I have been going back and forth with myself on how I am going to finish this nutrition session. I finally got my inspiration from some good friends...
Last night, I was given the incredible opportunity to spend time with some former female co-workers. It was wonderful just to have a glass of wine (or two), sit around some good food, and just talk. There is nothing better than sharing good stories with great friends. I want to thank all of them for a great time last night, and for the inspiration to write today.
We started the evening out with dinner items (chips, dip, fruit, and good beverages) and had some great talk over light eating. After about an hour or so of satisfying our savory appetites, we moved the conversation, the drinks, and the food to a whole other level: dessert. Every girl in the room immediately swarmed the dessert table; ooing and awing at all the sweet delicacies that were placed out for our eating pleasure. Cheesecake, brownies, and creme filled blondies didn't stand a chance against our estrogen driven taste buds, and we dove right in.
That got me thinking...why do we all LOVE dessert so much? What makes it so special that we save it for last, eat it after our meals, spend so much time preparing it to be perfect, and even enter dessert into contests to win? Why is the cake always the centerpiece at weddings? Why do we eat pumpkin pie after our Thanksgiving meals (some actually look forward to the pie, and save room for it)? Why do we eat cake at bridal showers, baby showers, birthday parties, family reunions, graduation parties, picnics, etc.? I always thought it was just because...well...who doesn't like sweet things? It is just a way to make everyone happy.
However, our love for dessert goes way back in history. In fact, the Mayans were the first known culture to discover where our chocolate comes from: cocoa. The culture grew the cocoa and made it into a bitter drink that they enjoyed with other spices. The Aztec culture saw what was going on, and soon adopted the same ritual, but also used the cocoa in their trading market. So, not only was the cocoa used for a drink, but as a form of money! The chocolate became so important to both cultures that the consumption of it soon became strictly for royalty, priests, and primary rulers ONLY! It was then only consumed during sacred events and even offered to the gods during sacrificial ceremonies.
Chocolate came to Europe in 1521 during the conquest of Mexico. Cacao quickly became and expensive import, and therefore extremely valuable. Because it was so valuable, it became an expensive status symbol in beverage form. Sugar was also expensive to import. Since both items were so expensive to get to Europe, the combination of the two could only be given to the richest of the rich. Because they were so expensive to import and only the elite people could get chocolate and sugar, both items quickly became a symbol of wealth and power in Europe. Europeans developed protocols for consuming chocolate including developing silver and porcelain serving pieces specifically for the chocolate. After a while, however, chocolate began to be farmed in Europe, and everyone was then able to enjoy the taste and status symbol that came from enjoying chocolate.
Cocoa doesn't even hold a candle to what makes it sweet: Sugar. Sugar is responsible for so much of our history including crusades, royalty, economy, trade, and production. The discovery of sugar helped fuel industry not only in the "New World", but around the world as well. The demand for sweeteners became so high among the Royals that they would pay any amount to have it. It not only satisfied their sweet tooth, but showed their economic status.
It is because of Cocoa and Sugar that we have the dessert community. The development of desserts from these items has been years in the making. Because Cocoa and Sugar are fairly new to society, the creation of the different types of desserts have been endless.....cookies, cake, chocolate, candy, brownies, pies, cheesecake, etc. etc. etc. This is why we love it so much, and save it for last. We love to see what creative things people can do with desserts to make them taste ssssooo good! And, it makes us feel happier to know that we can enjoy it together, just like the royals did around their round tables and social events.
The one thing that I think desserts remind us of: is togetherness. Because the royals saved chocolate and sugar for social events, they set the foundation for what it is today. Sweet treats are usually only enjoyed for celebrations, parties, and special occasions. When we see the desserts, we become a little happier because of what they represent. Maybe that's why we save the pumpkin pie, cake, cookies, and ice cream for last. We want the togetherness to last as long as possible......right down to the cherry on top.
Now that I have my answer, it makes so much sense. We love dessert because of what it brings to us: pleasure. Not just pleasure from the sugar in our mouths, but pleasure knowing what we baked is being enjoyed by others, pleasure from the conversation it starts, pleasure by decorating it to perfection, and pleasure from what it represents: togetherness.
So, don't feel guilty the next time you enjoy a sweet treat with friends. Instead, feel glad that it is actually the sugar and chocolate that brought you together in the first place. Enjoy what it represents, and smile because you are a part of this little secret.Thanks for reading! Have a sweet day :)
Sources:
http://gourmet.lovetoknow.com/History_of_Desserts
http://www.fmnh.org/chocolate/history_mesoamerican6.html
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