As Halloween comes and goes, we find ourselves now with far more sweets and candies in our possession than we may even know what to do with! Chief among these delicacies is chocolate; chocolate bars, bite-sized chocolates, chocolate apples and chocolate pretzels, it cannot be denied that chocolate is the most prominent dessert in the world. But why? How did chocolate become as widespread as it is today?
It begins in the ancient past, with the Olmec. Historians have discovered traces of chocolate in ancient Olmec pottery. For this reason, they have come to the conclusion that cacao may have been used as some form of drink, perhaps for ceremonial purposes. Less uncertain is the use of chocolate by the Maya. Written records indicate they used chocolate quite commonly. It was used in celebrations, in common household meals, and even in transactions! The Aztec also revered chocolate (or, as they called it, xocolatl), believing it was given to them by the gods. It was primarily consumed by the upper-class (the ruler Montezuma II was rumored to have drunk gallons of xocolatl every day!), though middle class people could also drink it at particular celebrations.
The Spanish discovered chocolate at some point, likely from these civilizations, and it became quite popular at home. Soon enough, European courts everywhere were indulging in chocolate drinks, mixed with cinnamon and cane sugar, and chocolate plantations popped up everywhere. Eventually, the chocolate craze spread to Florida, and the rest of America. It was even used as rations during the Revolutionary War!
In 1828, the Dutch Chemist Coenraad van Houten invented the Dutch Processing Method, mixing chocolate with salt to make it cheaper and more widely available. He also invented the Cocoa Press, which could preform the Dutch Processing Method even faster and more efficiently. 19 years later, the English Chocolate-Maker J.S. Fry and Sons created the first chocolate bar. A Swiss chocolatier, Daniel Peter, invented milk chocolate and, working with his friend Henri Nestlé, formed the Nestlé Chocolate Company, bringing milk chocolate to the masses. Rudolf Lindt invented the Chocolate Conch Machine, which could bring chocolate to a rich and creamy texture that would melt in your mouth and could blend with other ingredients. More and more chocolate corporations formed, and now, most people all over the world can and have enjoyed a delicious chocolate treat, like the ones you got for Halloween! So be sure to enjoy that sweet, remembering how it started!
Source: History of Chocolate: Cocoa Beans & Xocolatl | HISTORY
