History Tells Us

A brief history of chocolate

Throughout history, chocolate has captured the hearts of men and women around the world. The chocolate is produced from the cocoa bean, a tropical tree that is native to South America. cocoa beans have an intensely bitter taste, and therefore must first be fermented for flavor to mature. After fermentation, the seeds are dried, then cleaned, and finally roasted. The shell of the seeds are removed, producing what is called tips of cacao, which is then low and becomes liquid. The result is the chocolate in liquid form, also called chocolate liquor. The liquor can be processed more in cocoa butter or any cocoa solids.

Chocolate in ancient times

The earliest form of chocolate documented was a drink called xocolatl, a Nahuatl (Aztec dialect) word meaning "bitter water", often flavored with pepper, Chile, vanilla and annatto (Or annatto). Xocoatl Xocolatl or is believed to have anti-fatigue, probably due to its content of theobromine, an alkaloid with effect raise the mood. In so early as 400 AD, the Mesoamerican peoples like the Aztecs and the Maya chocolate drinks of the seeds of the cacao tree. To the Maya, chocolate also was used in performing ceremonies. The first evidence of cocoa cultivation dates back to prehistoric times, around 1100-1400 a. C., at a site somewhere in Puerto Escondido, Honduras. A ship date from that period was found by archaeologists at some time in November 2007 which contains traces of white pulp around the cacao beans, which probably fermented for making an alcoholic beverage.

Luxury Chocolate and

Chocolate has also been considered a luxury good and was used for trade in goods. The Aztecs, for example, used to one hundred cacao beans for a turkey and three grains of cocoa by a piece of fresh avocado. In Europe and South America, cacao has been used to treat diarrhea. When the Spanish conquered the Aztecs sometime in the late 15th century, became a favorite of the Spanish Kings and Queens, and soon the demand for chocolate rose. Spanish armies enslaved the Mesoamerican to produce large volumes of cocoa. Due to its high cost of importing, only the royals and those who were highly involved could buy expensive chocolate drink. The Spanish production soon expanded and used African labor. In England, during that period, anyone with money can buy chocolate. In 1657, the house opened the first chocolate in London. In 1657 a milk chocolate drink in Jamaica was developed by physician Hans Sloane and was later sold to the Cadbury brothers.

Chocolate as know today

The chocolate making process remained more or less the same for hundreds of years from the time it was discovered. During 1700 factories, mechanics were invented and used to create a hard chocolate. At the time of the Industrial Revolution, chocolate candy bars today as we know it today, have been developed. Today, most distributed chocolates and sold around the world combine chocolate with sugar. The three most common types of chocolate candy bars include dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate. However, sugar-free chocolates are also available on the market, called chocolate for diabetics, equally pleasant and most importantly, healthier.

About the Author

Chris Alleny writes about various subjects including food. For more information on great
chocolates
visit www.ultimatechocolateshoppe.com.