Chocolate has been a big part of our life since we were little. Some people like it dark, milky or even white. Others may enjoy it more when there is something inside such as a cream, nuts or other delicious filling. By being eaten as a desert, a snack or by bringing a little sweet touch to breakfast, chocolate is polyvalent and enjoyed for many occasions. Have you ever wondered where this candy comes from and how is it made ? Let’s read more to know more about it.
Early evidence of chocolate consumption can be traced back to 600 BC. The product was often associated with the heart and was believed to be psychedelic. However, it seems that the history of chocolate can be more accurately studied from about 5,000 years ago in South America. The cacao tree was largely present in Amazonia and was considered a gift from the Gods by the civilizations around. Chocolate was discovered when the cacao tree was first domesticated in Ecuator. Soon after domestication, the tree was introduced to Mesoamerica.
Mesoamerica is an historical region that goes from the southern part of North America to the Pacific coast of Central America, including the lands of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. In this region, cacao drinks became popular and gained significance as an elite beverage among different cultures including the Maya and the Aztects. Cacao gained importance as it was used as a currency, medicinally and ceremonially.
In 1492, Christopher Columbus and his crew discovered the Americas leading to further colonisation. In 1519, Spanish conquistadors encountered chocolate and brought it to Spain as a medicine. It gained popularity among European elites during a few centuries and was primarily used for its medicinal and religious aspects, but was also understood as an aphrodisiac.
In the 19th century, the industrial revolution completely transformed the cacao drink reserved to the higher classes to a solid, milky block eaten by the public. The production of chocolate became industrialized which led to the rise of Swiss and British chocolate makers. After World War I, the product has been more and more developped, creating couverture, filling and even white chocolate.
The production of chocolate has changed over the years, adopting different methods and innovating the product always more. The main ingredient is the cocoa beans that can be found mostly in West African countries where 70% of the world’s cocoa beans are grown but also in Central America. Once the beans are chosen, the process consists of fermentation, drying, roasting, grinding of beans, mixing all extra ingredients such as sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifiers, aroma and milk component, conching, and tempering.
The biggest chocolate factory in the world is located in Belgium, a country in Europe known for its chocolate and its waffles. In the Belgian town of Wieze, Barry Callebaut produces around 350,000 tons of chocolate every year. In this country, praline is a term very popular to talk about chocolate. Pralines are pieces of chocolate filled with different filling, going from different flavors of cream to nuts surrounded by different aromes.
To finish this journey throughout the history of chocolate, here are some facts about this delicious candy that makes so many people dream :
It takes about 400 cocoa beans to make one pound of chocolate.
Each cacao tree produces approximately 2,500 beans.
The average serving of milk chocolate has about the same amount of caffeine as a cup of decaf coffee.
Farmers lose on average 30% of their crop each year because cacao trees are very delicate.
“Theobroma Cacao” is the name of the tree that produces cocoa beans, meaning “food of the Gods” and named after Carolus Linnaeus, the father of plant taxonomy.
