The History of Chocolate with Margery WhitesThursday, November 13, 2025 | 1–2 p.m. St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 510 E. Park Avenue, Port Angeles
Published 1:30 am Thursday, November 6, 2025
Whether it’s mixed into your favorite coffee drink, drizzled over an ice cream sundae, or enjoyed straight from the wrapper, just about everyone loves the smooth, creamy taste of chocolate. But the confection we know today has a long, fascinating — and delicious — history.
Discover how this ground and roasted “food of the gods” worked its way into our hearts, minds, and stomachs! Clallam County Master Gardener Margery Whites will present “The History of Chocolate” as part of the Green Thumb Education Series on Thursday, November 13 from 1 to 2 p.m.
Our love affair with chocolate stretches back thousands of years to the ancient civilizations of Mesoamerica. Long before it became the sweet treat we enjoy today, chocolate underwent many changes. Whites’ presentation will explore the origins of cacao, where it’s cultivated now, the different species of cacao, the mysteries of its pollination, and how indigenous cultures and later Europeans shaped its use. She will also discuss the modern challenges cacao faces under climate change.
A Master Gardener since 2016, Whites has traveled extensively in Central America — one of the world’s major cacao-producing regions — where she first experienced chocolate in its more traditional, unrefined form.
The Green Thumb Education Series, sponsored by the Washington State University Clallam County Master Gardeners, is typically held in person on Thursdays from January through May and again from September through November.
Scheduled presentations are subject to change. For the latest updates, visit the WSU Extension Clallam County calendar at https://extension.wsu.edu/clallam/master-gardener-calendar/
or call 360-565-2678 for more information.
