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The Discovery of Chocolate by James Runcie, HarperCollins, £12.99, ISBN
000710782X

THIS title is misleading. You might expect a dissertation on how the Aztecs
discovered the cacao bean and learned to exploit its properties. But this
roman-à-clef starts with the prized chocolate drink that was a notable
feature of Aztec cuisine and civilisation.

The narrator of The Discovery of Chocolate, Diego de Godoy, sails with Cortez
to Mexico, becomes his secretary and takes part in the conquistadors’ campaigns
to conquer the empire for Spain and gold. This is his story, in which he becomes
magically immortal along with his…