My visit to the Schokoladenmuseum – Chocolate Museum – of Cologne continued with a look at the earliest known peoples who processed and enjoyed this rich treat. Food of the Gods The Aztecs and Mayans of Mesoamerica didn’t just use cacahuatl or kakaw, as they each respectively called it, as food. For them, it also became a currency and a sacrifice to the gods. So great was its use that they developed their own stone cacao grinders. And, as I shared in Schocoladenmuseum – Part 1, these would be mimicked in the industrial age by huge, automated machines. Luxury Item In the 17th-century, Spanish invaders of South America introduced hot…

On the shore of the Rhine in the heart of Cologne, resides an attraction that is sure to delight all ages. For what was once the customs office building that served a bustling port, has now been transformed into the Schokoladenmuseum – The Chocolate Museum. A Chocolate Journey Through Time Fittingly, the architecture of the northern end of this refurbished building now resembles that of the bow of a ship. And, it also offers visitors a cacao-scented journey through the history of chocolate. I paid my first visit to Cologne this spring to visit a new friend I had made last summer while on A Rowing Tour of The Meuse.…