Week 2 Reflection and Close Reading

Chocolate: From Sacred to Sweet

The sweet mention of chocolate rushes endless memories and cravings through me and without hesitation will send me straight to the counter to purchase a chocolate bar. Prior to the chocolate tasting during class and the assigned readings, I never gave second thought to chocolate’s history and wondered how I have been able to find it in every country I have visited. Throughout my childhood I consumed chocolate from the states and Mexico; although I noticed slight differences, I didn’t investigate why. Oddly enough, with Halloween approaching chocolate is even more prominent in stores and advertisements decorated with monsters bringing in huge profits for chocolate producers. While chocolate is commonly associated as a sweet worldwide, it suffered an intense transformation under colonist exploitation.

It is debatable how chocolate first touched down in Europe, there is solid evidence that chocolate originated in Mesoamerica. In its native land chocolate was spiritual, consumed in liquid form believed to have medicinal benefits and reserved for the elite. Chocolate was a “food of the gods” that was generously shared with the Europeans. However, D. Coe Sophie and Michael state that, “With the cataclysmic destruction of the Aztecs’ mile-high capital in 1521, and the downfall of their empire, we enter an era in which chocolate-taking was transformed and creolized by the Spanish conquerors, and even new terminology invented, including the very word chocolate itself.” pg. 13. Though it is unclear how chocolate came to have a large presence in Spain, it is undoubtedly a result from extracting, through whatever means, the product from these civilizations. Through its transatlantic journey, the properties of chocolate were adjusted to the Spaniard palette.

In its original form, chocolate was not the sweet bar that we know it as. Due to its unpleasant taste, Spaniards added sugar and cinnamon to sweeten it. Furthermore, the creation of solid chocolate made it easier to transport. Through these drastic changes, the spiritual and cultural significance of chocolate was compromised and in due time lost its royal value; however, it is important to note that it took time to be easily accessible to the general public. Chocolate still carried religious significance that a debate whether it was a food or drink rose out of fasting restrictions. Slowly making its way to Italy Sophie and Michael state that, “chocolate could well have been disseminated to central and northern Italy through the international religious network of monasteries, convents, and priestly order that now linked Europe with Latin America.” pg. 140. This further supports chocolate’s important role in churches around Europe and carrying its religious significance. Due to multiple reasons, chocolate’s success was remarkably fast in the Old World in comparison to other products acquired from the New World.

On one hand it did find success in many nations, but it wasn’t a commodity accepted everywhere. Places in the Near East and Central Asia had more barriers to accepting chocolate into their everyday life. These restrictions rose out of conservative cultural and religious beliefs. However, that is not to say that every single nation within these areas resisted chocolate and continue to resist it today, as a general analysis chocolate’s success was difficult. Presently, Chinese consumption of chocolate is still well under regular consumption. After learning about chocolate’s interesting journey, it creates a dynamic experience now whenever I consume chocolate.

To end this reflection, I would like to touch upon my experience in class and my view on chocolate now. While some chocolates were more enjoyable than others during the taste test, it reminds me how different our palettes our and how necessary it is to add ingredients to chocolate to make them enjoyable. While I still indulge in chocolate, as a liquid and solid, plus its many different forms (i.e. ice cream, syrup, and cereal) I am more aware of its cultural impact and its deep embedded significance in certain nations.

Painting Close Reading:

Bacchus - Baroque master Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1595)

The image I chose is “Bacchus” painted by Caravaggio in 1595, an Italian artists that served for his patron Cardinal Del Monte who was an Italian diplomat. Caravaggio used oil paint for this piece and you can see that with the dark background and simple colors used, the main focus of this painting is the human and his gestures. Along with an extravagant headpiece, we see a large glass and jug of wine, a plate of fruit, and a loosely worn robe. From the extension of his arm, we can conclude that the wine was being offered as an invitation to drink wine with him. Through these observations we can infer that this was an image of generosity, it is an inviting gesture to share his wine and food. Furthermore, we know that during this time paintings done for cardinals and for the church often warranted some pardon. Overall, this painting along with others are signs of Renaissance art.