Abstract:
Science, over recent years, has confirmed what chocolate lovers have always known: the stuff is actually good for you. 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.”
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly:
Did the Aztecs discover chocolate? Do the Swiss make the world's best
chocolate? Is Godiva chocolate worth its price? No, no and no, according
to Francophilic foodie Rosenblum (Olives). Although he'd always
considered himself a "chocolate ignoramus," after attending a fancy
Parisian chocolate tasting he immerses himself in the world of
professional chocolatiers. He researches texts on the history of
chocolate for amusing anecdotes, but his forte is his knack for going
out in the field and talking with the masters. Rosenblum lets the
artists teach him how great chocolate is made and how to appreciate its
qualities. He travels from the cacao growing fields of Ivory Coast to
the kitchens of some of Mexico's finest chefs, from the refined
workshops of Paris to the factories of Hershey, Pa. As he discovers,
chocolates—candy bars, chocolate mints—are basically an industrial
product, containing little cacao and unworthy of serious culinary
interest. Real chocolate, however, like fine wine, can be absolutely
sublime. Artisans who carefully select their cacao beans and process
those beans with painstaking attention can craft exquisite chocolate
with extremely complex aromas and flavors. Rosenblum's chatty book,
which lacks an index or endnotes, may disappoint food researchers. But
for that vast world of chocolate-lovers who'd like a book between their
bars, this bonbon is sure to please.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From 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.
Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.- Publisher: North Point Press; 1st edition (October 17, 2006)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0865477302
- ASIN: B005Q7WJ5G
