As part of their History topic covering The Mayan Civilization, the children were joined today by Zsofia Hayda from The Chocolate Museum to discuss the history of The Mayans and the many important things that the Mayan people brought to the world, including chocolate.
About The Chocolate Museum
The Chocolate Museum is an independent museum established by Isabelle Alaya, a French artisan chocolatier, who started her own brand, Melange Chocolate, in the UK in 2008. Our collection encompasses a range of objects and memorabilia acquired over many years from different merchants and collectors.
The Chocolate Museum opened its doors in March 2013. It was located in the colourful and vibrant area of Brixton (London) in the historic and conservation area of Ferndale Road until February 2023. Our aim is to represent the UK chocolate industry as well as to provide visitors with accurate information and quality products.
About the Mayans
The Maya people are remembered for amazing creations, like their spectacular buildings and beautiful objects made from jade, a rare and valuable material. They also invented ground breaking ideas which have helped shape the way we live our lives today. For example, it’s thought that the Maya invented the idea of ’zero’. They were also expert chocolate makers.
The Mayan civilization is credited with the first widespread use of chocolate, derived from cacao beans, which they considered a gift from the gods and used in religious ceremonies, as a beverage often mixed with spices like chili peppers, and even as a form of currency; the Mayan word for chocolate is “Kakaw” or “Chocolhaa” which translates to “bitter water”.
Todays Activities
Today Zsofia discussed both the Mayan people and other South American countries who are also renowned for creating wonderful and delicious chocolate. The children had the opportunity to taste a plethora of different types of chocolate from different regions. These included dark chocolate, milk and white chocolate, plus some chocolate that was flavoured with herbs, fruits and spices.
After the tasting, the children were given the opportunity to make their own chocolates using both milk and white chocolate ganache. You can see their amazing chocolatier skills and their tasting session in the gallery below. Please click on the thumbnails for a larger view.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank Zsofia for coming in and giving us a delicious insight into the world of chocolate!
