History of Chocolate

Chocolate Through The Years

Since ancient times, South American natives have indulged in chocolate. The cacao bean, also known in the botanical world as theobroma, translates to "food of the gods.". The Olmec people of Mexico are most likely the first to have made use of the cacao bean. Their chocolate creations date back to 400 B.C. By 250 A.D., the Mayans were growing and cultivating cacao farms.

Spanish Conquistators reported that the Aztecs ground cocoa beans into grains, mixed them with fluids, cinnamon, chiles, anise seed, achiote, and in some cases hallucinogenic mushrooms. The spices were added to cover up the bitter taste that comes with pure cacao. They also added cornmeal to absorb the cocoa butter and congeal the creation to a near solid. It was a drink traditionally served without sugar or any sweetener whasoever and at room temperature.

The Aztec people considered cacahuatl (aka chocolate) to be a fine food that only religious leaders and rulers were fit to enjoy. Legend indicates that Montezuma, Aztec Emperor, drank 50 cups of chocolate per day, which might qualify him as the greatest chocoholic ever known to man.

The cocoa tree was introuced to Europe after the fourth Christopher Columbus voyage to the new world in 1502. Reports indicate that Columbus did not like the early chocolate drink, but brought it to his homeland of Spain nonetheless. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella agreed with Columbus' distaste for the drink. Columbus knew the beans had value because they were a monetary exchange used by the Aztecs. But since it was not embraced in Spain upon its first arrival, chocolate remained a Central American speciality until the time of Hernan Cortes.

When Cortes arrived in South America, the beans were very valuable. One hundred cacao beans were enough to purchase a slave. Cortes exchanged his beans for gold - an element that the natives had no use for. Cortes' men learned to drink the local beverage made from cacao or cocoa. They learned how to prepare the drink and developed an appreciation for it.

It was not until the cacao bean returned to Spain for a second time that chocolate as we know it began to evolve. The Spaniards transformed the Latin American drink by adding sugar, vanilla and water. Spain planted cacao trees in its colonies, but withheld the secret of chocolate from the rest of Europe for almost a century.

Once the rest of Europe became aware of Chocolate, the chocolate floodgates opened: houses dedicated to its creation arose everywhere. Royalty adopted the chocolate drink as the ideal drink as it was thought to provide energy, to act as an aphrodisiac and even cure sickness.

The Europeans altered the original Aztec drink by removing the cornmeal and adding other ingredients such as eggs to congeal the substance. The European chocolate creation included a multi-step process for treating the cacao bean: fermentation, drying, roasting, peeling, and grinding to a pulp. The end result was a chocolate paste - not very similar to what we know today as chocolate.

By the mid 1600s, some chocolatiers were preparing crude types of chocolate bars, comprised of chocolate paste, sugar, and spices. This product was more similar to what we know today as a chocolate bar.

By the 18th century, cacao beans had been embraced in North America as the source of healing and good health, which led to Dr. James Baker opening a New England - based factory to create a medicinal solution. Baker seems to have been ahead of his time. Researchers have recently proven that chocolate contains a high volume of antioxidants. A UC-Davis chemistry expert found that chocolate contains phenolics, the same chemicals that exist in red wine and act as antioxidants.

Happy Mother's Day    May 11, 2008

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