)

The fifth story is about diversification of chocolate. A man who is the boss of American chocolate maker thought bars were boring, so he tried squirting glossy chocolate into little peaks. He called them "Kisses". In addition, various chocolate were produced by some chocolate makers. And some of small companies made amazing chocolate by hand.

Some of today's chocolate companies are gigantic. But most of them began as small family businesses.

(page 42)

The sixth story is about success story of own business. John opened a shop which sold his own drinking chocolate, it was so popular. And he set up a cocoa and chocolate factory. His products are sold around the world. Also, there were many family business were successful. For example, M&M which company developed chocolate drops coated by sugar that wouldn't melt in hand. It is famous chocolate.

I didn't know a history of chocolate. I surprised at chocolate has a many history. And I thought that chocolate is a very popular sweets from of old. Now, there are a lot of kind chocolate and we can buy it easily. Compared to old days, I think it is very convenience.


Dynes, Katie. (2004). The Story of Chocolate. Usborned.