On Friday, I had a chance to check out the new Chocolate exhibit at the Academy of Natural Science of Drexel University.

Who knew that Chocolate everyones favorite indulgence, that treat everyone loves to eat had such an interesting story.

I never knew how much I didn’t know about chocolate. It’s not just that wonderful treat that people love, it’s so much more.

Hearing the rich history of chocolate presented in this exhibit gave me a true understanding of this amazing delicacy.

Touching Cacoa beans, and watching them transform into the chocolate we know and love was an interesting journey.

In early times, people traded cacao beans for just about anything. There value was incredible.  Slaves were even traded for beans, that was a really surprising insight to learn.

Kings and royalty drank chocolate, and even had specific drinks made from chocolate that they enjoyed drinking for special occasions or just because.  I loved hearing about how chocolate moved from a delicacy to be enjoyed only by royalty and the rich to something so commonplace.

The exhibit shared interesting facts, about the history of chocolate and how many lives and economies it touched.  It went from Spain to European countries to worldwide.  It’s value was incredible and it also caused the rise and growth of many other crops like sugar.

The exhibit showed the growth of  the chocolate drink and of course, there are some of our childhood favorites represented here like Ovaltine and Quik. This turned the demand for chocolate even higher and took the drink from something only enjoyed by the rich to a drink many just couldn’t live without. Most of all, it fueled an obsession with a drink that still continues today.  If you want to know more about chocolate, your interested in currency and its uses, or if you want to know about how chocolate became one of Americas favorite goodies check out this exhibit at the Academy of Natural Sciences from October 11th – January 24, 2015.

 

Here are a few more of the pics from the exhibit

Those chocolate factories as production of chocolate drinks and bars, and demand continued to grow.

 

 

 

For more information about this exhibit, or the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University please check out their site here.http://www.ansp.org/visit/exhibits/chocolate/