We Need to Talk About Chocolate
We Need to Talk About Chocolate
Podcast Description
Welcome to We Need to Talk About Chocolate, the podcast where we unwrap the rich, sticky, and sometimes bittersweet history of the world’s most beloved treat.From the sacred rituals of the Mayans and Aztecs, to the shelves of modern supermarkets, chocolate has always been more than just mere confection. It’s a symbol, a currency, a craving, and a billion-dollar industry with a not-so-sweet side.I’m Ed Easton - writer, journalist, and lifelong chocoholic - and I’m joined by a man who truly lives chocolate: Andrew Nason is the visionary behind Melt Chocolates. He’s a master chocolatier, a flavour obsessive, and someone who can tell his Forastero from his Criollo with just one sniff.Together, we’ll be digging deep. Tracing the rise of cacao from sacred bean to global obsession. discovering how chocolate has shaped and been shaped by the world around us. On today’s episode, we’ll travel back over 3,000 years to meet the world’s first chocolatiers, discover the ancient civilisations who gorged on cacao before performing human sacrifices, and visit the ruins of a place dubbed the ‘chocolate Pompeii’.Because trust us... we need to talk about chocolate. Brought to you buy MELT Chocolates! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast delves into a variety of themes surrounding chocolate, such as its historical role in ancient civilizations like the Mayans and Aztecs, the socio-economic impact of the cacao trade, and the dark realities behind the chocolate industry today. Episodes feature topics like the sacred rituals of chocolate consumption, the evolution of chocolatiers over the centuries, and unique recipes that tie back to historical uses of cacao.
Welcome to The Chocolate Podcast, the podcast where we unwrap the rich, sticky, and sometimes bittersweet history of the world’s most beloved treat.
From the sacred rituals of the Mayans and Aztecs, to the shelves of modern supermarkets, chocolate has always been more than just mere confection. It’s a symbol, a currency, a craving, and a billion-dollar industry with a not-so-sweet side.
I’m Ed Easton – writer, journalist, and lifelong chocoholic – and I’m joined by a man who truly lives chocolate: Andrew Nason is the visionary behind Melt Chocolates. He’s a master chocolatier, a flavour obsessive, and someone who can tell his Forastero from his Criollo with just one sniff.
Together, we’ll be digging deep. Tracing the rise of cacao from sacred bean to global obsession. discovering how chocolate has shaped and been shaped by the world around us.
Brought to you by MELT Chocolates!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How did Mars go from a failed family candy business to the beginnings of one of the biggest chocolate companies in the world?
In this episode of The Chocolate Podcast, Ed Easton and Andrew Nason are joined by Melt’s Kitty to uncover the extraordinary story of Frank Mars and Forrest Mars, the father and son behind the Mars chocolate empire. From making candy at home and failed early businesses to a family feud that would transform the chocolate industry, the story of Mars is far stranger than you might expect.
We trace the creation of the Milky Way and Mars Bar, discover why the American Milky Way is completely different from the British one, and follow Forrest Mars from a Chicago prison to Yale, Swiss chocolate factories, Cadbury and, eventually, Slough, where he began building his own chocolate empire.
Along the way, we explore the birth of the modern candy bar, the industrialisation of chocolate, Mars’s surprising move into pet food, and the bitter relationship between Frank and Forrest that ultimately left Forrest frozen out of the family company after his father’s death.
And that’s only the first half of the story.
Next episode: What happens when Forrest Mars returns to America determined to take control of the company that bears his name?
Follow The Chocolate Podcast for more stories exploring the history, science and people behind chocolate.
Topics: Mars chocolate history, Mars Bar history, Milky Way chocolate, Forrest Mars, Frank Mars, history of chocolate, chocolate industry, candy bar history, Mars Incorporated, British chocolate history.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
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