The Dark Secret of Cocoa: A Journey Through History, Flavor, and Culture In this unforgettable episode of Baking Through Time, Dr. Susan Rashid takes listeners on a sweeping journey through the world of dark cocoa—one of humanity’s most storied, sacred, and seductive ingredients. From its divine origins in the rainforests of Mesoamerica to its transformation in the salons of Europe, cocoa emerges as a symbol of power, ceremony, exploitation, medicine, and pleasure. You’ll step into ancient Maya and Aztec temples where cocoa was a sacred offering; listen as European aristocrats whisper about an exotic drink that reshaped court culture; and travel to the cocoa fields of West Africa, where resilience and hardship continue to shape the chocolate we love today. Along the way, Dr. Rashid explores: ✨ Cocoa’s divine beginnings — from creation myths to ritual marriages and funerary rites ✨ The medicinal world of chocolate — why physicians once prescribed it to cure melancholy ✨ Culinary evolution — including the ancient cacao drink, flourless Parisian cakes, and modern sea-salt cocoa cookies ✨ The shadowed history of colonialism and labor behind the global chocolate industry ✨ Cocoa as a symbol in art, literature, romance, and modern identity ✨ A signature recipe: the Flourless Dark Cocoa Cake, celebrating cocoa in its purest form Richly researched, lyrically narrated, and emotionally resonant, this episode asks a simple but profound question: What are we truly tasting when we taste cocoa? Prepare to savor a story thousands of years in the making—the bitterness, the beauty, the ritual, and the resilience of an ingredient that changed the world.