Īfter fermentation, the beans are cleaned and roasted. Molecular compounds that give the beans additional flavor are also produced during the process. Yeasts and bacteria on the beans digest the pulp in the pods which aids in converting sugars in the cacao beans into acids that decrease the overall bitterness of the beans. Raw cacao beans are bitter so they are fermented to improve their flavor. After harvesting the pods from the cacao trees, growers remove the beans from within the hard shell of the pod. The large, football shaped fruits of the cacao tree are called pods and each pod contains around 40 cacao beans.
Now that we know where chocolate comes from, let’s learn how it is made. It was being mass produced and had become a treat for the public. Thanks largely to the cocoa press and other technical advances in chocolate making, by the 20 th century chocolate was no longer an indulgence solely for the elite classes. He also invented the cocoa press which separated cocoa butter from roasted cocoa beans to inexpensively and easily make cocoa powder. However, the world of chocolate was forever changed in the 1820s when Dutch chemist Coenraad Johannes van Houten discovered a way to treat ground cacao beans with alkaline salts to make a powdered chocolate that was easier to mix with water. Europeans did not have a taste for the traditional Aztec chocolate drink so they developed their own varieties of hot chocolate with cane sugar, cinnamon, and other flavorings.įor much of the 19 th century, chocolate was enjoyed as a beverage mixed with milk or water. Spain began importing cacao as early as 1585, followed shortly by other European countries that had learned about cacao. By the late 1550’s it was a much-loved indulgence in the Spanish court. It is unclear when and how chocolate made it to Europe but there is consensus that it arrived in Spain first. Ancient civilizations used cacao beans as currency, drank chocolate at fancy feasts, and even used the beans in rituals. Mesoamericans loved their chocolate, believing that it was gifted to humans by a feathery snake-like god known as Kukulkan to the Mayans and Quetzalcoatl to the Aztecs. Now this is not a relaxing cup of hot cocoa that you might drink at the ice-skating rink, but a bitter and invigorating foamy concoction. Mesoamericans would prepare a chocolate beverage by grinding roasted cacao beans and mixing them with corn meal and chili peppers. Early chocolate was quite different from the bonbons and peanut butter cups we enjoy today. The Olmecs of southern Mexico are thought to be the first to use cacao beans for chocolate, possibly as early as 1500 B.C. A brief history of chocolateĬhocolate is made from the fruits of the cacao tree, which are native to Central and South America. Let’s learn about the history of chocolate and how scientists are ensuring that our modern-day chocolate treats stay around for many years to come. Throughout much of its history, chocolate was a bitter beverage, not the sweet treat we know today. However, the chocolate of today is nothing like the chocolate of the past. According to a poll from the National Confectioners Association, Americans prefer chocolate over non-chocolate treats. It turns out, I am not alone in my love of chocolate.
While I enjoy most types of candy, I remember as a child it was like hitting the lottery if you received a full-size candy bar in your trick-or-treat pumpkin. Trick or Treat! In 2019, Americans spent $2.6 billion on candy for Halloween alone.