1. 250-900 AD – Ancient Mayans Fill Their Mugs
The Mayan civilization is credited with being the first to fully appreciate the cacao tree and were the first who preferred to drink it. The seeds were harvested, fermented, roasted, and finally ground into a syrupy paste which became the final beverage drunk cold.
2) 1400 – 1500 Aztecs go Crazy for Cacao
The Aztecs developed trade routes with the Maya and quickly began to share their affection for cacao, the earliest incarnations of which offered such an energy boost that their warriors often drank it before going into battle. Like the Maya, the Aztecs consumed their bitter chocolate libation, which they called “Xocolatl”, seasoned with spices.
3) 1519 – Disappointed Spaniards Coin a Term
Spanish conquistadors arriving in the New World found the word Xocolatl almost impossible to pronounce and eventually morphed it to the more phonically pleasant ‘Chocolat’.
4) 1521 – Cortez Finds the Missing Ingredient
The Spanish began to ship it home and even adopted the Aztec custom of drinking chocolate. The famous explorer Cortez is attributed with being the first person to use sugar in addition to spices.
5) 1657 – Europe Will Never be the Same
The new-and-improved sweetened version of “chocolate” soon was acclaimed throughout Europe as a delicious, invigorating and health-giving food. Chocolate drinking spread across the English Channel to Britain, and in 1657 the first of many famous English Chocolate Houses appeared.
6) 1728 – A New English Tradition
England was quick to adopt chocolate and it was here that flavors and preparation were mastered and refined. Joseph Fry of Fry & Sons (founded 1728 in Bristol) is credited with producing and selling the world’s first chocolate bar.
7) 1765 – Coco for the Colonies
In the burgeoning United States the production of chocolate evolved at a faster pace than anywhere else in the world and in 1765 the first state side chocolate factory was established in New England.
8 ) 1800 – A Tasty Industrial Revolution
Greater quantities saw the steep prices plummeting, and for the first time chocolate could be afforded by the general public. The Industrial Revolution witnessed the development of an enormous number of new mechanical inventions and ushered in the era of the chocolate factory.
9) 1875 – The Swiss Begin to Milk it.
After nearly a decade of experimentation, Switzerland’s Daniel Peter put the first milk chocolate on the market in 1875.
10) 1925 – Chocolate as Big Business
The most recent major milestone in the history of chocolate was the founding of the New York Cocoa Exchange in 1925. The exchange officially recognized cacao as a valuable stock commodity which could be bought and sold on the open market.
*This information was found at Buzzle.com where expanded information is available.
Boy am I glad it’s not called Xocolatl anymore….
LOL I’m not even sure how you pronounce that. I should have looked that up I guess. But yeah, chocolate works fine.
This is fascinating! I went to Cadbury World here in the UK a few years ago and knew I wanted more and more of (no, not chocolate) information and fascinating facts about chocolate. I love seeing them made, love learning about the process. And ok I confess, I wanted the choc too
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When I first started a financial services job many years ago, my first client was a chocolate factory! (doggie chox, unfortunately for me…)
Looking forward to this week
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I went on a chocolate factory tour in New Brunswick of all places. It was so cool, we were right on the floor and it smelled divine, however I would think after about a week the smell become really disgusting or else you stop noticing it. Working there sounded great in theory.
My friend worked at the Frango Mint warehouse in Chicago, and he said the first week you’re “damaging” boxes so you can eat them and every day it’s like, “Yay! Chocolate!”
And then by week 2 you never want to smell it again.
My friend who worked at a sub shop said the same thing.
I think Sean knows how to say Xocolatl!
That’s what I figured Jordan. Like anything, familiarity breeds contempt as they say, or a gag reflex.
We’ll have to get Sean to spell it out phonetically for us.
As far as I can tell, it’s meant to be very similar to chocolate except with a ‘zoc’ at the beginning and a ‘tull’ at the end.
Ah well, that’s not so bad, although our accents probably butcher it.
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So much history in such a delicious treat!
Now you can buy chocolate EVERYWHERE. Hard to imagine a time when only the rich and titled had access to something that is so common today.
nomnomnom!
It is a yummy way to start the week.
And #11 is going to be about the predicted chocolate shortage.
Hush you.
I’ve heard that too, perhaps we will go back to a time when only the rich are able to afford real chocolate and the masses will have to eat carob. *gag*
Let’s not forget the Aztecs used vanilla mixed with chocolate as an aphrodisiac which can be seen by the adventures of a Spanish conquistador named Herman Cortez during his conquests of the new world in 1518.
I did my vanilla research for The Dominant Ingredient *g*
Mmmm. I love vanilla too, combining it with chocolate sounds like a brilliant idea. Maybe that’s why vanilla ice-cream is the most popular flavour. There could be something to that aphrodisiac myth.
However I did buy some vanilla pear juice once and it tasted AWFUL. Ugh. Just too much.
Vanilla is very popular and added to most things in the sweets section. And according to it’s lore for very good reason. I was surprised at vanilla being used in other dishes as well, like chicken. Research can be very fun and informative at times. Other times it is just Hell.
Vanilla pear juice sounds interesting and it sounds like they may have added too much. A little goes along way – especially if using the good stuff and not the supermarket stuff.
Ha, ha! I’m with Katrina on this,
Boy am I glad it’s not called Xocolatl anymore
and who would have guessed that Cortez had a culinary side to him?
Men and their hidden talents, even in 1518. Mind you, as an explorer there likely weren’t a lot of women around so it was learn to cook or starve.
My Gran worked the After Eight mint conveyor belt at Rowntree Macintoshes during the 70s and 80s. She was always bringing home damaged boxes. Yum.
Great facts, Tam
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What a cool job. And yeah, damaged boxes are a bonus.
What I want to know is why don’t we have these famous English Chocolate Houses anymore?!
I love chocolate – the darker and stronger the better! Anything under 70% cocoa solids isn’t worth eating, IMO, unless it’s one of those special ones with liqueurs inside
I like the really dark ones with some chili in ‘em. My stomach doesn’t seem too appreciative…but my mouth likes them!
At a job I had ages ago in downtown Chicago, we always got birthday cakes from Marshall Field and they were crazy-good. One day I realized it was because the chocolate was slightly salty. You wouldn’t think it would be good, but it probably fired a bunch of different taste buds or something.
Ew. You and my daughter would get along great. I am the milk chocolate fan, although I find very high quality dark chocolate I enjoy, but the cheap stuff is just bitter. Once as an adventure we bought 100%. Ummm. Yeah, tastes like dirt, literally. Disgusting.
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