Say What?
2009 October 27
Headline and first paragraph of an item in the Appeal Democrat:
Ancient Greeks considered chocolate the ‘food of the gods’
Chocolate is made from the seeds of the tropical cacao tree. In the Mayan language, it is pronounced “kakaw,” and in Greek, it is called “Theobroma,” which means “food of the gods.”
The lack of a sense of anachronism is mind boggling …
I absolutely agree. Chocolate is not only the food of the Gods but the perfect poison for us mere mortals.
Ouch, that was so monumentally wrong that I had to respond to the article, even if it does make me one of those guys who stays up late correcting what’s wrong on the Internet.
I love that it gets even worse a line or so down when he mentions how the Spanish introduced chocolate to Europe. Perhaps it is an attempt at humor?
Well, this is an interesting learning experience. It’s pretty neat to see that the spread of misinformation is not unstoppable. Thanks to all who took the time to post correct info!!