Could there be a more intriguing East-meets-West story than one about the introduction of chocolate-that very symbol of Western indulgence-to legendarily austere China?

Is it possible that until a few decades ago a billion people had never even tasted...chocolate? This book is the story of East meeting West through the introduction into China-once a xenophobic land of austerity and deprivation-of an icon of the Western world's decadence and self-indulgence: CHOCOLATE! Success or failure hinged on combinations of savvy and circumstance, of perseverance and flexibility, and of textbook business excellence and sheer luck! It is the inside story of the five global titans of chocolate-Hershey, Mars, Cadbury, Ferrero and Nestlé-that battled to capture a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to establish their brands with one-fifth of the world's population. "A scintillating glimpse inside one of the most hard-fought cross-cultural indulgence battles since the Opium War."--Global Times

Chocolate is nearly always with us—when celebrating or mourning, in love or alone, healthy or sick, happy or sad. This book offers a comprehensive look at how an exotic food grew to play such a central role in our lives. No food in the world can offer as storied a history as chocolate. Chocolate: A Cultural Encyclopedia focuses on cocoa's history from ancient Mesoamerican beginnings as a symbol of ritual, life, and death, to its omnipresence in Europe, North America, and the rest of the world. In 10 thematic chapters covering chocolate in society and culture, 80 shorter entries, recipes, and a comprehensive timeline, this new book takes a closer look at how chocolate has served as a medicine, an indulgence, a symbol of decadence, a door to romance, a tempting taboo, a means of survival, and a snack for children and adults alike. Why did popes and kings so fear their chocolate? Who invented milk chocolate, and why was its formula kept secret? Why did soldiers in World War II despise their chocolate rations? Who makes the most chocolate today? Find out the answers to these questions and more as this book tells you everything you wanted to know—and a lot you didn't even know existed—about the seed from the world’s favorite fruit tree.