THE HISTORY OF CHOCOLATE
Chocolates are one of the most popular and recognizable flavors and they have been delighting taste buds all around the world at least 2,000 years.
It all began in Amazon where the Mayans and Aztec believed that this bitter cocoa drink is an elixir of life that can ward off evil and to strengthen the body from illness.
During those times, only the elite could afford to drink this rich substance and often cocoa beans were used as trading currency.
From Mesoamerica to Spain to all around the World!
In the mid-16002, the Spaniards came to Mesoamerica
(Mesoamerica is a region and culture area in the Americas, extending approximately from central Mexico to Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, within which a number of pre-Columbian societies flourished before the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the 15th and 16th centuries)
and took these delightful cocoa beans back to Spain.
This was the beginning of the growth of the passion for chocolate and London was hooked on the cocoa craze.
At that time, cocoa was still served as beverage but the Europeans added sugar and milk to counteract the natural bitterness.
The chocolate-making process has evolved over the years from the revolution.
The discovery of how to turn cocoa powder into solid chocolate bars meant that even more people could savor the delightful aroma and taste of this fine ingredient.
Since then, the craving for fine chocolate has never stopped and chocolate fans continue to crave after premium chocolates at a global scale!
Are you one of them??
I am!
(wink, wink) ♥
COCOA BOUTIQUE AND CHOCOLATE GALLERY MALAYSIA
Cocoa Boutique is one place where one can savor all chocolates that are truly and uniquely Malaysian-made!
"Die-hard chocoholic" me and my close friend Doc Fedelaine enjoying Chocolates Galore! Goody!
(Fed's eldest daughter Risha took this shot.) ♥
The Cocoa Boutique and Chocolate Gallery Malaysia is said to be the largest chocolate retailer in Malaysia since it started in 2003 and is a popular tourist spot for the many visitors to KL.
The Cocoa Boutique has over 300 varieties of fine chocolates.
They also have special handmade chocolates with natural tropical fruit fillings and artisanal continental delicacies like tiramisu, bittersweet and sugar-free variants.
During our tour, it was interesting to hear the friendly and cheerful multi-lingual sales people (mind you, one was a fellow-Filipina!) talking about the historical origins of cocoa beans and the intricate art of producing fine chocolates. ☺
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