Chocolate

by Mort Rosenblum

The delectable journey into the world of chocolate--by the award-winning author of Olives Science, over recent years, has confirmed what chocolate lovers have always known: the stuff is actually good for you. It's the Valentine's Day drug of choice, has more antioxidants than red wine, and triggers the same brain responses as falling in love. Nothing, in the end, can stand up to chocolate as a basic fundament to human life. In this scintillating narrative, acclaimed foodie Mort Rosenblum delves into the complex world of chocolate. From the mole poblano (chile-laced chicken with chocolate) of ancient Mexico to the contemporary French chocolatiers who produce the palets d'or (bite-sized, gold-flecked bricks of dark chocolate) to the vast empires of Hershey, Godiva, and Valrhona, Rosenblum follows the chocolate trail the world over. He visits cacao plantations; meets with growers, buyers, makers, and tasters; and investigates the dark side of the chocolate trade as well as the enduring appeal of its product. Engaging, entertaining, and revealing, Chocolate: A Bittersweet Saga of Dark and Light is an intriguing foray into this "food of the gods."

Genres: Food, Nonfiction, History, Cooking, Food History, Travel, Foodie

306 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Left Coast Justin · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know those nonfiction books where, early on, you flip to the back, hoping the last 1/3 of the book is a bunch of footnotes and a bibliography, so you can finish reading sooner? Yup, this was one of those. Had I started on the very last 'About the Author' page and learned that "when not covering international news, he varnishes an old boat on the Seine and grows olives in Provence," I might have saved myself a lot of time.

My needs were simple. As we enter this season of Thanksgiving, I've decided to read a few books about things I'm thankful for. Thank you, Mr. Rosenblum, for informing me that my innocent pleasure in the occasional Ritter Sport bar signifies me as a vulgarian of the worst sort, somebody that didn't realize only 1% of the cacao crop in the world comes from criollo trees, with the foul-tasting forestero providing the remainder, suitable only for factory-made crap to feed the barbarians. And milk chocolate? Seriously? I might as well wear diapers, as I have apparently completely failed at adulting.

To enjoy chocolate, it seems, one must be prepared to live in France, have some industry insiders on hand to crack the inner sanctum of the finest chocolatiers and ideally have a job that allows you to walk into the back of the workshop and grab pralines fresh off the line. The rest of us are akin to the "depressive overweight housewives gorging on chocolate" rather than the "sporty, active intellectual types" who eat the good Parisian stuff.

Anyway, I did learn a few things, like the aforementioned preference for criollo trees, and the steps in preparing cacao beans for shipment, and that the three flavors Mr. Rosenblum would trade his soul for are black truffles, Sevruga caviar and Malaysian mangosteens, because of course they are. Twenty years ago, when this book was written, chocolate was a $60 billion business, about a third the size of the international coffee trade. Milton Hershey endowed a school for orphans that has a larger endowment than the University of Pennsylvania, Duke or Columbia.

Okay, Mr. Rosenbloom, having disgraced me for my indulgence in an innocent pleasure, I will now return the favor with respect to journalism. Early on in your book, you mentioned the lone study you were able to locate that concluded chocolate has no measurable aphrodisiac properties. It is therefore completely unnecessary to bring up, again and again and again, chocolate's alleged properties of exactly this sort. In a book of nonfiction, having established that something is false, you should not keep repeating it over and over. I believe you mentioned three times that the Aztec emperor Moctezuma drank fifty cups of frothed cocoa before visiting his harem, to choose one example.

Okay, look. I don't mean to gross anybody out, but I cut my thumb a couple of days ago and it's wrapped up in a bandage. I just noticed my space bar is splattered with blood, so it's time to find a healthier way to spend my afternoon. Good day to you, sir.

[Kirsti S. · Rating 2 out of 5]

The history was interesting and some of the details about current producers of chocolate, but overall it is more fun to eat chocolate than read about someone else eating it.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chocolate: A Bittersweet Saga of Dark and Light by Mort Rosenblum is a cross between a chocolate history book and a travelogue around the chocolate world. Justin found the book for me in a quaint bookstore in Seattle a few years ago and I loved reading it. It was interesting to learn what goes into making fine chocolate. The 2nd half of the book was the most interesting and flowing to me--so if the beginning drags, start reading from chapter 5 on.

