Interesting History of Chocolates

History of chocolate is always a subject of interest for children, young and old people as no one can say no to this creamy and delicious delight that melts in mouth in just few seconds. The craziness of people for chocolate is very well explained in this chocolate quote:

“Nine out of ten people like chocolate. The tenth person always lies” a quote about chocolate by John Q Tullius.

Chocolate History begins from Cacao beans which come from a large pod that grows on a tropical Theobroma cacao tree mainly in Latin America, where these cacao trees grow wild. Cacao trees are small and require rich, well-drained soils. They need about 2000 millimeters of rainfall a year and cannot tolerate a temperature lower than 15 degrees Celsius.

Chocolate statistics reveals that an average American eats 10-12 pounds of chocolate per year and an average Swiss eats 21 pounds of chocolate a year, in fact Switzerland is the top chocolate loving nation.

These cacao beans are further roasted, shelled, and converted into a paste. Then this cacao paste is mixed with sugar and cooked at a high temperature to make chocolate. The cacao beans have severe and intense bitter taste, so to create a flavor they are fermented before drying and roasted.

In old days Europeans used to sweeten it by adding sugar and milk.By this time chocolate was a fashionable drink throughout Europe. They later produced a method to make solid chocolate which is the modern chocolate bar. Cocoa is originally from the Americas, however today Western Africa makes roughly two-thirds of the world’s cocoa.

The Olmec was the first people to use chocolate which is today southeast Mexico. These people lived in the area around 1000 BC, and the word cacao actually originated from their remark kakawa. The Mayans who were also settled in the same area thousand years later (from about 250-900 AD) also make use of chocolate. In true sense the Maya really begins the history of chocolates.

If we go back in History of chocolates, they consider cacao beans valuable enough to use as currency. 10 beans would buy you a rabbit, while 100 beans could buy you a good turkey hen or a slave. The Mayans and Aztecs believed the cacao bean had magical, divine properties and used chocolate in religious rituals like birth, marriage and death.

The point to know is that Maya prepared chocolate strictly for drinking. Chocolate history doesn’t embrace solid chocolate until the 1850s.

When we hear the word chocolate then a picture of chocolate bar comes in our mind. You will be surprise to know that the cacao paste which is also called cocoa mass is usually is in liquefied form and when molded with other ingredients it is called chocolate liquor. This liquor is then processed into two components cocoa solids and cocoa butter. The chocolate we eat is the blend of cocoa solids, cocoa butter and sugar. This Chocolate in solid form was invented in around 1847 by Joseph Fry. He discovered the process to make the first modern Chocolate bar.

Chocolate is one of the most admired treat by men and women both. It’s tough to pin down exact history of chocolate, but it’s obvious that it was appreciated from the beginning. In the end a chocolate Quote, just to enhance the taste…..

“Other things are just food. But chocolate’s chocolate.”  by Patrick Skene Catling.

This Article about Homemade Chococlate might interests you

Homemade Chocolates