Belgian Chocolates

A Brief History of Chocolate

Chocolate is made from the seed of the cacao tree, a tree native to lowland areas of South America. Cacao was used as far back in history as 1100 BC. Although historical evidence shows the Mayans used the cacao bean earlier, most of the popular credit is given to the Aztec civilizations.

Cacao played an important role in the Aztec society, serving both as a drink and as currency. Columbus originally observed the natives scrambling to pick up the seeds when they spilled without realizing their value to them. The drink “xocolatl” or “bitter water” was consumed by the Aztec elite society. According to legend the Aztec ruler Montezuma consumed up to fifty cups of chocolate a day. Perhaps the myth of chocolate was born when Europeans first observed Montezuma drinking xocolatl prior to visiting his concubine.

Although Columbus actually was the first to bring cacao back to Spain, it wasn’t until Cortez returned to Spain with cacao beans that Europeans first started consuming it. Unlike the people of South America, Europeans found the drink bitter and sweetened it with sugar. Within 100 years the secrets of cacao had spread throughout Europe and chocolate was a favorite in the royal courts of Europe.

In 1828 the Dutch chemist Van Houten invented a press to extract the cocoa butter from the roasted ground beans leading to the invention of the chocolate bar. When Daniel Peters developed a technique to incorporate condensed milk into the chocolate and was able to maintain a stable product milk chocolate was born.At around the same time in the United States, Milton Hershey used fresh whole milk,

History is sprinkled with anecdotes relating to chocolate and it’s various uses. In addition to Montezuma’s use of cacao as an aphrodisiac, the great Italian lover Cassanova allegedly used chocolate for the same reason. Reportedly he actually preferred chocolate to champagne. Chocolate was actually marketed as a medicine here in the United States and in Europe.

Today we continue the aphrodisiac tradition with Valentines Day gifts and the tradition of bringing flowers and chocolate for dates

About the Author

To read this or other articles related to chocolate go to www.internetvaluereviewer.com/chocolate.html
Author of this article is Verland Pierson, webmaster and contributing writer for www.internetvaluereviewer.com

Hershey Chocolate World Tour Part I

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S Chocolate Mint-Flavored Baking Chips $2.75 Add a kiss of mint to your baking. HERSHEYS Chocolate Mint-Flavored Baking Chips will add just the perfect touch of minty deliciousness to whatever youre baking up. Its the perfect marriage of smooth milk chocolate and the fresh sparkle of mint. Grab a bag and stir up some fun in the kitchen today! 10-oz. bag.

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S Chocolate Lover Hat $19.95 Individual grey-shadowed brown letters spelling out HERSHEYSare appliquéd across the front of this distressed-look hat.This six-panel cotton khaki hat with chocolate-brown accents,simulated grey paint spatters and worn brim, is adjustable, with ahook-and-loop fabric closure at the back. Screen printed across theback is "Chocolate Lover" – in case anyone had anydoubts.

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S Baseball Hat $14.95 This great HERSHEYS baseball hat is as handsome as it is comfortable. Stylish blue hat features a clever appliqué on the front – a white patch with "HERSHEY" in prominent red lettering above a street lamppost with name signs showing the corner of Cocoa Ave. and Chocolate Ave. We cant think of a better place to be. Batter up!

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Bars - 36-ct. Box $19.95 All the deliciousness of a rich, creamy HERSHEYS Milk Chocolate bar... times 36. This box contains nearly 3½ pounds of pure chocolate scrumptiousness – all wrapped up in individual wrappers. How convenient is that?!Also available in: SKOR, WHATCHAMACALLIT, ZAGNUT, ZERO brands and HERSHEYS Milk Chocolate with Caramel.

HERSHEYSSTORE World's Largest HERSHEY'S KISS Milk Chocolate $22.95 WAS $24.95 NOW $22.95 At a hefty 2 pounds 12.8 ounces, this eye-popping HERSHEYS KISSES Milk Chocolate is sure to make even the most dedicated chocolate aficionado goggle in awe. Concealed within this hollow KISS™ Milk Chocolate are a full seven ounces of standard-size HERSHEYS KISSES Milk Chocolates. The Worlds Largest KISS™ Milk Chocolate is the sweetest way to show that special someone how much you care. Dimensions: 7¾" W x 7¾" D x 8½" H.

