As that heavenly bit of chocolate melts in our mouths, we give little thought as to where it came from, the arduous work that went in to its creation, and the complex process of its maturation from a bean to the delicacy we all enjoy. This “little book” details everything you have ever wanted to know (and some things you never knew you wanted to know) about cocoa and chocolate from how the trees are planted and sustained to which countries produce the most cacao beans. Do cacao beans from various countries differ? What makes some types of chocolate higher quality than other kinds? Are there any health benefits to eating chocolate? Read on to learn the answers to these and many other questions about that wondrous little treat we call chocolate.

Latest episodes of the podcast Cocoa and Chocolate: Their History from Plantation to Consumer by Arthur William Knapp

• 01 – Cocoa and Chocolate: A Sketch of their History
• 02 – Cacao and its Cultivation
• 03 – Harvesting and Preparation for the Market
• 04 – Cacao Production and Sale
• 05 – The Manufacture of Cocoa and Chocolate
• 06 – The Manufacture of Chocolate
• 07 – By-products of the Cocoa and Chocolate Industry
• 08 – The Composition and Food Value of Cocoa and Chocolate
• 09 – Adulteration, and the Need for Definitions
• 10 – The Consumption of Cacao