Discovering the Decadent History of Chocolates

Cocoa beans, the foundation of chocolates, are native to Mexico and Central America. As far back as two thousand years ago, the tribes people made a bitter drink out of the cocoa beans, mixing it with chili peppers and other spices. It was considered a rich drink, and was reserved for the leaders of the tribes.

When the Spanish conquered the region, cocoa beans were brought back to Europe. Europeans added milk and sugar to the chocolate, reducing the bitterness. They also added the Mexican spice vanilla to their drink concoction. Chocolate was far from the form of chocolate truffles we have today, and remained a drink form for several centuries.

With the industrial revolution came the process of hardening chocolates into a candy. We have Coenraad Johannes van Houten, a Dutchmen, to thank for paving the way for chocolate making. He was the one to treat chocolate with alkali, removing the bitterness. He also was able to form cocoa beans into powdered cocoa and cocoa butter. The first solid chocolate bar was made in 1847.

In 1875, milk was added as an ingredient to solid chocolate bars. This brought about milk chocolate, which is the most popular form of chocolate today.

Now, over half of the world's chocolate can be traced to Africa, not Central America. It is a food popular the world over, however, milk chocolates are the favorite of many. For that reason, many choose to give chocolate gifts to loved ones and romantic interests. Some are even reporting health benefits from the antioxidants in chocolate, so they make a fine treat even for even the health conscious.

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