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Chocolate: The Exhibition

on August 29, 2010 – 3:30 am

Chocolate is a $16-billion-dollar-a-year industry in the United States, with Americans eating about 12 pounds per person annually. But chocolate is much more than a confection associated with luxury and romance. Its story begins in the rainforests of Central and South America where the ancient Maya harvested the precious cacao seed to use as money and made a drink out of the grounds. Explore the relationship between human culture and this rainforest treasure in Chocolate: The Exhibition  at the Minnesota History Center from Oct. 2, 2010, to Jan. 2, 2011.

The exhibit introduces visitors to the plant, products, history and culture of chocolate. Learn about the cacao tree and its rainforest environment; chocolate in the Maya and Aztec cultures; how chocolate came to Europe, its history there, and how technology changed it from a luxury to a mass-produced snack food; and how chocolate is grown, processed, advertised, consumed and traded on the world market today.

Artifacts include pre-Columbian ceramics and ritual objects; European silver and porcelain chocolate services; 19th- and 20th-century cocoa tins, advertising and packaging; antique and contemporary candy molds; and botanical specimens and agricultural tools.

Originated by The Field Museum in Chicago, this blockbuster exhibit has been seen by more than 1.6 million people in museums across the United States. “Chocolate” is a bilingual exhibit; all text is in Spanish and English.

Family Programs
“Family Day,” Oct. 2, noon to 4 p.m. Kick-off the opening of “Chocolate: The Exhibition” with Aztec dancing and drumming; Ecuadorian music; samples of chocolates from Twin Cities chocolatiers; cooking and tasting demonstrations; a take home art activity for kids; and an illustrated presentation on the process of making chocolate from the “bean to the bar.”

Adult Programs
“Chocolate Sampler Evenings.” These evening events feature demonstrations and samples from Twin Cities chocolatiers, wine tastings, shopping and gifts to take home.

“DIY: Chocolate!” In this two hour workshop, participants will explore the industrial secrets that transform chocolate from a hard bean to a luxurious indulgence. Along the way, they’ll learn how to temper and mold chocolate and take home samples from Twin Cities’ chocolatiers, plus they’ll pick up tips and tricks for working with chocolate and a mole recipe provided by Fabulous Catering.

For more information visit minnesotahistorycenter.org/chocolate.

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