Chocolate and Coffee

A day without the pleasures of coffee and chocolates is unimaginable. Sipping a mood lifting cup of coffee and snacking on an indulgent, comforting chocolate treat is a daily ritual for many. Surprisingly these primeval, exotic flavors were almost unknown throughout Europe and Asia until few centuries ago.

The history of these two celebrated foods is interwoven. It’s just amazing how they have carved their way into almost every aspect of society, establishing vital roles in medicine, religion, politics, economics and culture, voyaging continents and spreading all over the world. They have stood face to face with conflicts, stimulated armies, nurtured nations, encouraged social interaction and made fortunes.

Although coffee has its origins in Africa and chocolate originated on the other side of the world in South America, it’s startling how many phases of their history run parallel. Ancient civilizations attributed these foods with god given-powers. The Aztecs believed that chocolate was the food of the gods that brought divine wisdom, energy and sexual powers whereas the Muslims thought that coffee was a gift from Allah, which was not only used as a stimulant but to heal an astonishing number of ailments.

Originally, both coffee and chocolates were highly prized, exotic luxuries reserved only for emperors and courtiers, clerics and soldiers but, these days their farming has made them widely available to all. The explosion of coffee shops today is a shadow of the chocolate and coffee houses, which existed in Europe and Middle East centuries ago.

The medicinal powers and sensual pleasures of these fascinating foods are many. Both chocolate and coffee arouse all our senses, which is why they play such an important role in our lives.