(Burlington, VT) Towering over the Church Street Marketplace on Saturday, February 21st at 3:00 PM, will be a 10-foot tall "chocolate god," part of Lake Champlain Chocolates' (LCC) float in the 9th Annual Magic Hat Mardi Gras Parade. Quetzalcoatl, according to Aztec legend, descended from heaven on the beam of a morning star, carrying a cocoa tree stolen from paradise. For 2,500 years, the beans in the pods of cocoa trees have been the source of all chocolate. The ancient Aztecs venerated the cocoa tree, using its beans as currency.
Conceived, designed, and constructed by Emily Jones, retail store manager, and employee volunteers, Quetzalcoatl will reside over his temple – a 12-foot high stepped ziggurat flanked by cocoa trees complete with pods, and topped with an oversized canister of LCC’s latest creation – Aztec Spicy Hot Chocolate. Lucky for onlookers mesmerized by the Latin rhythms pulsing from the float, the only sacrifices made in Quetzalcoatl’s name were those of fruits and flowers.
In the Aztec culture, cocoa beans were the basis for a thick, cold, unsweetened drink called xocoatl, believed to be a health elixir. Since sugar was unknown to the Aztecs, spices were used to add flavor – especially hot chili peppers! Aztecs believed that wisdom and power came from eating the fruit of the cocoa tree, and that it also had nourishing, fortifying, and even aphrodisiac qualities. Many of these assumptions are being proven true by recent scientific studies.
Just like traditional xocoatl, LCC’s Aztec Spicy Hot Chocolate uses cayenne, along with cinnamon and vanilla, to proudly continue a 2,500-year-old tradition.
Lake Champlain Chocolates offers sweet indulgences that capture the essence of Vermont, the tradition of making fine chocolate, and the pride that goes into each bite. Preservative-free and Kosher-certified, Lake Champlain Chocolates are crafted in small batches from the finest quality Belgian chocolate and select natural ingredients including local Vermont cream, sweet butter, maple syrup, honey, fruits, nuts, and other natural flavors. Lake Champlain Chocolates are available online at www.lakechamplainchocolates.com, toll-free at 1-800-465-5909, as corporate gifts & wedding favors, at three company-owned retail stores in Vermont, and nationwide at specialty food & gift stores and upscale hotels & inns.