Chocolate - Its Rich History

 

Chocolate is part of our collective history. Throughout the centuries it has been used as treat, a status symbol, as medicine and as a method of currency. Today this tasty treat could be seen as universal pleasure. It is enjoyed by people of all ages and cultures. All over the world people have in common a love for its cocoa goodness.

The earliest evidence of chocolate dates back to the 7th century. At this time, the Mayans in the Yucatan region of Central America cultivated wild cocoa trees. The Mayans used the cocoa beans to make a cocoa drink and as a form of currency. As years passed, cocoa was combined with various spices to create drink to be enjoyed only by the elite. These early concoctions were billed as a divine drink that could allow a man to go a day or more without food as well as fight fatigue. Columbus was the first European to experience chocolate when he landed in Nicaragua on his fourth journey around 1502.

It wasn't until the 17th and 18th centuries that the rest of Europe came to know chocolate. The first dedicated shop was established in 1657 in England by a Frenchman. His goal was to popularize it as a delight for many classes as opposed to just the elite. By 1750, many European coffee houses were offering cocoa creations to their customers. Throughout the 18th century, it came to be known, not only for its delicious taste, but also for its therapeutic value. People of the time began using chocolate as a treatment for stomach upset and other ailments. The United States finally got their first taste around 1765 when cocoa beans were brought to New England from the West Indies.

The invention of the cocoa press was an important development in the evolution of chocolate. This invention by Dutchman, Hendrick Van Houten helped bring the price of cocoa down even lower that it already was. It also improved the quality of the product by allowing the beans to be ground to a finer degree. The smooth consistency of today's product is owed to the invention of the cocoa press. In 1847, shapes began to be molded. The creation of milk chocolate and the industrial revolution led to true mass availability. The quality has continued to improve to this day.

Visit the Amber Lyn Chocolate Store for the best tasting sugar free chocolate. Enjoy the taste of Premium Belgian Chocolate without all the calories, sugar and artificial ingredients.