Welcome to the Ether Game Weekly Podcast! Tuesday, September 13th is International Chocolate Day! (It also happens to be the birthday of chocolatier Milton S. Hershey.) To celebrate, Ether Game this week is looking at some delectable and delicious chocolaty selections in a show we're calling "Chocolate"! To get you started (or for those of you who just cannot wait for Tuesday nights), you can sharpen your skills with our podcast selection. Remember to keep your ears out for a portion of Tuesday night's Teaser selection. And don't forget to tune into the full show on Tuesday, September 13th at 8:00pm for a chance to win a prize!

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791): COSÌ FAN TUTTE: Act I Recitative "Che vita maledetta"

The English Baroque Soloists; John Eliot Gardiner, conductor. Così Fan Tutte (Archiv)

Chocolate was brought to Europe by the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century, after witnessing it being consumed by the Mexican natives. At the time, chocolate was not found in delicious solid bars or as foil-wrapped kisses. Solid chocolate didn't come around until the mid 19th century. Rather, chocolate was a strong, often bitter drink made with brewed cacao beans, similar to coffee. In Mozart's time, Chocolate was a drink reserved strictly for the aristocracy. In this scene in Cosi fan tutte, Despina the maid bemoans the fact that she has to make hot chocolate for her bosses, but has never once tasted it. In protest, she sneaks a sip. Her reaction? "Com'è buono!": delicious.