The Chocolate and Coffee Bible [antikvár]

¦FT TttT INTRODUCTION It's almost unthinkable to imagine modern day life without the pleasures of chocolate and coffee. Hardly a day goes by in most of our lives without sipping a mood-lifting cup of coffee, or nibbling on an indulgent, comforting chocolate treat. Yet these two ancient, exotic flavours, now such a familiar part of our everyday lives, were virtually unknown throughout Europe and Asia until just a few centuries ago. This Indispensable book covers just about everything you need to know about coffee and chocolate, tracing their respective journeys from early discovery, cultivation and the development of trading right up to present day, looking at modern production and their place in society. It tracks the intricate and interwoven histories of these two legendary foods, how they have over centuries woven their way into almost every aspect of society, establishing vital roles in religion, medicine, politics, economics and culture, crossing continents and spreading throughout the world. They have known conflict, fuelled armies, made fortunes, nourished many nations, caused political unrest and encouraged much social interaction. Although chocolate has its origins in South America and the birthplace of coffee was on the other side of the world in Africa, it's surprising how many aspects of their history run parallel. The chapters on history begin by showing how ancient civilizations attributed both these foods with god-given powers. The Aztecs believed that chocolate was food of the gods and brought spiritual wisdom energy and sexual power; coffee was thought by the Muslims to be a gift from Allah and it was used not only as a stimulant but to treat an astonishing variety of ailments. Originally highly prized and expensive, both chocolate and coffee were an exotic luxury reserved only for kings and noblemen, priests and warriors, but in more recent times cultivation has made them widely available to all. The proliferation of trendy coffee shops we know today is