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Whether you are in need of a house warming gift for a neighbor or looking for something to give as a hostess gift, you can never miss with this popular treat. Chocolate gifts can be very unique or simply traditional and are sure to excite people of all ages.

There are a number of specialty shops world-wide to choose from that offer gift baskets, featuring a variety of chocolates . Some can even be personalized with personal messages, names, or even pictures, to add that special touch to any gift. If you are looking for something even more extravagant, gourmet ones are also a great option and can be found in most stores.

Looking online, you can find numerous sites that specialize in original gift ideas for all occasions. Simply use keywords like specialty chocolate . This makes it very easy to find the perfect gift for the right occasion, and it can be delivered right to their door. Even a simple bag of premium chocolate can be purchased at your local grocery store making it a convienent option to brighten someones day.

So whether you’re in the need for a big elaborate gift with all the bells and whistles, or you need something small and simple to say thank you, this is a gift idea that is sure to bring a smile to anyones face.

Though it may seem like a simple gesture there is something exquisitely fascinating about receiving chocolate gifts. Though a gift of chocolate can be boring and plain in the form of a simple chocolate bar, there are so many variations on a bar of chocolate that a perfect chocolate can be found for almost anyone. In the world of chocolate gifts there are as many choices available as there are different people in the world. When buying chocolate gifts it is important to consider who it is you are buying for and what occasion the chocolates will be given on. For example, little foil chocolate pumpkins can be given on Halloween for those dressed up trick or treaters with their candy bags but chocolate truffles may not be as good a buy as the chocolate pumpkins. The truffles may be a better option for those who are celebrating Valentine’s Day with a loved one or for those who really enjoy the taste of a dark chocolate truffle. A full bag of foil wrapped chocolate pumpkins is a good choice for a large classroom full of children because everyone will receive the same chocolate and not feel cheated. However, certain adults are very picky about what type of chocolate they like and it is much more personal to find out what type of truffles they enjoy and to pick them out at the store and create a personalized box of chocolate for them to enjoy.

While not a chocolate manufacturer, Jean Neuhaus and his family contributed significant developments for chocolatiers.

He opened his “first pharmaceutical confectioners� at 25-27 Galerie de la Reine, Europe’s first covered shopping gallery. Jean Neuhaus and brother-in-law made cough sweets, liquorice for stomach complaints and a bitter belgian chocolate bar.

Meanwhile, Jean’s son Frederic, learned the art of confectionery and joined his father’s blossoming “confectioners� which was fast becoming famous across the city. Both devoted themselves to producing caramels, jellied fruits and vanilla chocolate.

The chocolate store grew within the family hands and in 1912, Jean Neuhaus, the grandson of the founder, created the first bite-sized filled chocolate and named it praline. The Belgian Praline is born. This new technique created a revolution in the chocolate making business.

The History of Chocolate in Central American Cultures

The history of chocolate is much longer and more involved than most people are familiar with. Most people tend to go to a store and purchase a candy bar without thinking of the rich history of the rich treat.

Walking into a grocery store and throwing a chocolate bar on the counter one would never know that what we find to be a cheap, rich chocolaty experience, started thousands of years ago as a bitter drink that at least in Aztec culture was reserved for the honored members of society.

It wasn’t exactly restricted to royalty, but only royalty, priests and such personages as decorated soldiers and honored merchants had access to it.

Chocolate is created based on the cacao seed and was once used as a form of Aztec currency. Defeated enemies were many times forced to pay their ransom in cacao seeds.

The Maya were the first people known to have discovered the cacao tree in the rainforests of South America. They took the seeds from the tree and cultivated them in their own cities and villages during the Classical Maya Period (250-900 A.D.).

However, taking chocolate from the cacao seed to a sweet had a long history, especially since sugar as a commodity crop wasn’t available to the Mesoamerican people. After harvesting, the seeds were fermented, roasted and ground up into a paste. The paste was then mixed with water and various ingredients such as cornmeal and chili peppers into a spicy, frothy drink.

Let’s face it, this was not the stuff of Hershey and Lindt bars, Leonidas, Dove or Ghirardelli chocolates. There were no truffles, sampler boxes or chocolate covered strawberries, blueberries or chocolate covered cherries. This was a very raw product that, like middle-ages wine, had to have a LOT of help to get swallowed. It was nothing to go into an intense chocolate ecstacy about. From the Maya, cacao migrated to the Aztec both as a trade commodity and through conquest. Like ransom, tributes from conquered people were required to be paid in cacao seeds.

Here ends step one of the History of Chocolate! Be sure to visit Chocolate Ecstacy to take the next step!

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