History of Chocolate
- Aaradhana Munjal
- Oct 15, 2018
- 2 min read
‘A Bar of Chocolate’ is the first thing that comes to mind when chocolate pops up in a conversation, for those who cannot live without chocolate or a person like me who enjoys chocolate occasionally. The fact that makes this thought seem rather ironic is the fact that chocolate for the most part of its history has been a drink.
The first use of the word ‘cacao’ can be seen in the Olmec civilization. The Olmec located in Southern Mexico, prospered in former Mesoamerica, used the cacao beans to make drinks during 1500 B.C. Mayan’s and Aztecs are a part of Mesoamerican culture.
In the pre-modern Mayan era, cacao was considered the ‘food of God’ and was a part of many religious ceremonies.
Aztecs used the word ‘xocolatl’ referring to the bitter and spicy drink made from cacao beans. It is believed that the word chocolate is derived from the Aztecs word ‘xocolatl’. The Aztecs also believed to have used cacao beans as a form of currency. I guess for the Aztecs, money did grow on trees. A price list of the year 1545 states that 100 cacao beans could buy you a healthy hen, and 1 cacao in exchange for a ripe avocado.
Mayans in the early 700 A.D. engraved ceremonial bowls with the picture of their depiction of the ‘cacao God’.
Europeans traveled to America and brought back cacao seeds with them. The chocolate mania spread across Europe but instead of the traditional chilly, they added cane sugar, cinnamon and other spices to their hot chocolate.
With the spread of popularity, the belief of chocolates healing properties made European aristocracy in the 1500s-1600s drink a version of hot chocolate for health purposes.
Paying soldiers in the form of chocolate was very common during the revolutionary war.
Till 1828, before Dutch chemist, Coenraad Johannes Van Houten invented the hydraulic press, chocolate was always consumed in liquid form. The hydraulic press was able to separate cocoa butter from the roasted cocoa beans. This cocoa butter is what we use now to make solid chocolate.
Even after the invention of the hydraulic press, chocolate was still consumed in the liquid form. For everyone out there who truly savors chocolate, should thank Fry and son for producing the first chocolate bar in the year 1847 in Bristol, England.
Swiss chocolatier, Daniel Peter is credited for adding dried milk to chocolate which created the most loved milk chocolate in 1876. Years later he worked with his friend Henri Neste and created the Nestle Company which made milk chocolate available in the mass market.
In 1879 Swiss chocolatier Rudolf Lindt invented another machine called the ‘conch machine’ which mixed and aerated chocolate to give it a smooth melt in the mouth texture which chocolate lacked before (was difficult to chew and hard).
Cadbury, Mars, Nestle, Hershey were the first companies in the chocolate business during the early 20th century.
In today’s time, it is hard to be in a world without chocolate. Chocolate is one of the most widely used and favorite ingredient used in baking today and the credit for this goes to the Olmec civilization.
References
https://kathleenhalme.com/explore/aztec-clipart-noble/
https://www.americanheritagechocolate.com/
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