I hosted a bookclub in my ward in Georgia for this book, and the funnest part of the evening was doing blind dark chocolate taste testing, which I highly recommend for any group of friends and chocolate lovers. I bought 11 bars of different brands of 60% dark chocolate so we could do blind taste tests.This is how we taste tested the chocolate: “Your first clues come with a deep sniff, and by breaking off a bit to feel the texture. Rubbing the chocolate between your thumb and forefinger warms it, releasing volatile aroma components. With the first bite, you notice the snap. As the chocolate melts on your tongue, layers of flavors develop. Hold your breath a moment and exhale through the nose. This all takes some practice, and it is not high science. But it is wonderful.” (Mort Rosenblum)

We followed his procedure and rated each sample by number (not knowing the brand) based on:

1. Describe the smell
2. 1 word to describe flavor
3. Rate texture 1-5 (5 being smoothest)
4. Rate taste 1-5 (5 being the best)

In between each taste sample, we cleared our palates with bread or apples. We each picked our favorite 2 chocolates, and our least favorite kind, and then I tallied up the winning chocolates.

It was such fun to discuss the results! As the author of the book points out: “With chocolate, there are no straight answers. There are only strongly held opinions” (p. 285).

Parting thought from the author, Mort Rosenblum:

"Is chocolate good for us? How much? I put the question to the family genius, my niece Randy Gollub, a brain researcher at Harvard. She referred me to J.K. Rowling. Sure enough, Harry Potter’s professors at Hogwarts Academy stuff him with chocolate, the only substance capable of warding off life-sucking Dementors” (p. 260).

I'm hosting this in my new ward's bookclub next month. Should be fun!

[Raja99 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the Large Print edition, since my library lost the normal-print edition.

I rate this 8/10. My feelings are a bit mixed; the author is a journalist (or reads like it) and seems a bit sloppy (as I tend to think of most journalists as being). I'm not overwhelmingly happy with the organization of this book; it's almost like a fixup of short pieces for magazines. Perhaps because of that, or perhaps because of the large print, I had to check this book out from the library twice *and* renew it 4 times to finish it.

Having said all that, it was interesting and entertaining enough for me *to* check it out and renew it all those times.

Rambling as it may be, it's a pretty good overview of the history and philosophy of chocolate (I particularly liked the chapter on Milton Hershey) and presents the opinions and approaches taken by the world's great chocolate makers (most of whom are tiny and not well publicized).

[Lucretia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I seem to have been bingeing on chocolate lately! It all started with a presentation about chocolate at the local historical society after which the presenter showed both books she used to prepare her talk. This is the second one and it wasn't exactly as fascinating as the first. It seems unusual to me that a non-fiction work has no citations! But this one is more like a TV travel program centered on a roving researcher striving to find the finest chocolate and how it's grown, processed, and made. Along the way he interviews many experts and chocolatiers and, of course, tastes their art. As I read, I consumed my own chocolate which made the read quite pleasant!

[Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed Rosenblum's The Secret Life of the Seine" when I read it many years ago. This one was a bit less satisfying. Did come away really wanting to read the Coes' book on chocolate, which has been on my wishlist for a very long time.

I found the organization of the book a bit random.

Rosenblum is a reporter but he gets awfully close to some of the people he's interviewing, so his objectivity is a bit in doubt. We do seem to have similar tastes in chocolate, although I don't begin to have his breadth of experience. Was tickled to see that one of his favorite Paris chocolatiers is a place we blundered into on one of our last visits, a bit pricey but extra delicious.

This Kindle edition had a enormous number of typos. Got a bit tired of sending them off into the vapor.

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is fun, well-researched, and packed full of beautifully-written details.

However, it could be slow and sometimes too detail-oriented, especially about subjects that aren’t chocolate, like chocolatiers’ life stories. Although sometimes, even the chocolate parts could be drawn out. Honestly, just eating chocolate is generally just as good. This book made me hungry.

Also, there’s a lot of talking down to people who aren’t into “fancy chocolate.” Some of us just like a Hershey’s Kiss!! The author had no qualms about sharing his opinion of how gross Hershey, Cadbury, Godiva, etc are NOT GOOD and especially not as good as the delightful, delectable (bitter and sometimes bad imo) uppity chocolate.

It has a lot of heart, tho, and it’s about chocolate so it can’t be TOO bad.

🍫🍫🍫

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fascinating look at chocolate, from the history of the native use, the European spread, and the global commodity it has become. Rosenblum took me around the world, from bean to bar, and didn't flinch from the more bitter parts of chocolate's reality. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey.

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a brief summary of chocolate history all the way up to some modern producers. It is much easier to read than other books of the same ilk. But it was written in 2006 and since then the artisan bar market has exploded, especially in the US (as was predicted in the book by several people), and it would be interesting to have an updated forward of something like that.

[Lea Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Talks about the history of chocolate in an interesting way. I liked how much he talked about where cacao comes from and child slavery behind every chocolate bar. Really brings awareness to how much we, as consumers, are responsible for the lives of those involved in the cacao business. If have never considered buying fairtrade this book might really make you.

