Chocolate: Sweet Science Dark Secrets of the World's Favorite Treat

by Kay Frydenborg

Overview

Chocolate hits all the right sweet—and bitter—notes: cutting-edge genetic science whisked in with a strong social conscience, history, and culture yield one thought-provoking look into one of the world's most popular foods. Readers who savored Chew on This and Food, Inc. and lovers of chocolate will relish this fascinating read.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780544175662
Publisher:	Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication date:	04/07/2015
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	135,131
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.90(d)
Lexile:	1330L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Kay Frydenborg lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two dogs, and rides her beloved horse, Remy, almost every day. She's the author of numerous books for young readers including Wild Horse Scientists, They Dreamed of Horses, and Animal Therapist. You can learn more about her at www.kayfrydenborg.com.

Editorial Reviews

03/02/2015
Frydenborg (Wild Horse Scientists) examines the considerable impact, both good and bad, that chocolate and the cacao tree have had and continue to have on cultures around the globe in this wide-ranging treatment of the subject. Primarily a chronological history of the tropical plant and its deliciously addictive by-products, the fascinating, fast-moving narrative also delves into the socioeconomic, scientific, and culinary importance of the cacao bean. Recipes, from Aztec foaming chocolate to Toll House cookies, conclude many of the 13 chapters, which include “Tree of Myth and Money” and “Candy, Food, or Medicine?” A full-color insert includes photos of the tree itself and modern-day Peruvian cacao farmers, as well as reproductions of artwork depicting Mesoamerican people and events touched by chocolate. With a rise in social justice, sustainable food sourcing, and global warming, the author considers how the crop might benefit the Amazonian rainforest and its native peoples: “Could chocolate be the key to preserving this precious, threatened ecosystem and to helping people whose livelihood depends on it?” A bibliography, website list, and time line conclude this expansive chocolate primer. Ages 12–up. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"A deliciously informative, engaging and sweeping chronicle of one of the most popular treats in the world."
—Kirkus

"Frydenborg offers a wealth of information that will likely encourage students to think critically about the ecological and human cost of their favorite candies and maybe even prompt them to choose sustainable alternatives...a great choice for school projects or chocolate fans curious about their beloved treat."
—Booklist


• "This fascinating book presents a deep, multifaceted glimpse at a delectable dessert: chocolate. Engaging—even witty in places—and enlightening."
—School Library Journal, starred review

"Primarily a chronological history of the tropical plant and its deliciously addictive by-products, the fascinating, fast-moving narrative also delves into the socioeconomic, scientific, and culinary importance of the cacao bean."
—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

Many chocolate lovers probably know little about the history, composition, growth, harvest, production of this bean. All of this and more are broadly covered with clarity in the thirteen chapters that make up this title. The first chapter immediately captures interest as it relates an account of children in Canada going on strike in 1947 when the cost of a chocolate candy bar rose from a nickel to eight cents. Other chapters explore the facts and myths relating to the cocoa tree, its use by ancient cultures in Middle and South America, its eventual discovery by explorers of the new world, the development of its worldwide popularity, why it tastes so good, and its health benefits. Prominent historical figures, important in the history and development of chocolate, such as Cortés, Cadbury, Nestlé, and Milton Hershey are discussed in detail. Modern issues relating to destruction of rainforests, diseases that destroy cacao trees, the redevelopment of original species, and the promotion of fair trade are fully explained. Informative sidebars, recipes, and illustrations (drawings as well as color and black-and-white photographs) provide more knowledge. Additional extras include a timeline, websites and a bibliography. Teachers will find this book useful for science and history lessons while students will discover a wealth of material for reports and projects. Purchase is recommended, but only after the corrected edition is released. Reviewer: Sylvia Firth; Ages 11 up.

Children's Literature - Sylvia Firth

★ 03/01/2015
Gr 6–8—This fascinating book presents a deep, multifaceted glimpse at a delectable dessert: chocolate. Engaging—even witty in places—and enlightening, it gives a history of the sweet treat, speculating about its little-known origins 1,500 years ago in the Upper Amazon Basin of South America, exploring its role in the European conquest of Central and South America, and discussing the dark side of chocolate: the use of slave labor to grow and harvest it. Frydenborg examines the development of chocolate as an industry in Europe and America in the 18th and 19th centuries. The book also goes into the science of the confection, such as why it's considered so tasty and its potential health benefits. Along the way, Frydenborg seamlessly weaves in information about relevant historical figures, including confectioner Milton S. Hershey; Russian scientist Nikolai Vavilov, who traced the origins of the cacao tree; and explorers such as Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizzaro. Photographs enhance readers' understanding, though the recipes and sidebars are occasionally distracting. Robert Burleigh's celebrated Chocolate: Riches from the Rainforest (Abrams, 2002), aimed at elementary school students, is better designed, but those looking for a more detailed history for an older audience would do well to consult Frydenborg's work. VERDICT An excellent and highly original addition to history collections.—Shauntee Burns-Simpson, New York Public Library, Staten Island

School Library Journal

2015-02-03
Stories of ancient cultures, religion, conquest, slavery, privilege, invention, medicine, culinary experimentation, science and more are all confected together in this flavorful, richly textured historical chronicle of chocolate.Once confined to religious rituals and royalty, consumption of chocolate is now an $83 billion worldwide business, with the average European eating 24 pounds per year and the average U.S. citizen, 11 pounds per year. Frydenborg begins this fascinating history in Mesoamerica, where cocoa beans were used as currency; it was so valuable that its consumption was reserved for emperors. The conquistadors brought cocoa to Europe, where its popularity grew quickly among the privileged. With the decimation of indigenous populations thanks to European invaders, African slaves had to be imported for cocoa bean cultivation. The kind of chocolate we know today was developed through experimentation in the 19th century. We have the Swiss to thank for milk chocolate and the Dutch for the chocolate bar. The author lays it all out in a lively text punctuated by archival illustrations, photographs and sidebars, taking care to impress upon readers that even today, chocolate is more than just dessert. Its medicinal properties and applications have long been noted, as has its usefulness as a stimulant. A deliciously informative, engaging and sweeping chronicle of one of the most popular treats in the world. (timeline, bibliography, websites) (Nonfiction. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews