A little history on Chocolate

I thought I might pass along a little history of chocolate I came across. Being a chocolate lover, I find the history of chocolate quite interesting.

Chocolate got its start in North and Central America. Columbus actually carried some cocoa beans back to Spain. It wasn't really known what to do with those beans until Cortez conquered the Aztec Indians of Mexico. He learned about a special drink that acted as an aphrodisiac. The Aztecs called it "cacahuatl" or "gift from the gods". Cortez garnered the process. Large pods from cacao trees were harvested twice a year. The cocoa beans were extracted from these pods. Then the beans were fermented, dried and roasted. Once roasted, they were ground into a fine powder. This powder was then mixed with hot water to make the drink.

When Cortez returned to Spain, he brought back cocoa beans and the cooking process. The chocolate drink the Aztecs drank was bitter and peppery. The Spaniards experimented with the process. They added the cream and sugar, which made it more like what we drink today. The Spaniards kept the drink a national secret for almost 100 years. The drink spread to France when King Louis married a Spanish royal. Part of the bride's trousseau were some cocoa beans to make her favorite breakfast drink.

Chocolate houses opened all over France and were similar to our coffeehouses today. From France, the drink spread to England and then to back to North America. The drink became very popular after the Boston Tea Party when tea was being boycotted.

Another century would pass before the process of making a solid chocolate would be perfected.

Chocolate has come a long way and now it is enjoyed by millions of people in all kinds of ways!