The New Taste of Chocolate, Revised: A Cultural & Natural History of Cacao with Recipes [A Cookbook]

_The New Taste of Chocolate_ has the beautiful pictures of a coffee table book, but it has a lot of academic substance and a lot of value to the reader.The main chapters are: - Growing Up with Cacao - A Natural and Cultural History of Chocolate - From Cacao to Chocolate - Identifying Cacao - Tasting Chocolate - RecipesThere is also a glossary, and a list of companies to order fine chocolate from.For a beginner like myself, who loved chocolate but hadn't progressed much beyond Hershey's with Almonds when I read the book, _The New Taste of Chocolate_ was very educational. It explained the path from cacao bean to chocolate bar, and it also explained the difference between dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate. It explained how cocoa powder comes from chocolate, why chocolate is so difficult to make candy with if you don't know what you're doing, and why fancier recipes will sometimes specify chocolate manufacturer and cacao percentage.It was also quite interesting to read about the guidelines for tasting chocolate. The discussion about criollo, forastero, and trinitario cacao plants was very fascinating from a scientific standpoint. I later found that what is true for cacao trees is true for many other types of plants (including wheat): the plants that make the tastiest & highest quality edible parts are also the least productive and most delicate, so growers & breeders have to choose whether to grow something that will almost certainly produce a less-desired but still profitable crop, or to grow something that has an uncertain yield but is highly profitable should the plant actually produce anything.The recipes were also interesting. After reading this book, I became more adventurous in my chocolate-tasting and started trying some of the European imports I see in the local grocery stores. My only regret is I am now knowledgeable enough and my tastes are spoiled enough that M&Ms and Hersheys with Almonds seem pretty bland.

This is a very fun book! The first 140 pages explain cacao as a crop. This includes new classifications based on genetics, the history of its cultivation in Mesoamerica, modern producers, how to identify different types. The second half of the books is recipes from all over the world. I love how richly illustrated this book is, with hundreds of photographs, maps, and old art pieces.

Before I bought The New Taste of Chocolate I read the reviews & the table of contents [when available] of all the books about chocolate that Amazon sold. This is the one I choose & I'm glad I did. Presilla knows & loves the many aspects of chocolate.I was interested especially in the history of chocolate. We get the interaction of Mesoamerica & South America pre- & post-Columbus explained, plus the spread to other continents. Disease problems, DNA research, etc also are explained. Making nearly any of the recipes would require shopping at an Hispanic market, so I'll probably stick to reading them. That's just as well, as they are pretty high-calorie, with lots of heavy cream etc. The first & probably only one I'll try is a chololate & corn meal beverage.

I have over 15 books on the culture and history of chocolate. This one clearly stands above the rest to educate the beginner and keep the interest of advanced readers. I especially like photos and descriptions of all the various cultivars grown. I don't cook with chocolate so I can't comment about the recipes.

Wonderful book with a lot of informations . Very good for beginners in the world of chocolate or experts. Always something to learn .

Interesting, although would like to have had a bit of a broader history vs. constantly talking about the varieties. Very little in it about Mexico, which I found surprising, seeing that the lust for chocolate in Europeans really started in Tenochtitlan. The recipes did not seem to be realistic or attainable as it calls for very specific types of chocolate that would take a lot of effort (and expense) to obtain, but perhaps for a special occasion they would be workable. The photos are colorful. Overall, as I was researching for a living history program, I found a number of other books more helpful with a broader picture of chocolate from pre-history until now.

This book is as good as pure chocolate! In short the best book I have obtained about history and use of cocoa. Easy to understand and to get the best knowledge about history and use of cocoa and chocolate. Beautiful images, excellent information! I am fascinated. Thank you so much Maricel!Next time I shall meet you you have to sign me the book! Last time at Estragon in Quito I did not know about your ability!! Very best regards!

This book does such great justice to the beauty of cacao and chocolate with its wonderful full color pictures. I wish more books had such beautiful pictures. It was also very informative, and the author showed her knowledge of the industry and cooking with chocolate.

This is a great read. I have worked in the confectionery industry so found it very interesting and informative. Would recommend it to both the learner and the well-informed.

Very readable, highly informative, beautifully written.

Nice book but it was not exactlly what i was looking for..not enough technical for the purpuse i want it to.