HERSHEYSSTORE World's Largest HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Bar $39.99 WAS $44.99 NOW $39.99 No need to adjust the resolution on your monitor; this chocolatebar really is that big. In fact, its the Worlds Largest HERSHEYSMilk Chocolate Bar! Chocolate lovers, rejoice! Weighing in at afull five pounds of pure chocolate deliciousness, this is onemonstrous chocolate bar! Get ready to be the absolute hit of theparty when you show up toting this great big HERSHEYS bar. Or makea really sweet impression on someone you love.

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S Chocolate-Scented Candle Jar $22.95 Ahh, chocolate! Has there ever been an aroma more alluring, more enticing or more enthralling? With the HERSHEYS Chocolate Scented Jar Candle from the HERSHEYS Kitchen collection, you get a full-size 24-oz. jar candle with a wonderfully sweet, tantalizing scent. Now you can enjoy the fragrance of pure HERSHEYS Milk Chocolate any time you want – minus the calories.

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY’S Chocolate World Filled Glass $14.95 Whether its filled with yummy HERSHEYS Assorted Miniatures, REESES Peanut Butter Cup Miniatures and HERSHEYS KISSES Milk Chocolates or a serving of ice-cold chocolate milk, this glass serves up pure happiness. Sturdy glass bears the HERSHEYS CHOCOLATE WORLD Attraction logo on the front and is laser etched all over with little HERSHEYS logos (which show up great when the glass is filled with chocolate milk, by the way). Glass comes filled with a full 8 oz. of HERSHEYS Miniatures Assortment, HERSHEYS KISSES Milk Chocolates and REESES Peanut Butter Cup Miniatures, all temptingly tied with a luxurious chocolate-brown satin bow. And the accompanying tag features a recipe for a delectable Cocoa Chocolate Shake. What more could you want?

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S Double Chocolate KISSES Cookies Candle $17.95 Ahh, chocolate! Has there ever been an aroma more alluring, moredecadent or more enthralling? With the Double Chocolate HERSHEYSKISSES Milk Chocolates Cookies jar candle from the HERSHEYSKitchens collection, you get a full-size jar candle with awonderfully sweet, tantalizing aroma; plus youll find a detailedrecipe on the back label, so you can re-create that great chocolatescent – in edible form – right in your very ownkitchen. Dimensions: 3¾" Diameter x 4¾" H.

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S Chocolate Lover's Magnet Set $7.95 Ever seen a major appliance smile? Apply these darling littlemagnets directly to your refrigerator and it just might break intoa grin. Everybody loves chocolate – and now you can proclaimyour love of chocolate with this set of sweet little pink andchocolate-brown magnets. Trio of magnets are a nice littlepick-me-up for yourself... or tuck a set into a gift basket as aspecial treat for a loved one.

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S Bar and HERSHEY'S KISSES JIBBITZ $5.95 Dress up your CROCS HERSHEYS style! HERSHEYS-themed JIBBITZ add a terrific touch of whimsy to your favorite pair of fun, frolicsome footwear. These miniature replicas of a HERSHEYS Milk Chocolate bar and a HERSHEYS KISSES Chocolate (complete with plume) will make your CROCS look as great as they feel. HERSHEYS bar measures 1¼" x ½"; HERSHEYS KISSES Chocolate measures approximately 1½" x 1". Collect them all!

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Drops Bag $3.95 Its like a little bit of magic – right in the palm ofyour hand! All the goodness of HERSHEYS Milk Chocolate, in abite-size drop, with no candy shell and no mess. Just a whole lotof itty-bitty deliciousness! Theyre perfect for snacking and forsharing. Pure HERSHEYS Happiness – anytime, anywhere!™Each bag contains 8 full ounces of HERSHEYS Milk Chocolategoodness.

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S Playing Cards $2.95 On their face, these standard-size playing cards look likeordinary cards... but turn them over to reveal the familiarchocolate-hued background with HERSHEYS Milk Chocolate in silverprint. Makes you want to stop the game and get yourself some smoothHERSHEYS chocolate! Ante up!

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S Pieces with Almonds $3.95 Open up the fun! When you open up an 8-oz. bag of HERSHEYS PIECES milk chocolate candies with whole almonds, you open yourself up to a world of deliciousness. Beneath that crunchy candy exterior is a whole almond enrobed in smooth, rich, satisfying HERSHEYS milk chocolate. Its the big taste of HERSHEYS in a little candy shell. Perfect for enjoying with family and friends - at home, on the go, in the car... wherever your busy life takes you.

