Other sweets came in-to being in the worlds of ritual and magic. Chocolate, for example, was mixed with chilli and used as a libation by the Aztecs. It subsequently appeared in other rather more palatable drinks around the world, but not in the solid form we now recognize until about 150 years ago. But the special significance of a gift of chocolate remains …Whatever their manifold origins, sweets are still a feature of every human society around the world. Tim Richardson’s book tells the extraordinary story of comfits and dragees, lozenges and pastilles, sherbets and subtleties. Like a box of chocolates, it’s something you can just dip into - or scoff all at once.