The History of Chocolate
The history of chocolate is interesting and traces back to the ancient Mayans and Aztecs as well as the Olmecs. What started out as beans of the cacao tree that didn’t have that sweetest or most delightful taste, turned into one of the world's most beloved sweet treats. The fruit of these cacao trees were used to make chocolate. These fruits, better known as pods, have around 40 cacao beans inside them. These beans were then dried, roasted, and ground down and then mixed with water, chilies, and cornmeal to create a drink the Mayans would call “xocolatl”, which means bitter water.
Eventually chocolate was discovered by others and by the late 1500s was beloved by Spain. Spreading throughout Europe, Europeans soon realized that by adding sugar, cinnamon, and other spices, chocolate became much more valuable and more delicious. By 1773, cacao beans were available and used to make chocolate in American colonies. In the 19th century, chocolate was consumed as a liquid like hot chocolate. In 1847, J.S. Fry and Sons created the first chocolate bar using a paste made of sugar, chocolate liquor and cocoa butter. If you’re wondering about companies such as Hershey and Mars, they got their start earlier in the 20th century where some of our favorite chocolate treats are created.