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S Football Bear $12.95 No football game could be complete without a cuddly mascot... and have we got a mascot for you! This darling chocolate-brown plush bear with soft, snuggly fur and beanbag paws comes complete with a HERSHEYS football jersey. It’s got shiny-bright glass eyes, a cute little embroidered nose and sits 6" tall.

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S Mini Football $16.95 Its the perfect gift for the football lover in your life: acollectible HERSHEYS football! Measuring approximately 8" long and4½" in diameter, this miniature chocolate-brown and silverfootball with authentic HERSHEYS logos is great for tossing aroundin the yard with friends or siblings. It even looks great as partof your football-themed (or HERSHEYS-themed) collection.

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S Legal Hat $18.95 HERSHEYS Milk Chocolate: Legal in All 50 States. Thischocolate-brown cap says it all, with humor and style, inembroidery across the top and print across its distressed-lookbrim. Back of hat features an adjustable hook-and-loop fabricclosure.

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S SILLY BANDZ $7.95 Now you can display your love of HERSHEYS for all to see – with SILLY BANDZ! Its the fashion craze thats sweeping the nation! SILLY BANDZ are wearable rubber bands that come in fun shapes. Use them as rubber bands or wear them as bracelets. You can even string them on necklaces to display in their natural shapes. In this SILLY BANDZ 12 pack, you get orange REESES Peanut Butter Cup-shaped BANDZ and HERSHEYS KISSES Chocolates-shaped BANDZ in pink and blue, plus HERSHEYS Product Character-shaped BANDZ for HERSHEYS milk chocolate bar character, HERSHEYS KISSES Chocolates character and REESES Peanut Butter Cup character in chocolate brown, royal blue and tangerine.

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S Recipe Collection $29.95 What do you get when you take more than 475 time-tested andbest-loved chocolate recipes and compile them into one volume? Youget HERSHEYS Recipe Collection. There are six separate chaptersdedicated to different kinds of cakes... and four chaptersfeaturing various types of cookies. Youll get chapters containingrecipes for pastries and coffee cakes, breads and muffins, frozendesserts, kids favorites – even a chapter dedicated tosavory chocolate recipes. But more than being simply a compendiumof delicious recipes, HERSHEYS Recipe Collection contains valuable tips andtechniques to improve your baking skills, plus welcome guidance foreveryone from novice bakers to experienced chefs. Whats more, HERSHEYS Recipe Collection comes with a complete index ofrecipes, plus two sturdy plastic page-protector sheets that slipeasily into place around the five binder rings to keep yourcookbook free of spatters for years of exceptional baking.

Fresh Baked Cookies 2 lb. Tin - Chocolate Chunk $33.95 David's is the place to find delicious chocolate chip cookies you don't have to bake. Forget small chips, our recipes include large chunks of gooey Hershey's chocolate for that home-made taste. Made from a mixture of wholesome milk, eggs and creamy butter, each cookie is oven-fresh and browned to perfection. Save time from making your own dough from scratch and pick up a 2 lb. batch of David's Cookies today that your whole family can enjoy. Approximately 24, 1.5 oz cookies 2 lb red tin Fresh baked with no preservatives

The Biography of Chocolate $26.6 Children will love learning how the ancient Aztecs created a special drink from the bitter beans of the cacao tree and how those beans later became the delectable treat known as chocolate. Mouth watering pictures illustrate this examination of one of the world's favorite commodities. Other topics include- What is a commodity?- how and where cacao beans grow- the history of cacao cultivation and use- Hernan Cortez and the introduction of chocolate to Europe- Hershey, Cadbury, Lindt and other chocolatiers- Who made the first chocolate bar and chocolate-chip cookie?- the different ways to use cacao beans today, from food and drink to soap, suntan lotion, and moisturizers- slavery and chocolate

The Biography of Chocolate $8.95 Children will love learning how the ancient Aztecs created a special drink from the bitter beans of the cacao tree and how those beans later became the delectable treat known as chocolate. Mouth watering pictures illustrate this examination of one of the world's favorite commodities. Other topics include- What is a commodity?- how and where cacao beans grow- the history of cacao cultivation and use- Hernan Cortez and the introduction of chocolate to Europe- Hershey, Cadbury, Lindt and other chocolatiers- Who made the first chocolate bar and chocolate-chip cookie?- the different ways to use cacao beans today, from food and drink to soap, suntan lotion, and moisturizers- slavery and chocolate