Chocolate at the Minnesota History Museum

Chocolate at the Minnesota History Museum
October 2, 2010 - January 2, 2011

THERE ARE ADDICTS WHO USE WHENEVER THEY CAN and those who claim to just use during special occasions. Statistics show that, on average, individuals in the U.S. consume 12 pounds of the stuff annually, and with that number we know there are some for whom that number is far too conservative. I’m talking, of course, about chocolate.

There are many people who have their habits down to a science. They know exactly how long it takes to rip open a Hershey Bar: no time at all. But how many of us know how long it takes for a bar of chocolate to become a scrumptious snack in the first place? In the grand scheme of things, it has taken thousands of years. And the latest exhibit at the Minnesota History Museum is ready and willing to help chocolate-lovers everywhere sort it all out. After all, it’s useful to at least understand one’s addiction even if there’s no intention of kicking it.

The exhibit, simply named Chocolate, was developed by The Field Museum in Chicago. The Field Museum is focused on science, but the exhibit is a good fit for the Minnesota History Museum, as it takes visitors back in time to the very beginnings of chocolate. Visitors enter into a Central American tropical forest where the focal point is a tree sprouting pineapple-sized, football-shaped pods full of 30-50 cacao (ka-kow) seeds (enough to make about seven milk chocolate or two dark chocolate bars). Throughout the science of it all -- like finding out about midges, the small birds that pollinate cacao -- there are facts about the Mayans. They were the first to use cacao beans to make a spicy, bitter drink for use in their ceremonies.

On display are replicas of ancient carved dishes and sculptures devoted to cacao, which demonstrates how seriously people regarded the cacao bean from its very beginnings. From there the exhibit takes off like a roller coaster, following a history full of wealth, war, chaos and luxury that is directly linked to chocolate.

FUN FACT: “The seeds were so valuable that dishonest merchants are believed to have made counterfeits.”

The exhibit is dotted with fun facts and artifacts, and the magic word throughout the exhibit is definitely the word frothy. And if the original European porcelain chocolate services doesn’t induce drooling and magnificent fantasias of rich and frothy chocolate drinks, the antique chocolate molds and wrappers most certainly will.



But chocolate’s past isn’t without tragedy. Because of the cacao’s limited growing area, the beans became valuable as a form of currency in addition to being a royal consumable. This is how it spread to other cultures, namely from the Aztecs and then Spanish. Cacao is a bitter tasting seed; it was the Spaniards who found it tasted better when mixed with sugar. As a result, sugar became more valuable. It wasn’t until a century later that chocolate, sweetened or not, made it to Europe. And, unfortunately along with chocolate’s growing popularity, there was a growing slave trade forced to harvest cacao beans and sugar cane.


As chocolate became easier to mass produce, the amount of chocolate products on the market sky-rocketed. By 1930 there were as many as 40,000 different kinds of chocolate candy bars on the market. The chocolate molds, including antiques from Hershey and Ghirardelli, are especially fun to see.


The end of the exhibit provides a fun photo opportunity, so bring your cameras. But the real treat is how the Minnesota History Museum has brought in the Minnesota element -- the sweet sweet Minnesota element. They’ve bulked out their gift shop with chocolate delicacies from local chocolatiers.

Additionally, they have fun interactive events planned including Family Day on October 2 from noon to 4pm. There will be Aztec dancing and drumming, Ecuadorian music, samples of chocolates from local chocolatiers, cooking and tasting demonstrations, take home art activity for kids and an illustrated presentation on the process of making chocolate from the bean to the bar.

Adult programs include sampler evenings, which feature wine tastings and demonstrations and samples from local chocolatiers. There will also be a two-hour workshop called DIY: Chocolate! Participants will explore the industrial secrets that transform chocolate from a hard bean to a luxurious indulgence, and even learn how to temper and mold chocolate. There will be samples to take home, along with tips and tricks for working with chocolate, and a mole recipe provided by Fabulous Catering.

Admission to Chocolate is included with regular museum admission of $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and college students, $5 for children ages 6-17; free for children age 5 and under and MNHS members. Admission is free Tuesday evenings from 5 to 8pm. Group rates available. For more information on public programs, visit http://events.mnhs.org/.

Follow MNHS on Twitter!

Minnesota History Center
345 Kellogg Blvd W.
St. Paul MN 55102-1903
651-259-3000, 651-282-6073 (TTY)
800-657-3773 (toll free)

$10 adults, $8 seniors and college students, $5 children ages 6-17; free for children age 5 and under and MHS members.

Hours for Museum and Stores:
Tuesday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (free admission 5 to 8 p.m.)
Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday noon to 5 p.m.

Closed Mondays except Monday holidays year round (open Martin Luther King Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day and Labor Day). Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's day.

Library Hours:
Tuesday noon to 8 p.m.
Wednesday through Friday noon to 5 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sunday noon to 4 p.m.

Closed Monday, Memorial Day and Labor Day Weekends, and major holidays including the day after Thanksgiving.