Chocolate history in China
Chocolate entered China as early as the Qing Dynasty. However, after an emperor at that time came into contact with chocolate, he did not introduce it due to a misunderstanding, which made it 59 years late for the Chinese to taste chocolate.
Kangxi was very interested in Western medicine. The Holy See in Italy sent missionary Doro to Beijing. Kangxi ordered an official named He Shiheng to contact Doro and asked Doro for two things, namely Liaga and chocolate.
At that time, it was a missionary from the West who sent this delicacy. When he knew that the Chinese did not know the precious food of chocolate, and the western royal family had already regarded chocolate as a noble representative, he brought chocolate to China. Dedicated to Emperor Kangxi.
After Western missionaries introduced chocolate to He Shiheng, He Shiheng wrote a chocolate manual of more than 900 words. What kind of body does it benefit from? What kind of disease does it cure? It’s not right. I’ll return to you within three days!”
He Shiheng had no choice but to explain to Kangxi that this is not a medicine, but that people in America drink it as tea. , help the stomach and digest food, which is of great benefit."
After Kangxi heard this, he was not interested in chocolate immediately. He thought that in China, which has a vast land and abundant resources, who doesn’t have a cup of tea that can digest food and boost spirits?
Now we know that the antidiarrheal effect of dark chocolate comes from flavonoids, which also have the effect of lowering blood pressure; and the theobromine and caffeine in it can make people feel happy.
And the 50 pieces of chocolate that were sent to the palace have never been seen again. Chocolate might have become a traditional Chinese medicine, but due to the current situation, its development in China was rejected by Kangxi because of its ineffectiveness.
Fifty-nine years after Kangxi first came into contact with chocolate, chocolate was introduced to white people in various states. At that time, it was widely regarded as a healthy drink.
The appearance of chocolate in China was earlier than that in North America, but because of Kangxi's disgust, China's development in chocolate lagged behind that of North America.
In the 33rd year of Guangxu, Christmas had just landed in China, and an advertisement for "Winter Solstice Cake" appeared on the declaration, referring to the cake that families would buy at Christmas, and it was first sold in foreign companies along with dried chocolate.
With the passage of time, the names of chocolate have emerged one after another, "Chocolate Law", "Chocolate", "Zhuhu Law" and now known to the public as Chocolate.
During the period of the Republic of China, the three sisters of the Song family and Zhang Ailing usually loved chocolate very much. Mr. Lu Xun even recorded the experience of buying chocolate for the first time in his article.
