From rainforest treasure to luscious treat—immerse yourself in the story of chocolate.
You’ll begin in the rainforest with the unique cacao tree whose seeds started it all. Visit the ancient Maya civilization of Central America and discover what chocolate meant nearly 1,500 years ago. Then travel forward in time and northward to the Aztec civilization of 16th-century Mexico, where cacao seeds were so valuable they were used as money. Discover chocolate’s introduction into the upper classes of European society and its transformation into a mass-produced world commodity.
Chocolate will engage your senses and reveal facets of this sumptuous sweet that you’ve never thought about before. You’ll explore the plant, the products, and the culture of chocolate through the lenses of science, history, and popular culture.
Chocolate and its national tour were developed by The Field Museum, Chicago
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Chocolate and its national tour were developed by The Field Museum, Chicago.
This project was supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation.