North Dakota State

Flavorsome Delight : The North American Museum Of Natural History’s ‘Chocolate’ Show Is chock-full of Empty Calories

The “Chocolate” exhibition at the North American Museum of Natural History ( on view till Sept. Four ) isno surprisea trifle. It liquifies in your mouth, not in your grey matter. Charmingly undemanding ( if expensive at $17 a pop ), it is the dispensable summer hit of museum exhibits, an academic moneymaker directed at the sweet-toothed infant in us all.

And here I have to admit that I am that baby. After following the floor stickers ( “This way to Chocolate!” ) to a Wonka-esque gold-scripted arch, I noticed myself winding through a maze of history litejust enough info to get the idea, nothing too taxingdutifully taking notes but with one thought pulsing inside my little lizard brain : At the end of this exhibit, there’s a chocolate cafeteria. A chocolate cafeteria. A dark chocolate cafeteria. Around the time Spain was spreading the sweet stuff from the Mayans to Europe, I gave in and cheated.

I scuttled through the exhibit, past the antique candy wrappers, and purchased a big bar of organic dark chocolate. Then I snuck back to the beginning. Now, technically speaking, this is illegaland damn it, I support following the rules. Nobody wants tourists smearing Mars bars on the museum’s pristine glass cases. But as a critic, I felt it was critical that I’m employed with all my senses.

Loaded up on the sweet stuff, I discovered that the exhibit does indeed cover the basics. You have got your wrinkly cocoa pods, your Mayan pottery, your business history of the cocoa trade ( with a pleasant focus on social justice ). You have your alarming pellet of 1,500-year-old chocolate. Even better you’ve got your photograph of a gigantic Easter bunny, circa 1890. 5 feet tall, the rabbit possesses the chalky dignity of an Egyptian sarcophagus, and it stands, golemlike, beside it is its creator, Robert L. Strohecker. The label explains Strohecker is “the ‘father ‘ of the chocolate Easter bunny”pretty much the best epithet one could hope for in this life.

Some of the exhibit’s historic sections were a little on the obscure side. “Nearly one hundred years passed before other Western european nations caught the chocolate craze,” read one display’s label. “Were the Spanish trying to keep chocolate to themselves? And how did stories of chocolate spread? We’re not sure.” But there’s sufficient background to keep an intellectual candy-lover occupied. Among stuff I learned without focusing too intently : The ancient Mayans offered the god Quetzalcoatl ritual chocolate that was “a deep blood-red color.” By 1930, there were forty thousand different sorts of chocolate bars. Chocolate contains the love-chemical phenylethylamine. ( Though the placard rather primly contended that there’s “no decisive evidence it stimulates the libido.” ) And don’t feed your dog chocolateit can be lethal, and it’s a waste of good chocolate.

At one or two junctures, the facts-to-dramatics ratio dipped too low for even phenylethylamine-addled me. In one alcove, visitors find a movie screen displaying the swirly legend “Chocolate meets sugar in Spain.” This silent-movie caption is instantly followed by a video illustration : a giant brown tongue of softened chocolate pours down from the pinnacle of the screen, followed by a spinning drift of sugar. Then the solemn words appear again : “Chocolate meets sugar in Spain.” That’s the whole extent of the display.

More successful is the panoply of defunct candy wrappers, each beaming guarantees of delight. “Keep the party perkin ‘! Woman, take a bow! Serve ‘em nuggets, serve ‘em chips! Wonderful and wow!” reads one. Taken together, the wrappers form a record of cultural trends, from Brach’s Swingtime ( named after the dance craze ) to the Mr. Massive Shaq Snaq ( named after the rings player ). There’s also a telephone-shaped chocolate mold, a hand-carved coffin in the shape of a cocoa pod, and a vending machine that once dispensed Hershey bars for a penny each. There isn’t much sociological depth hereI found myself pondering oddball subjects the curators might have covered, like the way chocolate images has been used to refer to black skin or the whole Cathy cartoon notion that ladies have some special biological need for chocolate, but a number of these tchotchkes are fun to have a look at.

