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On WBUR – A Taste of Hot Chocolate, Sex & Sin in Colonial New England

It’s Valentine’s Day and maybe you’re hoping to spark a little romance in your sweetie with a gift of some stimulating chocolate. Not to thwart your plans, but scientific research shows it’s not really an aphrodisiac. However, one candy historian was eager to take us back to a time when Americans consumed copious amounts of warm, decadent chocolate that she posits had some hidden sensual powers.

A silver serving pot, made in Boston circa 1760. (Courtesy Historic Deerfield)

Susan Benjamin, owner of True Treats Historic Candy in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, said early New Englanders were gaga for chocolate, but they weren’t eating it…

From WBUR – Listen to the whole story or read the rest of the article here.

Image: A silver serving pot, made in Boston circa 1760. (Courtesy Historic Deerfield)

Susan Suggests

If you’re looking for something interesting to make for the many celebrations ahead this spring, head to Feeding America library at the Michigan State University’s Website. There you’ll find 76 cookbooks spanning North American history, posted in readable formats. My favorite is Fannie Farmer’s Boston Cooking School Cookbook. Starting in the late 1800s, Miss Farmer introduced the nation to new concepts of cooking at home -weighing, measuring, and using calculations so every recipe turned out right. We found tempting delights– Boston Cream Pies, chocolates, and hard candies. Of course, there’s plenty more. My suggestion – check out the other fascinating cookbooks on the site, as well and don’t be intimated! The recipes are great and prove the point: everything old is new again.

Want to hear my interview on WBUR – Boston’s NPR affiliate – about Fanny Farmer? Head for my recent blog!

 

 

Fannie Farmer