One night in January, a sailing ship entered the port of Antwerp, a city in Belgium. From that ship disembarked a strange man who was shivering with cold and dragging a large sack.
After knocking on many doors, only one old woman gave him shelter, along with clothes, food and a bed in a room with a stove. The next morning the man decided to give him the contents of his bag.
The old woman, surprised by its content, asked the man:
– Sir, what are these brown seeds?
The man told him:
– These seeds, madam, are cocoa beans and with a little patience I will teach you how to make chocolate with them, a delicious sweet
But the old woman, tired of working all her life, took the man to her daughter’s bakery. The young confectioner learned to make chocolates and the man learned to make cakes. Over time, the cakes and chocolates became famous throughout Antwerp, becoming the best pastry shop in Belgium.
