That sweet, chocolaty treat you enjoy on cold days has a lot of history behind it. It's been on the frontline of wars, stirred up controversy with the Catholic Church, and seen empires rise and fall.

National Cocoa Day on Dec. 13 celebrates a drink that has grown far beyond the version many people remember from childhood. Across America, cafes turn hot cocoa into a display of skill and precision, ...

"The chocolate-houses are his undoing." So Macheath, king of the underworld, is described by one of the characters in John Gay's 1728 hit play "The Beggar's Opera." Not gin. Not whiskey. Hot chocolate ...