The History Of Chocolate

Few foods today carry such a great and often unknown past a chocolate does. It is for this reason that we are going to delve into the history of chocolate in search of some answers.

For many years most thought that it was in fact the Aztec people that discovered and utilized the Cacao bean to which was converted into a chocolate drink. This has since been proven to be incorrect, as it was the Mayans that first enjoyed the spoils that the Cacao tree offered. The Mayans have been said to discover the Cacao bean tree some 4,000 years ago. This is not to say that the Aztecs did not have a hand in Cacao bean distribution, it is merely to refer to the true discovery.

From Delicacy To Currency

While the Mayans were the first to discover and use the Cacao bean, it was the Aztec people that benefitted the most from its discovery. Along with the Mayans the Aztecs created a drink from the Cacao beans known as xocolātl. This drink was a bitter heavy drink consisting of Cacao beans, chili peppers, and other various regional spices. This drink was both used as a staple and an offering during religious ceremonies.

Due to the Cacao bean’s significant appreciation, the Aztecs began to accept the beans in trade and then traded them off themselves. This form of bartering would become an introduction to a new Cacao currency, paving the way for the Aztecs to amass a decent level of success. It was in the year 1502 that Christopher Columbus was first introduced to the Cacao bean and the wondrous drink that the Aztecs enjoyed. This, however, would not be the only introduction to the outside world and the next European visitor will definitely leave a lasting impression.

Off To Spain

It was in the year 1519 that the Cacao bean became more than a simple currency for the outside world, as a bold new marketing scheme took place. A Spaniard by the name of Hernando Cortez was a very ambitious man that was smart enough to see a good thing before him. He decided that it would be a brilliant plan to establish, in the name of Spain, a plantation harvesting Cacao beans. This in all intents and purpose was meant to become a “money” machine, and it quickly became just that.

By 1528 Cortez decided to bring the Cacao beans to his king, Charles V. The opinion at this time was that the Spanish could actually enjoy what the Cacao bean had to offer. Cortez was convinced that in exchange of some of the bitter spices of the Aztec region, he could use cane sugar to make the mix more enticing to the Spanish. Not only was Cortez correct in his assumptions, the mix actually became an instant success. The Spanish were so protective of this new recipe that the rest of the world would not get wind of it for approximately 100 years after its discovery.

Cadbury To The Rescue

The Cadbury brothers actually purchased the recipe of fine milk chocolate in 1897 from a physician by the name of Hans Sloane. When Sloane was in possession of the recipe, he developed a formula of milk chocolate while in Jamaica. Sloane was actually selling this concoction to Apothecaries for several years prior to relinquishing the recipe over to the Cadbury’s. The two brothers had the first hand in transforming this delightful recipe, into some of the most well known and appreciated treats of all time.