A Brief Chocolate History

Studies show that cocoa originated from the high Amazon Basin and was later cultivated by the Mayas who used the beans as a currency. In the years 600, the Maya Indians moved from Guatemala to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico bringing with them cocoa from the rainforest. 600 years later, the Aztec began to rule Mexico and started to demand payment of their taxes in cocoa beans. They, in turn used these beans as currency but they also used them for drinks, adding flowers, vanilla and honey. Cocoa then increased in commercial value since Montezuma began consuming a cocoa bean preparation called “chocolatl” regularly.

To the Aztec emperor, this chocolate drink was for warrior and the elite, and it had a sacred and ceremonial importance as a drink fit for the gods. In Aztec mythology, cocoa (acahuabl) was given to man by Quetzacoatl, a god who came to the world as a high priest. He later decided to bring cocoa from heaven and teach man how to plant and cultivate them.

Cocoa was first introduced to Spain in 1502 when Christopher Columbus returned from his fourth voyage to the New World. The bean didn’t cause the desired commotion until the early 1500 when Hernan Cortes came back with the secret to converting the bitter bean into a wonderful drink to which the Spanish kept secret for a hundred years. Cultivation of the cocoa tree by the Spaniards in their isolated colony in Trinidad was part of the effort to keep secret the cultivation and the preparation of the cocoa been. The drink was consumed for its medicinal and aphrodisiacal benefits. But only until 1615, when princess Anne married King Louis XIII of France, where, along with her dowry, she brought the secret to this miraculous potion. In the beginning, the drink was met with skepticism and was considered a “barbarous and noxious drug”. It was later accepted when the Paris Faculty of medicine gave its approval. But the real support came from Anne of Austria, wife of the Louis XIII, who declared it the drink of the French court.

The first ever-recorded chocolate drinker was France’s Cardinal Richelieu who enjoyed it as a food, but also as an aid for digestion. In 1660, Maria Theresa, Queen of France shares her love for chocolate with the people of France. For the first time, chocolate is enjoyed outside the court. The Queen was even said to have had only two loves: the King and chocolate.

Meanwhile, chocolate found it’s way to Italy and England, among other European countries. In 1650, chocolate became the rage in Oxford and in 1657, a shop called The Coffee Mill and Tobacco Roll opened in London. Although chocolate was not featured, the drink quickly became a best seller. England imposed an excessive duty of 10-15 shilling per pound which is comparable to ¾ it’s weight in gold. The duty remained for nearly 200 years.

Chocolate was first manufactured in the US in 1764. Two gentlemen by the names of James Baker and John Hannon established the Baker chocolate company in Dorchester, Massachusetts.

In 1828, C.J.Van Houten, a master Chocolatier from Holland comes up with a solution to bring chocolate to the masses; make it affordable. By pressing the beans he was able to remove some of the fat from the beans. He would then be left with a cake that could later be pulverized into cocoa powder. He would then treat that powder with alkaline salts (potassium or sodium carbonates). By doing so, the cocoa would mix better with water. It would also reduce the acidity and the bitterness of the cocoa. This process is now called “Dutching”. The final result is a dark colored and mild tasting cocoa.

Joseph Storrs Fry produces what he calls the first eating chocolate in 1849, but there is still place for improvement. The real revolution came in 1879. For one, Daniel Peters, a Swiss Chocolatier had the idea of using milk powder to make his chocolate. He created what we know today as milk chocolate. Then Rudolph Lindt invented a process called “conching” which greatly improved the overall qualities of chocolate. What was once known as gritty and coarse is now smooth and silky; they call it “fondant” which stands for “melting”.

In 1886, Charles Barry, an English industrialist who started out trading foodstuffs, including cocoa, sets up a plant for processing cocoa. In the 20th century, he establishes his plant in Meulan, France, just west of Paris. What would then be recognized as a true cocoa processing factory is called Cacao Barry. They supply cocoa and chocolate to the bakers, confectioners and grocers of France.

Chocolate, as a product, has evolved since, but the greatest evolution is in the process, the equipment and the knowledge. New applications in different fields like cosmetics and medicine are being brought into the world of chocolate. It has even been said recently that chocolate could help cure the common cold. First the heartache, and now the cold; chocolate really is the food of the gods!