The Power of Chocolate
Saturday & Sunday
February 14 & 15, 2009
The National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) celebrates one of the world's most beloved foods—chocolate. To the Maya and Aztec peoples, Theobroma cacao, as its Latin name indicates, was a "food of the gods." These programs present a rare opportunity for museum visitors to explore chocolate's culture, history, and place in contemporary society.
The 2009 Power of Chocolate festival explodes in a colorful
celebration of culture, music, dance, art, science and, of course, food. The cultural program explores the rich history and ongoing story of chocolate and includes a tasty assortment of presentations including the spectacular Peruvian scissor dancers; demonstrations by seldom-seen Guatemalan artists, who create the beautiful gourd sets traditionally used for chocolate; food demonstrations; a "chocolate talk" about the healthy qualities of chocolate; and one-on-one discussions with indigenous Bolivian cacao growers.
Visitors will learn about the healing, scientific, and medicinal properties of chocolate, and deepen their understanding of the cultures and communities that have cultivated this valuable crop. Families and young visitors will also have an opportunity to learn hands-on as they investigate the Mayan glyph for "cacao," see how to make Guatemalan chocolate cups, and try their hands at grinding cacao beans and frothing their own hot chocolate.
This program was made possible with support from The Historic Division of Mars, Inc., whose mission is to educate the public about the true history of chocolate.
This program also received federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center.
We would additionally like to acknowledge the generous contributions of the Inter-American Foundation.
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