History of chocolate

Sweet stories of power and love associate with it. In times of ancient civilization it had even the value of gold. It is special, aromatic, sweet and unique - you guess, it's chocolate.

Since it's first appearance in Europe about half a millennium ago until today, chocolate is sought after, special - eternal. It is assumed that the first "chocolate" or chocolate mixture had been cooked and strengthened the first tasters with its peculiar taste over 2.600 years ago. The highly developed Maja civilization celebrated the God of Cocoa Ek Chuaha, during those celebarations sacrifices were offered and gifts were given, and cocoa beans were accepted as a way of payment.

The cocoa expansion came thanks to trade, after Maja traders brought cocoa fruits to Mexico and sold them to Astec, cocoa became very attractive there too.

The Astecs drunk the Chocolate warm and unsweetened, and the taste was enriched by adding spices like vanilla and chilli, but only Europeans would make a candy from chocolate. Spanish monks were the first in Europe to make chocolate, still liquid, with the taste adapted and made irresistible with the addition of sugar and cinnamon, but the secret of sweet chocolate could not be hidden for long. Italian researcher Antonio Carletti managed to uncover the secret of chocolate in the early 17th century and expand it to other parts of Europe.

Chocolate has been a symbol of high class for nearly 300 years. The first chocolate house was opened in the center of London in the middle of the 17th century. Chocolate was still enormously expensive and reserved only for the privileged palate of rich and upper class.

Revolution in chocolate production is the result of Dutch chemist Coenraad Van Houten, who designed a hydraulic press that pressed the cocoa bean from which cocoa powder was formed. Further development in the technological process was discovered by Joseph Fry, who discovered the process of mixing cocoa powder, sugar and melted butter, and such a new chocolate soon became a favorite and at the same time considered to be the first chocolate to eat. Swiss Daniel Peter experimented with milk as an ingredient in chocolate and managed to produce the first milk chocolate in 1875. The Swiss further perfected the production of chocolate and Rudolf Lindt (after which is named one of the most famous chocolate factories) made the chocolate that melted in  his mouth ( also known as the "chocolat fondant").

The industrial revolution has enabled mass production of chocolate, and become accessible to all classes of society.

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