The History of Chocolate dates back as far as 350 b.c. The Aztecs believed that cacao seeds were the gift of Quetzalcoatl, the god of wisdom, and the seeds once had so much value that they were used as a form of currency. Originally prepared only as a drink, chocolate was served as a bitter liquid, mixed with spices or corn puree. It was believed to be an aphrodisiac and to give the drinker strength.
After its arrival to Europe in the sixteenth century, sugar was added to it and it became popular throughout society, first among the ruling classes and then among the common people. In the 20th century, chocolate was considered essential in the rations of United States soldiers during war. Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés may have been the first European to encounter chocolate when he observed it in the court of Montezuma in 1519.
New processes that speed the production of chocolate emerged early in the Industrial Revolution. In 1815, Dutch chemist Coenraad van Houten introduced alkaline salts to chocolate, which reduced its bitterness. A few years thereafter, in 1828, he created a press to remove about half the natural fat (cacao butter) from chocolate liquor, which made chocolate both cheaper to produce and more consistent in quality. This innovation introduced the modern era of chocolate. Known as "Dutch cocoa", this machine-pressed chocolate was instrumental in the transformation of chocolate to its solid form when in 1847 Joseph Fry learned to make chocolate moldable by adding back melted cacao butter. Milk had sometimes been used as an addition to chocolate beverages since the mid-17th century, but in 1875 Daniel Peter invented milk chocolate by mixing a powdered milk developed by Henri Nestlé with the liquor.
In 1879, the texture and taste of chocolate was further improved when Rodolphe Lindt invented the conching machine. Lindt & Sprüngli AG, a Swiss-based concern with global reach, had its start in 1845 as the Sprüngli family confectionery shop in Zurich that added a solid-chocolate factory the same year the process for making solid chocolate was developed and later bought Lindt's factory. Besides Nestlé, several chocolate companies had their start in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Cadbury was manufacturing boxed chocolates in England by 1868. In 1893, Milton S. Hershey purchased chocolate processing equipment at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and soon began the career of Hershey's chocolates with chocolate-coated caramels.
The Maryland Chocolate Trail is hidden near 11 Chocolate locations throughout the state and you only need to find 10 to qualify for the Prize.
All About the Trail!!
About
The Passport!!
Md Chocolate Trail Passport
Bookmarked List
List of Chocolate Trail Caches!!
The Geocache
There are some metal discs embedded in the sidewalk here that will help find the location of the final. Subtract ABC from the latitude and Add DEF to the longitude.
A= The 2nd number in the patent.
B= How many stars on the disc?
C= How many sides are on the shape between the listed City and State
D= How many metal discs do you see nearby?
E= How many letters in the name of the box co.
F= 3rd number in patent
Checksum for ABCDEF is 26
You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.
Once at the final coordinates the cache you seek is unique to the area. Be careful opening please replace everything as you found it. Make sure to copy the code word into your passport.