Travel back in time
From a romantic gift to a little pick-me-up, chocolate has the power to make any moment feel special. You may think of it as a very modern treat, but it's been prized for thousands of years. It's been on the menu longer than kiwi fruit, noodles or sushi!
From a drink to a food
No country has a closer relationship with chocolate than Mexico, where the Aztecs used it as a sacred offering to the gods and even a form of currency. We probably wouldn't recognise their xocolātl as chocolate. Meaning "bitter water", it was a spicy, foamy drink, made with ground beans and flavoured with ingredients such as chilli pepper and honey. It wasn't until the 1800s in Europe that cocoa was combined with fats and sugars to make the solid chocolate we enjoy today.
However chocolate's history goes back further still. It's derived from the seed of the cacao tree, a native of Central and South America. It's thought that the cacao plant was cultivated by the Maya and, before them, the Olmec, whose civilisation dated back to around 1200 BC.
Sweet or savoury!
It's no surprise to find that the cocoa plant's botanical name Theobroma cacao means "food of the gods". And one reason why chocolate feels so good to eat is because its melting point is just a fraction lower than our body temperature. It can be solid one moment and literally melt in the mouth the next.
Its bitter-sweet taste makes it a must-have ingredient in many desserts, from ice cream sundaes to fruit gateaux. Adventurous cooks even use it in sauces for red meats such as duck, venison and lamb! And it's a marvellous partner to sophisticated flavours such as ginger, cinnamon and rum.
History & art
The history and art of chocolate meet each other in the Magnum. With a focus on quality and authenticity, the coating consists of 100% real chocolate made from good quality ingredients from renowned sources across the world. True chocolate indulgence.
