[Brussels] ..On Chocolate and Capitalism

chocolate speculoos

Chocolate is good, it tastes good and a healthy dose of it feels good. It's so good that we find ourselves craving it at odd hours of the night. The modern economy has made it so easy to satisfy these cravings because unlike our forefathers we don't have to plant food to have it, the minimum effort required is just a few taps on your phone and it magically appears on your front door. All things considered, have you thought about how chocolate came to be? 

Europe has the biggest chocolate brands in the world, which is why chocolate was part of my agenda on the Euro tour. Since Switzerland and England were not part of my itinerary, Brussels seemed like a good alternative chocolate spot. In addition to chocolate, Belgian cuisine wasn't disappointing at all. It was here that I learnt that what we we call French fries should actually be called Belgian fries. Blame it on the American soldiers who during WWI who confusedly thought they were served fries in France, or perhaps blame it on geography, Belgium and France are pretty close. Either way I prefer French fries.
In addition to fries, we owe the Belgians for a lot of other foods that your doctor forbids:  Belgian waffles, speculoos, stoemp (mashed potatoes), and of course Belgian chocolate just to name a few. 

Speaking of chocolate, Belgium joins Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Italy and France as one of the biggest chocolate exporters. Little does it mean that chocolate originated from Europe. In fact, if Christopher Columbus hadn't crossed the Atlantic, chocolate wouldn't be the same as we know it today. We owe the treat to the tribes of MesoAmerica who about 4000 years were first to domesticate cocoa beans. Even though we associate chocolate with sweet, cocoa beans are very bitterand chocolate was served as a bitter liquid, mixed with spices, wine, or corn puree. It was regarded as a drink of the gods, some tribes believed gods shed their blood on cocoa pods giving it its color, others believed a god named Quetzacoatl was condemned by other gods for sharing cocoa with mortals. The legends may differ but it is clear that chocolate was a respected drink used as an aphrodisiac and to replenish strength. 

In the 16th century, when Christopher Columbus and other Spanish explorers arrived in America, they couldn't help but notice the sacredness by which cocoa was harvested and chocolate was prepared and served. Soon enough it became their favorite drink that they enthusiastically brought it home, of course after adding sugar. Europeans went crazy over it that it somehow justified slave trade and colonization of America and Africa. In 1847, Joseph Fry, a British chocolatier figured out how to make solid chocolate, taking its value to a new height.

The Belgians came across chocolate about 1650 when they were colonized by the Spaniards. They too fell in love with this drink that was reserved for nobility and the rich.Production  got better and cheaper in the 20th century when Belgium got Congo as a colony and Congo happened to be a huge cocoa producer. Thus began the rise of Belgian Chocolate by strict law terms means chocolate that is produced in Belgium. 

Belgian chocolate got more popular when a man named Jean Neuhaus arrived in Brussels from Switzerland in 1857. He set up a drug store near to the iconic Grand Place. You may be wondering how a pharmacy came one of the largest chocolate brands in the world, I did too. Neuhaus added chocolate shells to medicine to make it easier to swallow. The chocolate shells were so good that people started buying chocolates without the medicine, the rest is history. The trade ran in the family which eventually invented the praline and the ballotin. I had the opportunity to not only visit the shop but also get free samples to taste. I wasn't disappointed.

The hall leading to the shop

The original Neuhaus shop

 The next stop on my chocolate tour was the choco-story museum. I could feel it calling my name for so many reasons. Perhaps it was the convenient location close to the Grand Place or it was the 5 Euro student entry fee that gives you unlimited access to chocolate. Either way, it did get my attention and in I went. It too wasn't disappointing. I credit a lot of my knowledge on chocolate history and geography to it. Even more exciting was the chocolatiering class that was part of the visit.

Stumbling upon the musem

Spanish artifacts

Hot chocolate mugs of the old times

On a summer day, I would take the class in a group where I probably wouldn't hear a thing or even take any picture, instead I got a personal class; one of the perks of travelling in winter is there are fewer tourists and sometimes like this one, you will be the only one. The teacher told me everything I needed to know about Belgian chocolate or at least what I could glean in 45 minutes. He demonstrated how he makes different shapes out of molten chocolate, the composition of his chocolate and of course how hard it is to eat a healthy amount of chocolate when you work with it daily. After the class, I also got to taste (for almost free) the truffles he made. 
This my friend is how I had 20Euros worth of Belgian chocolate for 5Euros.

A chocolate Manneken Pis!

Chocolate class

yum truffles!

choco-mushrooms

choco-masks

Free chocolate tasting!

I enjoyed the chocolate, but I was still feeling unease. Here I was in a western country which prides itself in the chocolate business, making billions every year, but here is the catch, they don't actually produce cocoa.  As a matter of fact, if you google world's largest cocoa producers you will get a list of countries like Ivory Coast, Ghana and Brazil none of which are in Europe. The reality is, farmers in the producing countries are at the mercy of volatile world markets, sometimes resorting to slave labor to keep things afloat. I had one of those moments where I imagined an alternative Africa in which perhaps colonialism operate in the opposite direction. How much better life would be. I know I'm not alone because many African travelers are hit with that moment and I hope if we keep the conversation going one day we will make the alternative Africa.

I have been writing this post drinking Nestle hot chocolate. I realize why it was regarded a deity drink. I feel good, not just because Phenylethylamine is running through my veins but because unlike in Brussels I'm hopeful about Africa's future. There may be no clear cut solutions to our problems but we have passionate people and that is usually enough to bring change.  

Have a great week ahead!