The Book of Chocolate - Hardcover

Bailleux, Nathalie; Bizeul, Herve; Feltwell, John; Kopp, Regine; Kummer, Corby; Labanne, Pierre; Pauly, Cristina; Perrard, Odile; Schiaffino, Mariarosa

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 2080135880 ISBN 13: 9782080135889

Publisher: Flammarion, 2001

Synopsis

Chocolate, the world's favorite confection, was unknown in Europe before the sixteenth century, when it was brought back from the Americas by the Spanish conquistadors. Originally consumed as a highly spiced drink and attributed with curative, even aphrodisiacal powers, by the eighteenth century chocolate, served steaming hot with milk and sugar in delicate porcelain cups, had become a favorite indulgence in elegant aristocratic homes and royal courts.

Chocolate prices fell dramatically in the 1830s increasing its popularity. In England, the great Quaker chocolate-producing families, like the Cadburys, promoted chocolate as a "healthful, flesh-forming" drink, which they hoped would replace gin in the cups of the working class. To further their ideals of enlightened capitalism, the Cadbury brothers established a "model village" at Bournville to manufacture their chocolate. Cadbury introduced "French Eating Chocolate" in 1842, and the commercial chocolate bar was born, though it was not to gain in popularity until the end of the century.

Chocolate had been known in North America via Europe since at least 1765, when Dr. James Baker of Massachusetts established the company that today still produces Baker's Chocolate. As in Great Britain, it was not until the nineteenth century that chocolate became truly widespread, due in great part to the enthusiasm of Milton S. Hershey-- a caramel manufacturer from Pennsylvania-- when he saw German chocolate-making machinery at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. Two years later, in 1895, the first Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar was sold.

Today, chocolate in all its guises has become an intrinsic part of our lives, something many people cannot live without. This stunning volume traces the history and production of chocolate from the tropical plantations where the cacao bean is cultivated to the finest manufacturers in Europe and the United States. The authors-- a panel of internationally renowned food specialists-- also introduce us to the master confectioners who still make an infinite variety of chocolate according to time-honored, gourmet traditions.

Illustrated with vintage advertising posters and chocolate packages, fine paintings, and lavish, specially commissioned photographs, this beautifully designed book also features a Connoisseur's Guide to the finest purveyors of chocolate throughout the world, as well as ten sinfully good recipes. A perfect gift for Easter, Valentine's Day, or any occasion, The Book Of Chocolate offers a stunning visual feast for chocolate lovers everywhere.

About this title

About the Author

Jeanne Bourin, the renowned French novelist and historian, evokes her lifelong love of chocolate in the preface. John Feltwell, a British naturalist and Nathalie Bailleux, a French historian collaborated on the chapter, Cacao Plantations. Pierre Labanne, a journalist and collector of chocolate memorabilia, wrote the chapter, The History of Chocolate. In the chapter Great Names in Chocolate, a team of journalists investigated the finest chocolate manufacturers in the world. Odile Perrard, a writer, contributed the sections on France, Belgium, and the Netherlands; Italian chocolate was studied by Mariarosa Schiaffino, author of Chocolate in the Simple Pleasures collection published by Webb & Bower; Régine Kopp, a journalist, discovered the delights of Swiss chocolate; Corby Kummer, a contributing editor at The Atlantic Monthly and author of The Joy of Coffee told the story of chocolate in the United States and Great Britain; and Cristina Pauly, an Italian journalist, sampled the riches of Vienna. The final chapter, The Taste of Chocolate, was written by Hervé Bizeul, a celebrated French chef and sommelier.

Reviews

Chocolate in all its tempting variations graces the pages of this sumptuously illustrated tome devoted to the food of the gods. Covering everything from the cultivation of the cacao bean to chocolate's role in history, this elegant survey also includes a chapter profiling great names (such as Hershey and Cadbury) involved in the production of chocolate in Europe and the United States. There is also a detailed connoisseur's guide listing chocolatiers, museums, associations, and clubs. The Book of Chocolate features 250 illustrations drawn from sources such as fine paintings, classic advertising art, and photographs commissioned specially for the book. Like fine chocolate itself, this lavish production is expensive but worth every penny. Highly recommended for both academic and public libraries.
John Charles, Scottsdale P.L., Ariz.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Although the prose reeks at times of romanticism, the reportage is filled with intriguing facts, figures, and fiction. We learn the traditional history of chocolate, traced to the Mexican Toltecs; experience almost firsthand, through exquisite color photographs, the growth and harvesting of the cacao trees on hot and damp plantations; and are exposed to the best in brand names. A wonderfully lavish compendium, with favorite chocolate recipes appended. Barbara Jacobs

Edition details

• Publisher: Flammarion
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 2080135880
• ISBN 13: 9782080135889
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 216