My mind drifts into sweet daydreams, my lips yearn for the velvety touch and my heart aches until we meet again. Is it love? Close, it’s chocolate. This ancient obsession has roots in Aztec culture, so it’s no wonder why San Diego State students can’t resist the savory treat.
Chocolate connoisseurs and novices alike can visit the “Chocolate” exhibit at the San Diego Natural History Museum in Balboa Park until March 10.
As I stood outside the exhibit, my nose gravitated toward the entryway and my feet soon followed. I was Charlie Bucket with a golden ticket when I stepped inside what seemed to be another world. The outside bustle of San Diego became fainter and fainter as I ventured deeper into the maze. A towering cacao tree model greeted visitors and I suspected an Oompa Loompa was lurking in the foliage. The tree represented the origins of chocolate, which took shape in South America.
President and CEO of the Natural History Museum Michael Hager explains the history that inspired the collection.
“One of the things I like about chocolate is it was so valuable to the Aztecs. The Aztecs were in an area where it couldn’t be grown, so they obtained their chocolate by trade with the Mayans,” Hager said.
Imagine going to the counter at the Aztec Market in East Commons and pulling out a couple of cacao beans to purchase food. You may not be able to pay your rent in Hershey’s bars, but the ancient Aztecs did.
“Chocolate was so precious to the Aztecs that they could use it as money—they could pay their taxes with it, they would buy things with it. To me, thinking of chocolate beans as a form of currency is pretty neat, and it was mostly the Aztecs that did that,” Hager said.
So this chocolate must have been deliciously sweet for the Aztecs to offer it to their gods, right? Not exactly. Like the Mayans, the Aztec elite used cacao to create a frothy beverage. After roasting and grinding cacao seeds and mixing the paste with water, the Aztecs added corn and chilies to create a spicy drink, unlike the scrumptious hot cocoa you would garnish with marshmallows.
The modern version of chocolate manifested during the age of exploration. It appears as though Spanish conquistadors are to blame for your childhood cavities.
“Sugar didn’t meet chocolate until they hit the old world and the Spanish brought it to Europe,” Hager said.
A massive illuminated and interactive map at the exhibit visually depicts chocolate’s global journey. The English, Dutch and French soon started cultivating cacao to meet the demand for the luxurious treat.
Hager explained how the chocolate obsession continued to spread throughtout Europe.
“The first chocolate house opened in London in 1657. By 1700, there were 2,000 chocolate houses in London alone. They drank it like most people drink coffee today,” Hager said.
Charles II of England tried to close all chocolate houses where political enemies could gather. Thankfully, he was unsuccessful.
After the 17th century, new technology helped foster the almighty chocolate bar. World War II, modern advertising and mass production brought chocolate to the forefront of American popular culture in the early 20th century. Fictional characters such as Willy Wonka, popular past times and sports heroes were used to market chocolate .
And ladies, our chocolate cravings are a century in the making. Today, women are heavily targeted by advertising agencies who began marketing chocolate to women more than 100 years ago.
The exhibit is unique because of its dynamic learning. Visitors can engage with the media available to understand more about the topics. For example, one interactive exhibit featured a question asking which country consumed the most chocolate. I pushed a button to answer “America,” but it was incorrect. Americans certainly love their chocolate: The average U.S. citizen eats about 11 pounds of chocolate a year. However, the Swiss eat more than 24 pounds of chocolate per person each year—more than anyone else in the world.
The final room of the exhibit contained a wall-sized model of a delectable-looking assorted chocolate box. At this point, my chocolate craving was so intense, I probably would have devoured them had they been edible. After filling my nostrils with heavenly aromas, the gift shop was conveniently and strategically placed at the exit.
The store was adorned with vintage chocolate memorabilia and treats. Mainstream culture is accustomed to mediocre Snickers bars at the grocery store. However, I learned a dedicated niche of chocolatiers is striving to uphold the art of chocolate. Local chocolatiers such as Dallmann Confections, Eclipse Chocolat and David Bacco are all committed to keeping integrity in the ingredients.
I selected an irresistibly packaged Bloomsberry milk chocolate bar. While common chocolate brands are mostly milk and sugar, Bloomsberry chocolate contains 34 percent cocoa—a richness that was not lost on my taste buds.
Museum store director Jeremy Lebel explains why San Diegans should come see the exhibit for themselves.
“When you walk in, you smell chocolate, and it walks you from pretty much the conception through the present. The whole exhibit itself is the experience, more than just learning from secondhand experiences online,” Lebel said.
Plan a trip to the museum this weekend to bask in all the chocolatey goodness. Hager has a theory about why 180,000 people have already visited the exhibit.
“Everybody loves chocolate,” Hager said.
This Aztec, along with the ancient Aztecs before me, couldn’t agree more.
