Cadbury World, Bournville

Visitors used to get a chance to try tasting Aztec-style chocolate (bitter - but the real thing!), but now this is restricted to once a year during their annual Aztec Week (usually in May). Cadbury World have produced a ‘Written Script’ for teachers accompanying school parties: it contains 8 pages on the ‘Mexican’ end of chocolate’s history; the basic introduction to the Maya, Aztec and Spanish Conquest is good, though it’s a pity it starts out with a simple error, inviting children into ‘Zone One - The Aztec Jungle’.

The captions on display contain several minor errors; the worst one gives a rather fanciful account of the role of La Malinche/Doña Marina, suggesting ‘Among the gifts [given by Moctezuma to Cortés] was a young Aztec girl whom Cortés named Marina. Marina spoke many languages and acted as interpreter and guide to Cortés... Among the stories and secrets she told him were those of chocolate and Quetzalcoatl. Cortés used this story to gain power over Moctezuma...’

Cadbury World chocolate exhibition