Redolent of everything sensual & hedonistic chocolate is synonymous with our idea of indulgence It is adored around the world & has been since the Spanish first encountered cocoa beans in South America in the sixteenth century It is seen as magical exotic addictive & powerful beyond anything that can be explained by its ingredients & in " Chocolate" Sarah Moss & Alexander Badenoch explore the origins & growth of this almost universal obsession Moss & Badenoch recount the history of chocolate which from ancient times has been associated with sexuality sin blood & sacrifice The first Spanish accounts claim that the Aztecs & Mayans used chocolate as a substitute for blood in sacrificial rituals & as a currency to replace gold In 1753 Linnaeus gave the cocoa tree the official classification Theobroma cacao or the food of the gods In the eighteenth century chocolate became regarded as an aphrodisiac the first step on the road to today's boxes of Valentine delights " Chocolate" also looks at the production of chocolate from artisanal chocolatiers to the brands such as Hershey's Lindt & Cadbury that dominate our supermarket shelves & explores its associations with slavery & globalization Packed with tempting images & decadent descriptions of chocolate throughout the ages " Chocolate" will be as irresistible as the tasty treats it describes