Still, listening to my fellow exhibit-goers was frequently more entertaining than gazing at yet another cocoa pod. Of course , this is a subject on which everybody is an expert. “I’d like to live in a chocolate house!” blurted out one thirtysomething fellow. A pair to my left started earnestly discussing the difference between hot cocoa and hot chocolate. And a bescarved French matron, gazing up at a big screen displaying a minidocumentary about the modern manufacturing process, started reminiscing in extreme detail about the famous I love Lucy chocolate-making scene.
Jerry Kill following loss to North Dakota State Bison

TONED 2006 S PROOF NORTH DAKOTA STATE QUARTER UNCIRCULATED #R744 $9.95

2006 Bank Roll Of North Dakota State Quarter (D) $21.23

2006 Bank Roll Of North Dakota State Quarter (P) $21.23

North Dakota P State Quarter from mint roll $0.65

North Dakota D State Quarter from mint roll $0.65

2006-S Proof North Dakota State Quarter – ICG PR70 DCAM $65.00

2006-S Flag Silver North Dakota ND State Quarter PR69DCAM PCGS Proof 69 Deep Cam $0.99

TONED 2006 S PROOF NORTH DAKOTA STATE QUARTER UNCIRCULATED #B392 $8.95

GOLD LAYERED STATE QUARTER ( NORTH DAKOTA ) $6.49

2006 North Dakota State P&D Quarter set R51 sealed BU $27.50

NORTH DAKOTA STATE QUARTERS $0.99

2006-S Silver Proof North Dakota State Quarter $9.95

2006 NORTH DAKOTA S STATE QUARTER – PROOF $2.99

2006 NORTH DAKOTA P&D STATE QUARTER – BU $1.29

2006-S Flag Clad North Dakota ND State Quarter PR69DCAM PCGS Proof 69 Deep Cameo $0.99

2006 North Dakota – Statehood Quarter – Postal Commemorative Society – P D State $19.98

2006-S North Dakota Silver Proof State Quarter! 90% Silver! $3.99

2006 North Dakota State Quarter Roll. Unopened BU Coins $16.50

2006 D NORTH DAKOTA STATE QUARTER ROLL $15.99

2006 “D” NORTH DAKOTA STATE BU QUARTERS UNCIRCULATED $1.75

2006 “P” NORTH DAKOTA STATE BU QUARTERS UNCIRCULATED $1.75

US State Quarters 4 coin set (New York, North Carolina, Nebraska, North Dakota) $0.96

2006-S Silver North Dakota ND State Quarter PR69DCAM PCGS Proof 69 Deep Cameo $0.99

2006 MINT LICENSED NORTH DAKOTA STATE QUARTER ROLL DENVER MINT $19.00

U.S. Washington State Quarter 2006-D North Dakota Statehood 25c Uncirculated $0.99

2006-P&D BU Mint State( NORTH DAKOTA) USQuarters 2coin $1.89

NORTH DAKOTA STATE QUARTERS PENDANT AND EARRING SET $24.95

NORTH DAKOTA ND STATE QUARTERS US MINT ROLLS P+D 2006 $32.00

NGC 2006 S PROOF Clad NORTH DAKOTA State Quarter PR PF70 REGISTRY Price Guide$33 $23.83

North Dakota Quarter Bear PEACE GARDEN State 39 Coin TE $9.99

2006-S Clad North Dakota ND State Quarter PR69DCAM PCGS Proof 69 Deep Cameo $0.99

2006 PCGS PR70 North Dakota State SILVER Quarter Flag Label $71.63

State Quarter Silver Proof 2006-S North Dakota $7.95

State Quarter Clad Proof 2006-S North Dakota $0.99

2006-D SMS MS66 NGC NORTH DAKOTA STATE QUARTER ID#J289 -NO RESERVE- $1.75

2006-P SMS MS66 NGC NORTH DAKOTA STATE QUARTER ID#J286 -NO RESERVE- $0.99

2006-D SMS MS67 NGC NORTH DAKOTA STATE QUARTER ID#J285 -NO RESERVE- $0.99

2006 S Silver North Dakota State Quarter – PF 70 Ultra Cameo $13.02

2006 S Silver North Dakota State Quarter $4.25

2006-P BU Mint State (NORTH DAKOTA)Statehood USQuarter $0.99

North Dakota Sioux State Elements Shot Glass $5.35 Here’s a rare and hard to find souvenir collectible shot glass from North Dakota. It’s a 5x6cm style shot glass measuring 2.25″ tall and 1.8″ in diameter….