[Allison M · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting history on chocolate. Making chocolate is much more complex than I could have imagined. I thought this book was a little choppy and hard to follow at times, but was well researched.

[Cheyenne Antell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought I was getting a story of the history of chocolate around the world. Instead, this is a compilation of the author's travels, interviews, and personal preferences. It was well-written, but not what I wanted.

[Christine Rosskopf · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best in the "deep dive into a single food item" genre.

[Mike Murray]

Only read chapter on ethics (child labor, etc).

[Rachel McDonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting collection of people and tales, writing is good but a bit bland for a food lover.

[Ericka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat informative but a bit of a slog to read.

[Kk · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I say that this book illuminates to us the journey of chocolate from pod to pallet. Of chocolate and chocolatiers. Of different places which offer yet different chocolate .everything from its farming to history.how it affects lives of millions.
How this sweet sin is not just a mere candy but an addiction with a depth surpassing oceans. You might gather it as a bore.full of facts.

This book is about a new different world parallel to ours which revolves around chocolate.it will suck the soul out of your body and dip your essence in dark molten chocolate .like a balm that gives you a view of the Egyptian duat you see a world of chocolate.
You smell the roasting beans you smell the conched powder.you inhale the bittersweet perfume and hear the sheepish pod rustling on tall tropical trees and finally taste the..... No not the chocolate just your saliva as you drool.

It guides you threw a mind blowing journey of when ancient people drank a spiced chocolate brew to when it turned from a delicate art to a mass commercial candy.
It tells you the story of Hershey's, nestle and valrhona ....the bitter fights and rivalry curtained behind a sweet confectionary.
Away from these factories rosenblum drags us to the aristocratic purists of France and Belgium . From chocolate sardine can figures to the delectable pralines and bonbons with their mouthwatering ganache..

This isn't a story .its a legacy.a legend a bond that unites the world.its chocolate .

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rosenblum sets out to find out about chocolate, and suceeds, traveling all over the world in his journey. He interviews fine chocolate makers and tasters, but also plantation workers who harvest the cacao beans, not to mention the Mexican mamas who treasure their family mole recipes. He regales the reader with the history of the Aztecs and their worship of chocolate, debunks a number of myths about chocolate (it doesn't make you fat, and isn't an aphrodisiac, for instance), as well as introducing a host of quirky, chocolate lovers who are committed to bringing the world the best chocolate a human can create. This book made me hungry for fine chocolate, but it also made me despair that I would ever find it in this country . . . or be able to afford it if I did. The only chocolate that he deems worthy of the name seems to come from small specialty shops and be sold in handmade wooden boxes or is available only by appointment. I began to suspect that Rosenblum was too much of a snob, but now I am very curious to really look at the ingredients in my favorite dark chocolate, and to taste it with greater attention to the nuances of flavor!

[Larry Hostetler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this book with an interest in the subject but from a layman's standpoint.

I finished the book having greater appreciation for the art of fine chocolate-making and a desire to develop my palate to appreciate the subtleties of the best. Unfortunately, the best is best consumed quickly. Good chocolate doesn't last, which is why several premium chocolate makers advise purchasers to consume it without delay.

But savoring the high-cocoa-content dark chocolate to be able to discern the various flavors and identify them the same way oenophiles do wine will probably elude my abilities. But it will be fun trying.

The book was interesting as it covered a wide variety of history, producers, manufacturing, and the various elements of the process. In retrospect it was more than I had expected and more interesting as well. But I began to struggle to complete it rather than racing to learn more and being left with a lingering pleasant taste.

Otherwise, for anyone interested in the fine art and science of chocolates, it is well worth the read.

[Bookmarks Magazine]

Rosenblum trades the focus of his James Beard award-winning Olives for a newer, sweeter obsession. His experience as a newspaperman (Rosenblum is the former editor for the International Herald Tribune and a former Associated Press reporter) bears fruit in the strong source material he tracks down in far-flung locales. If his prose is weakened by newsroom clichés, it is at least "clean and consistent" enough to tell a satisfying story (Newsday). Like any devotee, Rosenblum has his favorites, and while the critics concede that French chocolate may be the best, many are put off by the author's blind devotion to it. Like its subject matter, Chocolate is a book that aims to please, and should drive anyone with a sweet tooth into the candy shop.

