| The story begins some two millennia ago in | | | | a custom that spread like wildfire among the |
| the tropical rainforests of the Americas. | | | | French aristocracy.The English were |
| Although the cacao tree had been around for | | | | introduced to the cacao bean through British |
| some time, the natives had never used the | | | | pirates who targeted Spanish ships in the |
| beans inside the pods for food. Upon | | | | last half of the 1500s. They saw no use for |
| discovering that the seeds could be processed | | | | the odd looking cargo and even burned several |
| and used as a drink, it quickly caught on | | | | shipments before someone found out what the |
| with these primitive people. The first | | | | beans were good for making. It took about a |
| people known to make chocolate from the cacao | | | | hundred years for the chocolate to start |
| beans were the ancient cultures of Central | | | | making its mark in British history. Once it |
| America and Mexico. They would grind the | | | | did though, it was not just reserved for the |
| beans and mix them with different seasonings | | | | aristocracy. Anyone in England who could |
| and spices and then whip the beverage by hand | | | | afford it was able to indulge. While it was |
| until it was both frothy and spicy.The Olmec | | | | more expensive than coffee, it was less |
| Indians are believed to be the first culture | | | | costly that tea. "Chocolate houses" began to |
| to grow the beans as a domestic crop, between | | | | sprout up, with the first one being opened by |
| 1500 and 400 B.C. From 250 to 900 C.E., the | | | | a Frenchman in 1657. At that time, chocolate |
| consumption of the beans was restricted to | | | | was 10 to 15 shillings per pound. So it was |
| the elite class of the Mayan culture. | | | | rather costly.During the 16th and 17th |
| Throughout these years, the drink was | | | | centuries, the demand for chocolate grew so |
| consumed unsweetened. Apparently the Mayan | | | | large that the cacao plantations had enslaved |
| people valued the beans so highly that they | | | | Mesoamericans to plant, grow, harvest and |
| planted them in their personal gardens so | | | | process the cocoa beans. By the end of the |
| that they had easy access to them.Around 600 | | | | 17th century, only ten percent of the Native |
| A.D., the Mayans migrated into the northern | | | | Indian population survived. It was then that |
| regions of South America and began the | | | | slaves were transported from Africa to |
| earliest recorded plantations of cacao trees | | | | Ecuador, Venezuela, Paraguay and Brazil. For |
| in the Yucatan. They used the beverage that | | | | over two centuries, enslaved people and wage |
| they made in betrothal and marriage | | | | laborers were used to meet the demand for the |
| ceremonies.Once the Aztec culture was able to | | | | all-enticing cocoa.Around 1730, the price of |
| abscond with some of the beans and learn how | | | | cocoa has dropped to around $3 per pound. |
| to make the beverage from them, they used | | | | This made it more affordable to others |
| them for medicinal purposes and in ceremonies | | | | besides the very wealthy. In 1732, a French |
| such as weddings and religious rites. They | | | | inventor developed a table mill for grinding |
| believed that the beans were a gift from | | | | the chocolate. This simplified the process |
| their gods. They are also the first known | | | | and made it possible to churn out larger |
| culture to tax the beans. Their name for the | | | | quantities at lower cost. So production |
| beverage that they made was "xocalatl", | | | | naturally grew.In 1765, Irish chocolate maker |
| translated to warm or bitter drink. The | | | | John Hanan imported cocoa beans from the West |
| beans also began, at that time, to be used as | | | | Indies to Massachusetts in the American |
| currency by the Mesoamerican cultures. They | | | | colonies. He teamed up with Dr. James Baker. |
| were not used to make chocolate until they | | | | They built the first chocolate mill in the |
| were too worn to be used as currency.The | | | | Colonies and by 1780, that mill was producing |
| first European to learn of chocolate was | | | | the famous Baker's chocolate which is still |
| Christopher Columbus. He encountered a huge | | | | widely used today.Another revolution in |
| Mayan trading canoe piled high with the | | | | production occurred in 1795 when Dr. Joseph |
| valuable beans. When the Spaniards invaded | | | | Fry of Bristol, England used a steam engine |
| the Yucatan in 1517 and Mexico in 1519, they | | | | to power the grinding wheel used to make |
| quickly caught on to the monetary value of | | | | chocolate. This catapulted the manufacturing |
| the precious beans. They were not fond, | | | | process forward tremendously.The man who is |
| however, of the warm, bitter and unsweetened | | | | considered the pioneer of Swiss chocolate |
| drink which they received from the local | | | | making, Francois Callier, opened the first |
| people. It took some time, but they learned | | | | Swiss chocolate factory in 1819. And in |
| to adapt their taste buds to the drink and | | | | 1828, a Dutchman named Conrad Van Houton |
| began to enjoy it.The most popular story of | | | | invented the cocoa press. His invention |
| the introduction of chocolate to Europe is | | | | helped more with cutting the price of |
| that which credits Dominican friars with | | | | chocolate and by improving the quality of it |
| taking a delegation of Mayan nobles to the | | | | by squeezing out cocoa butter thus making the |
| court of Prince Philip of Spain. As one of | | | | consistency of the beverage smoother. Mr. |
| the many gifts which the nobles presented to | | | | Van Houton patented his invention in |
| the Prince, they gave him several jars of | | | | Amsterdam and his process became known as |
| already processed cocoa which was ready to | | | | "Dutching".In 1847, another innovation was |
| drink. The Spaniards did not, however, share | | | | made by Joseph Fry & Son when they discovered |
| this much loved beverage with the rest of | | | | a way to add some of the cocoa butter back to |
| Europe for nearly a century!Sometime during | | | | the Dutch chocolate, add sugar and make a |
| the 16th century, the Spanish people began | | | | paste which could be molded into a bar |
| adding flavoring like vanilla and sugar cane | | | | and...Voila! the modern chocolate bar was |
| to the chocolate drinks. Thus, sweetened | | | | born. Dr. Fry and his son teamed up with the |
| chocolate was invented. And recorded history | | | | Cadbury Brothers to display chocolates for |
| shows that the popularity of the beverage | | | | eating at an exhibition in Birmingham, |
| grew to the point that regular shipments | | | | England in 1849. In 1851 Americans got their |
| began from Veracruz, Mexico to Seville, Spain | | | | first taste of bonbons, chocolate creams, |
| in 1582.The records are not completely clear | | | | caramels and "boiled sweets" (hard candies) |
| on how chocolate was introduced to the rest | | | | at Prince Albert's Exposition in London.In |
| of Europe. It's thought that quite possibly | | | | 1861 Richard Cadbury created the very first |
| it was distributed through monasteries and | | | | known heart shaped box for Valentine's Day |
| convents which were linked with Latin | | | | and seven years later in 1868, John Cadbury |
| America. Jesuit Society members were major | | | | mass produced and marketed the first boxes of |
| consumers of the drink and had become cocoa | | | | chocolate candy. In 1876 Daniel Peter, of |
| traders as well. A French Cardinal | | | | Switzerland, introduced milk chocolate for |
| popularized the beverage in France and when | | | | drinking - a project that he worked on for |
| Louis XIV married Maria Theresa of Spain in | | | | eight years before he perfected it. |
| 1615 she, chocolate lover that she was, began | | | | |