Lake County 4-H in partnership with Luther Area Public Library will host a workshop on the history of chocolate and the chocolate industry for youth ages 5-19.
Photo courtesy of Lake County 4-HLAKE COUNTY — Lake County youth can learn all they ever wanted to know about chocolate in an upcoming program sponsored by the Lake County 4-H.
Lake County 4-H will partner with the Luther Area Public Library to host the “Chocolate Covered Clover 4-H program from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Feb. 25, at the Luther library, 115 State St., Luther.
Over the course of the workshop, participants will get the opportunity to explore the world of chocolate from its origins in the ancient world, to some of the great innovators in chocolate history and to the chocolate industry today, and get to sample some fantastic chocolate in the process.
The program is open to all youth ages 5 to 19 and is free to attend. Participants are not required to be registered 4-H members, but it is requested that parents/guardians complete a Lake County 4-H form for their child once they arrive.
“Chocolate! We’ve all had it at some point in our lives and for many of us it is a bright spot in our day, a sure-fire pick-me-up,” said Aaron Myers Mason/Lake County 4-H Program Coordinator. “There are so many ways to have it. You can pick up a chocolate bar from the grocery store. You can chow down on a plate of your grandma’s homemade chocolate chip cookies. The list is endless. But for how much a part of our daily lives chocolate can be, how much do we really know about it?”
Cocoa or “Cacao” trees require incredibly specific conditions to grow, Myers explained. They need the perfect blend of moisture and tree cover to thrive. Because of that, the only parts of the world that can successfully grow cacao reside up to 20 degrees north or south of the equator. This includes most of Central and South America, but chocolate can also be grown in places like Polynesia, as well as, parts of the Middle East and Africa.
The west African countries of Ghana and the Ivory Coast are actually responsible for growing half of all the cacao beans used to supply the entire world with chocolate.
Chocolate as we know it was first introduced to the west when European settlers first encountered the Mayans and Aztecs in Central and South America, he continued. To them, cacao was an integral part of their society with the consumption of chocolate even being a religious experience.
To these societies, cacao beans were not only so valuable that they were used as currency, the beans and trees were seen as a gift from the Gods. Their prayers would frequently involve consuming a spiced hot chocolate drink. And so chocolate evolved from a religious drink to the most beloved snack in the world, with a rich and fascinating history just waiting to be explored.
For more information, or to sign up for this program, contact the Lake County MSU Extension office at 231-745-2732.