This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before this book I read "The True History of Chocolate" (Coe & Coe) and found the Rosenblum book much more entertaining but still edifying. Sure, he's a reporter looking to get up to speed with something in just two years, but unlike the diligent Coes, the writing is brisk and enjoyable. I particularly appreciated his willingness to be critical of some producers for taking advantage of people willing to pay top dollar for good chocolate and not caring what the fantastic packaging contains. Yes, after doing this research he finds himself to be a chocolate snob, but he still knows that you should eat what you like, as long as you know the difference between chocolate and candy. He also shows how the European secretiveness and snobbery that has preserved the art form has probably gotten in the way of the rest of us ever knowing that such great stuff is out there.

[Dina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost everyone loves chocolate. Those interested in learning more about this “food of the gods” will find entertainment as well as information in this book. The saga presented here is more anecdotal than truly historical, although it does include some interesting history of the cacao tree as well as the various products made from its beans. But, what is most interesting is Rosenblum’s account of his travels from Central America to Europe to Africa as he researches chocolate’s history and then follows the production of chocolate from the cacao plantations to the chocolatiers who transform the cacao bean into something delicious.

Be warned: This book’s descriptions of chocolate tastings and the nuances of flavors that differ from one chocolate maker to the next may send you on a quest of your own.

[Powells.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Nine of every ten persons say they love chocolate. The tenth lies." Starting with a quote from revered gourmand Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, Rosenblum sets the tone for his in-depth study of a worldwide passion. Few things produce as visceral a response as chocolate. The smell, texture, and deep glossy color, not to mention the taste, have bewitched humans for millennia. From chocolate's beginnings as a sacred elixir in ancient cultures to its current status as a sensual and oh-so-necessary indulgence, Rosenblum reveals all that a true chocoholic could ever want to know about this sublime substance.
Recommended by Alicia, Powell's Books for Cooks and Gardeners

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's no chocolate inside the book. Not one gram. That's probably why the book didn't fair even better in the reviews.

With amazing detailed and savory descriptions, the author takes us on a round the world trip to find and taste all the facets of the chocolate world. From Hershey bars to french haute cuisine. To home made Mexican variety, to deep African jungles plantations.

The persons Rosenblum meets, have rich deep experiences with the chocolate world, in one way or another. And most of them would deserve a book on themselves.

Very nicely written and easily read. It will leave you with a bittersweet taste for more, and you'll never see chocolate as before.

[Ren · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the most part an interesting book covering many aspects of chocolate from cultivation to production and within production from a mass market candy bar to a painstakingly crafted work of art. Shame on Mort though for not putting together a resource list in the back (maybe that is against journalist rules though). Warning though, it does make one want to eat chocolate (and very expensive chocolate at that). As proof you should see the library book I read, covered in chocolate smears and I contributed not a one ( I Swear!).

[Erica Poole · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, I am a fiction girl on most fronts, but something about this book intrigued me. I am soooo glad I read it! Only took 2 days, could NOT put it down. This author has a way with the written word! He talks about the characters in the chocolate business, as well as some politics surrounding it, cultivating the cacoa plant, machinery used in making chocolate, everything! And, best of all, he really makes it interesting, felt as if I was reading a novel, not a non fictional account of a food! Definitely recommend this one!

[Ana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I probably would never have read or finished this book if it wasn't a book group selection. I did appreciate the portion on the history of cacao in the Americas, his discussion of the various growing regions around the world, and the chapter on Hershey (interesting guy!). But, overall I did not really care for Rosenblum's writing style which felt too journalistic-- yes, I know he was a journalist. I also didn't have much interest in all the various details about fine choclatiers (sp?)in Europe . . . so, it gets a 2.

[Elizabeth☮ · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is absolutely fascinating! the history of chocolate begins with the mayans and is linked to the aztecs. the spaniards' invasion of the americas introduced the cacao bean to europe - where chocolate is transformed into pieces of art. there's a lot here about the growing of the trees, the picking and drying out the beans and the difference one more stir or one degree can make in the final product. i would love to taste so many of the various chocolates mentioned. often compared to winetasting, it's delightful to imagine the flavors on the tongue.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like to know how things work, and I found that this book about how chocolate is grown, processed, shipped, and made was a great read. It talks to the people who grow the pods, about the trees and their evolution. It talks to people who are passionate about each stage in the process and some of the most decadent and sought after final products in the world. It is not the fastest or easiest read if you are just in the mood for a good novel, but it will give you a much deeper appreciation for the product the next time you reach for a fix.

[Jeni · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO AMAZING! Who hates Chocolate, anyway?
I actually ate chocolate on more than one occasion while I read this. I highly recommend you do the same if you're planning on reading it.
Just the way that he describes this delicious foodstuff makes you feel like you're out there with him, searching for cocao and wishing for Valrhona chocolate. After reading this book, I've decided someday I'm going to do chocolate tasting and I have more appreciation for chocolate in general. It was nice taking a long time on this book too. You have to take time to enjoy it. :D