By Theyo Team
In times like these, most people are happy when they can focus on something analogue after a long day in the home office. In this case, we recommend: a book about chocolate paired with a really good selection of fine chocolate. And while it's probably pretty obvious which chocolates we'd recommend for you , we haven't covered that much about the best chocolate books. Since we are asked about it again and again, we have now summarized our top 5 for you. And while there are far more books on our Theyo shelf, we chose the five books for this list that we found either particularly exciting or visually appealing. But it's best to see for yourself...
Even though ' The true history of chocolate ' is showing its age, it is still one of the most insightful books on the history of chocolate. It draws on botany, archaeology, anthropology and ultimately cultural and culinary history. Everything to come to terms with the almost 4000-year history of chocolate. We find old correspondence between philosophers, aristocrats and nobles who report on their first experiences with cocoa particularly exciting. From our point of view, definitely the most exciting and comprehensive chocolate history book. The only fly in the ointment: In 2018, 'Science' reported that the oldest traces of cocoa are in the Amazon . These new findings could no longer be included in the book because the two authors have since died.
The True History of Chocolate © THAMES HUDSON
In ' Bread, Wine, Chocolate ' you can join Simran Sethi on her journey from the wild coffee forests of Ethiopia to the cocoa plantations of Ecuador. Travel with her from the brewery to the bakery to shed light on the reasons for the loss of 'Bread, Wine & Chocolate' with scientists, farmers, cooks, winemakers, brewers, coffee roasters and chocolate experts. Learn how you can experience and taste food in a whole new way and ultimately save our favorite foods.
What do we particularly like? In the book you will learn why it is so important to eat really good chocolate. With her entertaining and yet profound nature, Sethi manages to create urgency but also to present constructive solutions. You can get a (short) reading sample on Simran Sethi's website. But we recommend reading the whole book right away 😉 .
After reading this book, you will certainly have a completely new perspective on food, but above all on chocolate. A book for chocoholics, pleasure-seekers and those who want to become one.
Bread, Wine, Chocolate © HarperOne
And another book that was created “on the ground” in Ghana and primarily sheds light on the political dimension of chocolate. A good ten years ago, Órla Ryan reported on the commodities market for Reuters in London. As part of this, she was sent to Ghana to report on the local cocoa trade. Here she experienced at first hand how fluctuating world market prices and speculation affect the life and death of cocoa farmers in Ghana. ' Chocolate Nations ' is a stirring account of the struggles of cocoa producers in West Africa, almost all of whom are small farmers. Órla Ryan explains how the cocoa harvest ultimately becomes supermarket chocolate and what influence local politics has, while offering exciting insights. In doing so, she not only sheds light on the early history of cocoa, but also deals above all with more recent history and the political interdependencies.
Chocolate Nations © Zed Books
If anyone should write a book about cocoa , it would be Kristy Leissle. And to our great delight, she did so in 2018. The professor of African Studies has illuminated the dark, political sides of cocoa cultivation in a small, fine book. A lot is about Ghanaian politics and (un)fair global supply chains, which Leissle examines in interviews with cocoa farmers. Another note about this book: even if we would of course recommend everyone to read it, we don't want to hide the fact that it's not exactly a coffee-table book ;-) . The focus is clearly on the content, not on the layout or visual design. So it's more for real chocoholics with an interest in the political dimension of chocolate.
A coffee table book that not only looks good, but also delivers correctly. In ' Making Chocolate ' you will learn everything you need to know about making chocolate from bean to bar. This book is a must, especially for hobby chocolate makers. It is beautiful to look at and is also very easy to read. It consists of five parts: History, Process, Ingredients, Deep Dive and Recipes. The chapters build on each other, but can also be read independently. The four authors bring exciting perspectives and a lot of experience to the table. The recipes at the end of the book and the pretty pictures complete the book. Interesting for newbies and experienced chocoholics alike.
Making Chocolate © Clarkson Potter
Are you really interested in chocolate? How about a chocolaty, virtual team event for a change?
