apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Last week we looked at baking, leading into our Bittersweet Baking Contest. This week the spotlight belongs to chocolate.

Chocolate was once considered valuable enough to be the currency of entire civilizations; the ancient Aztecs and Mayans used cacao beans for trade and money. Status, significance and wealth were tied to this precious bean. Today, they are considered precious for other reasons. When these little beans are roasted and cracked open, their nibs, like the ones pictured above, are pressed to extract the most delicious liquor - dark, bitter, smoky and rich.