Considered the "food of the gods" by the Aztecs and Mayans, chocolate was consumed as a virtuous drink by rulers, warriors, and noblemen—and now by millions of people every day. Explaining how chocolate comes to be, this guide begins with the origins of cocoa cultivation, and covers the secrets of the harvesting and drying the beans, as well as the art of the processing. With sumptuous color photographs by Fabio Petroni, the book is rounded out with mouthwatering cocoa-based recipes.