Why Women Already Rule the World!

Okay, we've all heard the stories about how women make things better. "Give them a house, they'll make a home, or my personal favorite, give them crap and they'll make your life a living hell", are all cliches that have been proven true throughout time. So how on earth did women improve chocolate to the point that we put it in everything today, including cake?

The answer involves some conquistadors, a few explorations, several kings, and apparently a queen that knew what to do. Roughly one million, four hundred and sixty thousand days ago, give or take a few years, the Olmec nation figured out how to convert the beans from that nasty old weed, the cacao plant, into a highly secretive drink that was used only by their leaders and medicine men during rituals. It was nasty stuff and caused people to see things that weren't there. Eventually, word got out to the masses and folks thought maybe the Olmec leadership was doing drugs so they got rid of those druggies, and soon after the Mayans stepped in and took over. They liked the cacao bean drink too but they thought it was a little too plain so they added some chilies and cornmeal to thicken it up and began calling it "xocolati". You see where this is going. The literal translation meant bitter water and they promoted it as a gift from their god because, among other things, it made them horny.

Life is good in the land of the Mayans and then that conquistador Cortes comes walking in looking for gold and silver and the fountain of youth. The Mayans weren't about to give up their gold and silver without a fight, but they figured if Cortes was looking for a way to stay young in the sack, they could spare a few bags of cacao beans and chilies. Cortes was happy and took the "xocolati" back to Spain and along the way, changed the name to chocolate. When he delivered the chocolate to Queen Isabella, she detested it and said it was the worst thing she had ever tasted in her life. Fearing he was about to be executed, Cortes suggested they modify the beverage to elevate the beverage to better fit Her Majesty's tastebuds and Queen Isabella agreed. She ordered copious amounts of honey and sugar to be added to the chocolate forever changing the taste for world consumption. This new recipe was so delicious that only the Queen and certain other members of the royal family were ever allowed to taste it and Spain kept this drink a secret for well over one hundred years.

When Queen Isabella's daughter, Anne, married King Louis XIII of France, she brought with her a bag of cacao beans and pressed chocolate candies. Soon, this new concoction had spread throughout Europe as farmers along the equator began growing their own cacao beans and chocolatiers opened shops everywhere. Legend has it, that after King Louis XIII passed away, Queen Anne approached one of the royal chefs and ordered him to make her a cake infused with chocolate and then covered in a chocolate frosting. The chef feared Her Majesty might overdose on the magical powers of chocolate but fearing for his life, he did as he was ordered. As soon as the cake was finished, it was brought to her chambers where she shared a slice of chocolate cake with each of her ladies in waiting. She then bid them go to their lovers and increase the population of France and about 9 months later, all of the ladies in waiting gave birth.

Word of this quickly spread and soon women all over France were seeking out the power of the chocolate cake. Since those early days, both women and chocolate have come a long way. Women are in more positions of power than ever before and rule more countries. Chocolate can be found everywhere and in almost everything. Chocolate comes in different colors and different tastes and serves different purposes, but the best purpose is and most likely always will be, the chocolate cake. And although some may argue with me, the best chocolate cake may be found in Brugge, Belgium.

People come from all over the world to taste Belgium chocolate and to try a slice of Belgium chocolate cake. There are many good places in Brugge to fulfill your want for chocolate, but none so good as Chocolatier Dumon. The master chefs at Chocolatier Dumon still make some of their chocolates based on an original recipe from Queen Anne's own kitchen. It's difficult to capture the feelings of eating one bite of their original chocolate cake. The experience begins before they bring your cake to the table.

The restaurant is located in a 400-year-old building on the edge of the burg square of the Palace of the Liberty of Bruges. When you enter, you are whisked back in time to where tables were shared and products were stacked high in open-air dishes along the walls. The range of available chocolates for sale is both amazing and overwhelming. They have everything from bon-bons to truffles to candies and cakes available for you to purchase and walk out the door with. Of course, you can opt to dine in too. If you do, you'll be seated at a large oak table with other patrons and if you order the chocolate cake, get ready!

Within a minute of ordering your cake, a heated ceramic plate is delivered to you with a warmed slice of chocolate cake. The cake itself is three layers tall and each layer is separated by a layer of liquid chocolate that keeps the cake moist. The entire cake is covered in a very light chocolate frosting. On a side dish that is cold to the touch is a single scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream. You can smell the chocolate before you ever taste it and your mouth begins to water ever so slightly. The moment you place the first bite of cake in your mouth, your tongue begins to tickle as does your throat in a manner that only chocolate cake can create. Although you reach for your beverage or a spoon of ice cream to wash the effect away, it lingers as an invitation for more. No matter your demeanor when you enter Chocolatier Dumon, I can guarantee you will be smiling and maybe even laughing a little when you depart. Their chocolate cake has that effect on patrons.