Chocolates, who would love to have them? Whether for a snack after a meal or for presenting gifts, all of us love to have those delicious and luxurious chocolates. Well, do you know that chocolate has been around in this world for quite centuries? Yes, interesting isn’t it? Well then, let’s explore the sweet history of chocolate here!
In simple words, chocolate has been around for a very long time. If we want to root the history, chocolate dates back to at least 1900 BC. This is when the ancient Olmecs of southern Mexico consumed a beverage made from cacao beans. Yes, at that time, people only consumed chocolate as a beverage.
Up ‘till today, chocolate has evolved over the centuries from a bitter liquid to a sweet solid. Better yet, we can see how this sweet treat has hypnotized millions of people around the world.
So, speaking of where was chocolate invented, we will find the first-ever record or traces of chocolate in the Mesoamerican region around 4,000 years ago. Basically, this region covered central Mexico to Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica. In brief, all before the Spanish colonization in the 15th century.
At that time, people used to ferment and roast chocolates. Mostly, they got the ground beans of the Theobroma cacao tree to create some chocolate beverages. The cacao seeds were highly valuable in the beginning. Furthermore, they actually formed a part of the Aztecs’ currency base.
In addition to preparing cacao seed as a frothy drink, some people came up with the idea of mixing them with spices, and it was actually quite bitter. Well, we can still get this flavor from the very pure dark chocolates today.
Well, we must say that the Aztecs were the first ones who used it for a number of reasons. Accordingly, the reasons are quite similar in modern Western civilization. Chocolate was used as an aphrodisiac and in the rations of soldiers. Yes, this is something that is still continued to this day (although it should be said, the two are not related).
Of course, different cultures and regions have their own variations and methods of making chocolate. However, we can find three main categories of chocolate which are dark, milk, and white chocolate. All of these three types were developed over time by adding different ingredients and processes to the original cacao product. So, who invented chocolate with the various types?
Let’s break it down!
This chocolate is made with chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, lecithin, sugar, and vanilla. Thus, it comes with a higher percentage of cocoa solids than milk or white chocolate. Typically, this type of chocolate is more bitter and less sweet. To be noted, dark chocolate was the first type of chocolate to be produced in Europe in the 17th century.
This one includes the same ingredients as dark chocolate plus milk fats and milk solids. In other words, it has a lower percentage of cocoa solids. However, milk chocolate comes in a creamier texture and flavor. This type of chocolate was invented by Daniel Peter, who added powdered milk to his chocolate recipe in Switzerland in the 19th century.
This one is not technically a true chocolate, as it doesn’t contain any cocoa solids. Instead, white chocolate is made by combining cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids, lecithin, and vanilla. This is why it comes in pale ivory and a mild, sweet taste. Who invented white chocolate? It was Nestlé that invented it in Switzerland in the 1930s.
In addition to the popular types above, there are also some other types of chocolates we can find.
For example: