In honor of Halloween, we’re going to profile the world’s favorite sweet. Yes, we’re going to talk about chocolate. The cacao tree, which grows cacao, the raw material for chocolate, is native to Brazil and spread to what is now Ecuador, Guatemala and parts of Mexico at an unspecified time before 2000 BCE. It grows in the tropics, favors partial shade and needs both good soil and a consistent water source. For roughly 4000 years, people have enjoyed this complex substance – it possesses over 500 volatile and nonvolatile compounds, and its genome was mapped in 2000.
Chocolate is more than a fun treat, however. Its history is inextricably linked to empire, conquest, trade and luxury. Its origins in Mesoamerica are still somewhat shrouded in mystery, but you can find out more using our databases. The Digital Library of the Caribbean, which indexes newspapers, company reports and other documents, reveals fascinating information about cacao farming and trade dating back over two centuries. The 19th century, which brought about tremendous innovations in the creation of chocolate, is easily explored through the C19 Nineteenth Century Index. Here you will find articles on experiments to develop an inexpensive substitute for cacao, suggested medicinal uses for chocolate and a 1771 news story of a woman who smuggled chocolate (1 lb., worth three shillings) and other goods.
But maybe you prefer to take a deeper look at chocolate. A REALLY deep look. Luckily, you can access a diagram of theobromine, one of the chemical markers that is peculiar to cacao, using ChemSpider. Is your interest business instead of science? Take a look at the 1864 account ledger of J. S. Fry and Sons, one of the largest chocolate companies in Europe at that time. Or maybe government documents are your thing. In that case, you might want to check out Confidential Print: Latin America and Confidential Print: Africa. These databases offers a unique perspective, providing access to government reports and statistics regarding relationships with cacao-growing colonies and nations.
Then again, it’s possible you just want to kick back and watch chocolate videos. Once again, we can help. From short videos that show the making of chocolate truffles to feature films that tantalize with the promise of delicious, mouthwatering chocolate, the IU East library holds a wealth of movies to satisfy your visual cravings. And if you’re in need of other information on chocolate, just ask! iueref@iue.edu.