History of Chocolate

The sweet treat we love today has its origins in Central America, with the Maya and Aztecs both to thank for its discovery. The area known as Mesoamerica comprised largely of the countries we now call Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras, and it was home to civilizations as long ago as 1600 BC. In these tropical rainforests, the ancient Olmecs began to use the cocoa bean in a variety of ways, first using the beans of the tree to make a delicious chocolate drink. The word cacao is Spanish, and it comes from the Aztec word ‘cacahuatl’ or ‘xocolatl’, which eventually evolved into ‘chocolate’. From the cacao beans with jungle origins to the perfectly smooth chocolates we create today, here we’ll take a look at the full history of chocolate and its flavor.  

The tradition of chocolate continued well into the future, and by the time of the Mayans in 600 AD they revered it as an important gift from their many gods. It transformed from a drink into a form of currency using the cocoa beans, and was even used in a ceremonial way. The bean was powdered and boiled to make it into a drink that was given to victorious warriors as a treat. It was also used in funeral rites as well as for medicine. Many, many years later after the Maya civilization faded, around 1200 AD the Aztecs carried the love of chocolate and the beans from their ancestors. It was even more of a sacred item than in times past as the plants which produced the cocoa pods weren’t found in the land occupied by the Aztecs. It is rumored to be a delicious dark chocolate treat for the Aztec emperor at the time, Montezuma.  

When cacao beans were first exported back to Europe they were used as both a medicine and a food, but it had a bitter taste when consumed raw or roasted. It was served as a beverage and had hints of chili and spices which was believed to help with symptoms of fever and pain. To make the beans taste sweet, a variety of methods were used including adding ingredients like honey, sugar, and vanilla. This new version of chocolate became popular and it was served to royalty at the court in Spain. The new process to improve the taste caught on and before long it was being pressed and processed in the centuries to follow. Recipes changed and the spices were replaced with sweeter variants, leading to a rich hot chocolate that was popular in France with King Louis XIV. This novelty drink arrived in England, and from there chocolate began to take on new forms from the kind of hot chocolate popular in France. It began to be used in classic chocolate Christmas dessert recipes including baked biscuits and cakes, their version of Xmas cookies, and even the first French chocolate mousses.  

The world history of chocolate went on a new trajectory when cacao arrived in England. Water was mixed with the crushed cocoa beans, but when milk was added, it produced an early version of milk chocolate we know today. Soon, chocolate houses formed where influential people would meet and enjoy a range of chocolate treats including chocolate drinks mixed with liqueurs and even port wine. This was the beginning of marvelous chocolate wine pairings. It was given as a special treat too in the form of baked goods during the festive period, but not in the same way as the Christmas chocolate gift baskets and delicious Christmas chocolate gifts we buy now. 

The beverage took off in a big way once cocoa solids could be extracted, and mass production began shortly after in the 1800s. In 1828, Van Houten invented a way to extract the solids of cocoa from the fatty butter. From this, multiple types of chocolate such as dark and white were able to be created. The first bar was created in 1847 by Joseph Fry by melting it with the cocoa fat, making a solid bar rather than the more common beverage. In 1875, Peter & Nestlé mixed powdered milk with both the cocoa butter and the solids which became milk chocolate. However, it wasn’t until 1879 that conching was developed which grinds the particles in the cocoa to give a silky texture. It is this smoothness and perfect coating that we still enjoy to this day whether it’s personalized chocolate gifts, a Christmas chocolate gift basket, or even the treats inside an advent calendar. Chocolate continues to transform, and here at La Maison du Chocolat our master chocolatiers love to develop new flavors and textures with everything from fruits and nuts to caramel, nibs and unique ingredients found in no other chocolate.