By From a little bean to a little bite of bliss, Carroll College and the Helena community celebrated all things chocolate. The participants soothed their sweet tooth, while quenching their hunger for knowledge.
On Oct. 23, all were welcome to join Dr. Jeanette Fregulia for her lecture, From Ancient Rituals to Modern Delights: The History of Chocolate.
Fregulia is a Professor and Department Chair of History at Carroll College. Fregulia has been calling Carroll and Helena her home since 2007.
This event explored chocolate’s evolution, which, once sacred in the ceremonies of ancient Mesoamerica, has journeyed to become a worldwide indulgence and hallmark of modern commerce.
When this event was originally opened for RSVP, there was a 50-person attendance cap. However, this number was quickly surpassed. The event was soon reopened for everyone who wanted to attend, and it proved to be the right choice.
The seats were packed with excited students, professors, staff, and community members, adding up to 200 in-person attendees, with 50 online through Zoom.
The event began with attendees grabbing specific chocolates to taste strategically throughout the presentation before taking their seats.
“I really liked Dr. Fregulia and her storytelling, how she made it so engaging by trying the chocolates at each stage,” said junior Katie Fuchs. “I also appreciated being able to participate in this, as the chocolates were gluten-free and inclusive.”
Fuchs is a financial planning major from Hardin, Montana.
The first chocolate was introduced to the Maya people. As the audience bit into their first chocolate, they were hit with a spicy, yet delightful kick. The power of the spice in this bite matched the history of the bite.
According to Fregulia, the Mayan people valued chocolate so much that it was used for trading and currency, but it was also valued so much more. They would give blood offerings and sacrifices to their Cacao God to keep the temperamental cacao trees producing and to give thanks for the chocolate that they held so dear.
The next three chocolates ranged from 88% dark with the Aztec, 66% dark with Europe, and then 50% dark in the US.
The fifth and sixth chocolates that were tasted were what we know today as milk chocolate. This chocolate was created for the masses.
In this new world, inventions made chocolate easier to produce, advertising made people crave it, and this all turned it into a $120 billion industry today.
At Carroll College, we know how to have a good time. But we also know how to stand up for what we believe in, and how to spread awareness on what is wrong and needs to be changed.
Even though chocolate is enjoyable, the way chocolate cacao beans are picked to produce chocolate is not.
The speakers took the time to explain the painful truth about the little hands that are most often forced to work through child labor. Even though there has been a plan established by governments to end child labor in this industry, every year it would be pushed back, and eventually, was stopped.
On the ending note, the audience was encouraged to consider the ethics of chocolate.
“Where did it come from? Let me learn more about it,” said Fregulia.
Feel like you missed out? Don’t worry! Carroll College hosts many events like this monthly. Find out more information at the Carroll College events calendar.
