What lies in our mind if a friend will travel to Belgium or SwitÂzerland? A reflex word will come out and it is chocolate definitely as souvenir, it is because only Belgian and Swiss which become famous for chocolate products.
Nia S. Amira
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Chocolate is the name for the proÂcessed food or drinks produced from caÂcao beans (Theobroma cacao). Chocolate was first consumed by the indigenous people of ancient Mesoamerica as drinks, even though at that time only the noble could consume. Chocolate is generally given as a gift or gifts at the feast. With the form, style, and unique flavors, chocolate is often used as an exÂpression of gratitude, sympathy or attention even as a declaration of love. Chocolate also has become one of the most popular flavors in the world. In addition to the most commonly consumed in the form of chocolate bars, chocolate is also the subject of warm and cold drinks.
The earliest documentation of cocoa found in chocolate processing in a site in Puerto Escondido, Honduras around 1100 -1400 BC The residue obtained from the processing tanks indicates that the initial use of cacao was not to make a drink, but a white membrane found in cocoa beans more inclined to be used as a source of sugar to alcohol.
Brown residue found on pottery used by the ancient Mayans in RÃo Azul, northÂern Guatemala, suggesting that the MaÂyans drank chocolate around 400 BC. The Mayan drinking chocolate every day, said that eating chocolate is regarded as an important status symbol in those days. The Maya eating chocolate in liquid form frothy sprinkled with red pepper, vanilla, or other spices, believed to release fatigue, that may result from the content of theoÂbromine found in chocolate. Chocolate is a symbol of prosperity in the future.
At the beginning of the 17th century, chocolate became popular beverages in The Kingdom of Spain. Throughout the century, chocolate spread among the EuÂropean elite, then through a democratic process to be fairly cheap price, and at the end of the century it became a drink that is enjoyed by the merchant class. ApproxiÂmately 100 years after his arrival in Europe, chocolate became very famous in London, until the first chocolate house founded in 1657. And the first known recipe chocolate ice originated in England in 1668.
All European chocolate was originally consumed as a beverage. Only in 1847 solid bar chocolate was found. European throw away nearly all the spices that are added by the Meso-Americans, but keep the vanilla. Also replace many seasonings according to their own tastes with a special recipe that uses ambergris, a waxy substance purplish color comes from the gut whale, to the more common such as cinnaÂmon or cloves. However, most often added are sugar. Initially chocolate made in Europe are mixed in a manner similar to that used by Maya and Aztec.
Belgian chocolate has a taste of pure chocolate because no additional ingrediÂents of cacao butter substitute or cacao butter are used as vegetable fats. Type of cocoa, cocoa plantation, fermentation and roasting process of cocoa beans is a key factor in finding the right taste of chocolate produced in Belgium.
Traditional Belgian chocolate is a mixÂture of cocoa paste, sugar and cocoa butter in varying proportions. Belgium is known as the Capital of Europe but also there are some who consider as Capital of Chocolate.
Belgian even ranks the second biggest consumer of chocolate in the world with an average of 11.03 kilograms per year. It was the t Spanish who introduced the coÂcoa beans to Belgian Royal family at the beginning of 17th century.
Praline is the most popular Belgian chocolate filled with a variety of flavors and is sold at prices ranging from € 30 to € 58 per kilogram.
King Leopold II, who colonized Congo in 1885 is an instrumental figure in the deÂvelopment of chocolate in Belgium and in 1912, the first chocolate shop has been opened in Belgium named Neuhaus, taken from its owner Jean Neuhaus. Since the beginning of its history, chocolate used as gifts in Belgium. Now there are hundreds of chocolate manufacturers who compete in the domestic market, some are worldÂwide such as Cote d’Or bearing the head of an elephant as brand, Godiva, and Guylian.
Other than Belgium, in Indonesia, a Belgian young man came without a plan to Yogyakarta in 2001. Feeling disapÂpointed with the taste of chocolate that he bought in the supermarket, this BelÂgian man decided to make some chocoÂlate typically Belgian because he knows that Indonesia is the third largest producer of cocoa beans in the world’s.
“Truffle†was first produced directly and shared with his local friends – who later challenged him to make more chocoÂlate. Finally with his old pink Vespa, the young Belgian was selling chocolate every Sunday morning around the campus and the church’s in Kota Baru. The strategy was succeeded attracting the connoisseurs of chocolate. Then the name “Monggo†is created for the brand name, which means Please ..
Now “Monggo†already captured the hearts of chocolate lovers in the country. Belgium also seemed closer to the IndoneÂsian despite being thousands of kilometers on the other side of the ocean.