US State Flag – MINOT AFB, North Dakota (ND) Mug $10.99 This is a brand new custom made coffee mug imprinted using the latest sublimation technology. This process embeds the image permanently and gives it a smooth surface with a crisp and vivid image. Design is imprinted on a standard 11 oz white mug and it is dishwasher safe….

State Keepsake Magnet – 2 – North Dakota $2.50 State Keepsake Ornament – 2″. Quality gift from Roman, Inc. Made of Resin, a durable plastic. Great gifts for friends and family….

A Time for Singing (to everything there is a season) Side 1 Band1 CHRISTMAS ON ANGEL STREET Band 2 TRY, TRY, TRY I BELIEVE IN YOU OVER THE SEA TO SKYE MAK A SONG FOR MY HEART TO SING WARM FUZZY HOLY POP BOTTLE HOEDOWN RING THE BELLS AT CHRISTMAS ON CHRISTMAS MORN IF YOU LIKE CHRISTMAS COUNTRY CHRISTMAS Band 3 SILENT NIGHT Band 4 HELLO SUNSHINE I LIKE TO SING HAUNTING MELODY TAKE TIME FOR LOVE PROMISE OF THE RAINBOW SING A SING-A-LONG SONG OLD JOE CL…

A Time for Singing, Volume IX (12 inch vinyl lp) 2 lp set. 12 inch vinyl….

All-State Music Festival Concert $11.99 Album recorded for the 33rd Annual North Dakota All-State Music Festival Concert at the Mandan High School, March 27, 1999.TRACKS: 1-3 by All-State Orchestra: 1 GLINKA/Russian & Ludmilla Overture 2 McKAY/Evocations 3 HOLST/”Jupiter” from The Planets TRACKS 4-9 by All-State Women’s Choir: 1 PURCELL/Sound the Trumpet 2 DEBUSSY/We Sing to Spring 3 Three Mountain Ballads (arr. Ron Nelson) 4 McRAE/JOSE…

Northern Lights [VHS] $9.99 …

Sandy Mertens North Dakota – State Map and Picture Text – Light Switch Covers – double toggle switch $13.75 State Map and Picture Text Light Switch Cover is new and handcrafted utilizing unique process resulting in a stunning high gloss ceramic-like finish. SET OF MATCHING SCREWS IS INCLUDED giving it a perfect finishing touch. Made of durable metal material. Will not fade, chip, or peel….

Sandy Mertens North Dakota – State Map and Picture Text – Light Switch Covers – single toggle switch $11.75 State Map and Picture Text Light Switch Cover is new and handcrafted utilizing unique process resulting in a stunning high gloss ceramic-like finish. SET OF MATCHING SCREWS IS INCLUDED giving it a perfect finishing touch. Made of durable metal material. Will not fade, chip, or peel….

Ncaa Wall Mural Vinyl Sticker Sports Logos North Dakota State Bisons (S653) $29.99 Wall Art Decoration Vinyl Decal Sticker Install Area : The decals can be applied on all smooth surfaces, such as Walls, Doors, Windows, Closets, Plastic, Metal, Tiles etc. – Without much effort and cost you can decorate and style your home. – Applying decals on a bumpy surface will be a bit more difficult. – The colors could be slightly different depending on your monitor setting. – PLEASE make a …

House Divided North Dakota – North Dakota State – All-Star Mat $59.38 House Divided North Dakota – North Dakota State – All-Star Mat House Divided North Dakota – North Dakota State – All-Star Mat – Size: 34" x 44.5

North Dakota State Bison Logo $89.99 North Dakota State Bison Logo. Real.Big. Fathead Wall Graphics

North Dakota State Bisons Tickets $53 “Buy Tickets for North Dakota State Bisons are available. Ticketliquidator.com gets you in!”

North Dakota State Fair Tickets $110 “Buy Tickets for North Dakota State Fair are available. Ticketliquidator.com gets you in!”