Chocolaty Beginnings

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Who doesn’t like chocolate? The dessert has made its way in our heart because of its rich and complex flavours that can go with anything.

Its journey from a secret ceremonial drink to chocolate bars and powders today is very interesting and the Sweet has become a global commodity for cultural exchange, innovation, and transformation.

Sacred Beginnings

Where did chocolate begin its journey? This question was answered by archaeologists a few years ago when they found that the earliest face of Cacao could be dated back to the ancient Mayo-Chinchipe culture. This happened 5,300 years ago and back then, chocolate played an important role in the ancient Mesoamerican civilizations.

It was first grounded, after roasting the beans, into a paste, then mixed with water, Vanilla, Chile peppers, and a few other spices to convert it into a frothy drink.

This drink was believed by the ancient Mesoamericans to be an energy poster and a gift from the Gods. They drank it for sacred ceremonies and funeral offerings.

As the people from the Aztec Empire spread across Mesoamerica, they also began to give high value to cacao. The cacao plant couldn’t be grown in the dry highlands of Mexico and so, they traded Cacao with the Mayans in exchange for beans. It was so beloved to the Aztecs that their 16th century ruler Moctezima II used to drink 50 cups of chocolate in just one day for boosting his virility and libido!

Entry in Europe

Some hundred years later, Spanish friars and conquistadors, who had gone travelling in the Americas, decided it was time to bring chocolate to Europe as well. No one from outside the Americas had actually like the drink in the beginning. When the drink was presented to Italian traveler Giralomo Benzoni, he proclaimed that the drink was only fit for pigs! But many Spaniards had to drink it because of ceremonial significance and diplomatic relations. Many of them got used to and developed a taste for it. And so, when they returned home, they brought chocolate with them.

In the 1500s, chocolate was introduced to Europe and it had been modified a little by the Spanish- they liked to sweeten it a bit with cane sugar and cinnamon. It was a hit and quickly spread to other European courts because it had become a symbol of luxury, wealth, and power.

Its popularity reached its peak and plantations were established by the colonial powers to grow cacao and sugar.

They weren’t aware of a solidified form of chocolate and tried to experiment with the drink itself. It remained as an aristocratic beverage up until the invention of the cocoa press in 1828.

Global Expansion

In 1828, the cocoa press was invented which revolutionized the production of chocolate. Its creation is attributed to either Dutch chemist Coenraad Johannes van Houten, or his father, Casparus.

The process was simple. The machine would first squeeze the roasted cacao beans to get out the fatty butter. After this, a dry cake would be left behind, which could then be granted into a fine powder for mixing with liquids or other ingredients if you want. The liquid produced would then be poured into molds and solidified into chocolate bars. This was revolutionary and now, chocolate had entered its modern era.

By 1847, a British chocolatier, who went by the name of Joseph fry, used cocoa butter, cocoa powder, and sugar to create the first edible chocolate bar. In response to this, his rival chocolatier, Cadbury’s, also created the same and is today known as one of the most prominent chocolate brands in the world. Soon, milk chocolate was also invented by Swiss chocolatier, Daniel Peter in 1875 and was a hit among the masses as well.

By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, chocolate had become very popular and companies like Cadbury and Hershey had introduced their chocolate brands. These companies took care of the mass production of chocolate and distribution to different places.

Ever since its discovery more than 5000 years ago, Chocolate had triumphed over the trials of time and emerged as one of the world’s biggest businesses. It reigns the world of sweet delicacies. How couldn’t it? Who doesn’t like chocolate?

Resources

Sacred Beginnings

Chocolate | Definition, History, Types, Production, & Facts | Britannica. (2024). In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/chocolate
‌Klein, C. (2014, February 14). Chocolate’s Sweet History: From Elite Treat to Food for the Masses. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/news/the-sweet-history-of-chocolate

Entry in Europe

‌Klein, C. (2014, February 14). Chocolate’s Sweet History: From Elite Treat to Food for the Masses. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/news/the-sweet-history-of-chocolate
Gershon, L. (2019, January 30). How Chocolate Came to Europe – JSTOR Daily. JSTOR Daily. https://daily.jstor.org/how-chocolate-came-to-europe/

Global Expansion