author
Professor Nemo
A shadowy pen name attached to a single late-19th-century work, this writer turns chocolate into a subject of science, industry, and everyday pleasure. The result is part food history, part practical guide, and a vivid glimpse of how cacao was explained to American readers in the 1880s.
1 Audiobook
Cacaos and chocolates in the United States of America
by Professor Nemo
About the author
Project Gutenberg lists Professor Nemo as the author of Cacaos and chocolates in the United States of America and also records the aliases "Pierre de la Peyrière" and "La Peyrière, Pierre de." Beyond those catalog details, I couldn't confirm much reliable biographical information about the person behind the name.
The surviving work is more revealing than the author record. First published in New York by Huyler's Chocolate Works in 1885, the book presents cacao and chocolate in a lively, informative way, covering the plant itself, the chemistry of the bean, methods of manufacture, and the drink's place in daily life. It reads like a blend of popular science, consumer education, and promotional writing.
Because confirmed personal details are so scarce, Professor Nemo is best understood today through this unusual book: a compact window into 19th-century food culture and the growing fascination with chocolate in the United States.