I just finished reading Chocolate Wars, an account of the history of chocolate from the Mayans to the present day, told largely through the eyes of England’s largest chocolate purveyor, Cadbury. The Cadburys were a Quaker family who pioneered chocolate making in 19th century England and were known for their incredibly acts of philanthropy.
Recently, I found myself in Tea & Sympathy, a store in a part of New York I refer to as “Wee Britain.” I was delighted to see that they carried Fry’s chocolate, one of the oldest chocolate makers in Britain, as well as the Cadbury Milk Tray. The Milk Tray was mentioned in the book as one of Cadbury’s revolutionary products, since the Cadburys had hit upon a formula for a particularly smooth milk chocolate. The English gents behind the store counter gleefully told me about the TV adverts with a James Bond-like man who snuck chocolate into women’s bedrooms, because “The ladies love the Milk Tray.”
I didn’t buy the chocolates at the time (although I had a pot of tea with scones and clotted cream at the restaurant next door), but I intend to go back and eat my way through chocolate history.
