Description:

Fermenting Boxes, Java.
The caption underneath the photograph reads From the last box the (cocoa) beans are shovelled into the washing basin.

Taken from Cocoa and Chocolate by A W Knapp.

Chocolate was first used as a drink, sweetened with sugar to mask the bitter flavour of the chocolate. Later it was used for making eating chocolate. At this period, most people drank beer, wine or spirits. Water was not safe to drink, tea coffee and chocolate were expensive. Quakers promoted drinking chocolate as an alternative to alcohol.

Date: unknown

Copyright: Copyright BCC Library Service

Object ID:BLS 633-74-a3