Chocolate in the Americas

Chocolate consumption began over 5000 years ago in South America as a fermented beverage made from the pulp surrounding the cacao beans. By 1757, it was being manufactured in New York, and as its popularity grew, craft chocolate developed in the 20th and 21st centuries. In this course, we explore the history, culture, and economics of cacao and chocolate in the Americas. Tastings include chocolate made in the Americas from cacao beans of the Americas; chocolate makers include Pacari (Peru), Cacao Hunters (Ecuador), Soma (Canada), and other companies around the world that use beans from the Americas such as Friis-Holm (Denmark).