The true history of chocolate
by Sophie D. Coe & Michael D. Coe, 2013, language: EnglishEven though ' The true history of chocolate ' is showing its age, it is still one of the most insightful books on the history of chocolate. It draws on botany, archaeology, anthropology and ultimately cultural and culinary history. Everything to come to terms with the almost 4000-year history of chocolate. We find old correspondence between philosophers, aristocrats and nobles who report on their first experiences with cocoa particularly exciting. From our point of view, definitely the most exciting and comprehensive chocolate history book. The only fly in the ointment: In 2018, 'Science' reported that the oldest traces of cocoa are in the Amazon . These new findings could no longer be included in the book because the two authors have since died.
The True History of Chocolate © THAMES HUDSON
Bread, wine, chocolate
by Simran Sethi, 2016, Language: EnglishIn ' Bread, Wine, Chocolate ' you can join Simran Sethi on her journey from the wild coffee forests of Ethiopia to the cocoa plantations of Ecuador. Travel with her from the brewery to the bakery to shed light on the reasons for the loss of 'Bread, Wine & Chocolate' with scientists, farmers, cooks, winemakers, brewers, coffee roasters and chocolate experts. Learn how you can experience and taste food in a whole new way and ultimately save our favorite foods.
What do we particularly like? In the book you will learn why it is so important to eat really good chocolate. With her entertaining and yet profound nature, Sethi manages to create urgency but also to present constructive solutions. You can get a (short) reading sample on Simran Sethi's website. But we recommend reading the whole book right away 😉 .
After reading this book, you will certainly have a completely new perspective on food, but above all on chocolate. A book for chocoholics, pleasure-seekers and those who want to become one.
Bread, Wine, Chocolate © HarperOne
Chocolate Nations
by Órla Ryan, 2011, language: EnglishAnd another book that was created “on the ground” in Ghana and primarily sheds light on the political dimension of chocolate. A good ten years ago, Órla Ryan reported on the commodities market for Reuters in London. As part of this, she was sent to Ghana to report on the local cocoa trade. Here she experienced at first hand how fluctuating world market prices and speculation affect the life and death of cocoa farmers in Ghana. ' Chocolate Nations ' is a stirring account of the struggles of cocoa producers in West Africa, almost all of whom are small farmers. Órla Ryan explains how the cocoa harvest ultimately becomes supermarket chocolate and what influence local politics has, while offering exciting insights. In doing so, she not only sheds light on the early history of cocoa, but also deals above all with more recent history and the political interdependencies.
Chocolate Nations © Zed Books
cocoa
from Dr. Kristy Leissle, 2018, Language: EnglishIf anyone should write a book about cocoa , it would be Kristy Leissle. And to our great delight, she did so in 2018. The professor of African Studies has illuminated the dark, political sides of cocoa cultivation in a small, fine book. A lot is about Ghanaian politics and (un)fair global supply chains, which Leissle examines in interviews with cocoa farmers. Another note about this book: even if we would of course recommend everyone to read it, we don't want to hide the fact that it's not exactly a coffee-table book ;-) . The focus is clearly on the content, not on the layout or visual design. So it's more for real chocoholics with an interest in the political dimension of chocolate.
MakingChocolate
by Dandelion Chocolate, 2017, Language: EnglishA coffee table book that not only looks good, but also delivers correctly. In ' Making Chocolate ' you will learn everything you need to know about making chocolate from bean to bar. This book is a must, especially for hobby chocolate makers. It is beautiful to look at and is also very easy to read. It consists of five parts: History, Process, Ingredients, Deep Dive and Recipes. The chapters build on each other, but can also be read independently. The four authors bring exciting perspectives and a lot of experience to the table. The recipes at the end of the book and the pretty pictures complete the book. Interesting for newbies and experienced chocoholics alike.
Making Chocolate © Clarkson Potter
Are you really interested in chocolate? How about a chocolaty, virtual team event for a change?
