I have found the answer as to why chocolate is so loved. It comes down to this: its versatility. In fact, so accommodating and versatile is the chocolate, it could be a metaphor, if not symbol, for world peace. We have a number of new chocolates that prove the point beyond reason:
- Chocolate covered ginger patties. The Mesoamerican chocolate merged with the Asian ginger plant for a perfect balance of spicy, bitter and sweet. All the better as these are hand-dipped in a shop that opened generations ago.
- Chocolate covered apricot glace´. The cultivated apricot originated in the Mideast and Mediterranean, where, exactly, no one knows. So did the process of coating fruit in a sugar glaze aka glace´ – this goes back to the 1300s, probably earlier. The sugar tasted good, acted as a preservative, and had health-benefits. Naturally, chocolate, with its Mesoamerican roots, accommodates it nicely.
- Chocolate-covered coconut Needhams. This one is the oldest of our new selections, a favorite of a Reverend George Needham in the 1870s. The authentic ingredients include potatoes. We know how the European potatoes got to Maine but how about the coconut? Maine was a hub for whaling ships who traveled the world in search of whale meat and oils…and returned with other exotic prizes, the coconut among them.
