History of Chocolate
...nt of chocolate (cocoa) when Columbus returned from his voyage. Columbus had brought back many strange and wonderful things. Amongst these were a few dark brown beans that looked like almonds. These beans were in fact cocoa beans; the source of all chocolate. The King and Queen never realized how important it could be and they set Hernando Cortez, the great Spanish explorer, out to grasp the money-making possibilities of cocoa beans. During his conquest of Mexico, Cortez found the Aztec Indians using cocoa beans in preparation of the royal drink “chocolatl,” meaning “warm liquid” (“The History of Chocolate”, 2000). 3. Cortez’s trip to Mexico Cortez, in 1519, visited Aztec Emperor Montezuma II, who is said to have drank 50 or more portions daily. The Emperor served chocolatl to his Spanish guests in golden goblets (a drinking bowl without handles); treating it like the food for the gods. However, Montezuma’s chocolatl was very bitter and Spaniards did not find it to their taste. (“The History of Chocolate”, 2000) To make it more satisfying for Europeans, Cortez and his countrymen sweetened it with cane sugar. Chocolatl was then taken back to Spain and the drink was spiced up cinnamon and vanilla. This new drink won friends and Spain proceeded to plant cocoa in its overseas colonies, which started a very profitable business (Bailleux, 1996, 60). 4. The secret of chocolate is let out The Spanish kept the art of the cocoa industry a secret from the rest of Europe for nearly 100 years. After the secret was let out by Spanish monks, it wasn’t long before chocolate was acclaimed throughout Europe as delicious and health-giving food. Chocolate drinking spread across to Great Britain and soon there was a mass production of chocolate. The price of chocolate had dropped and was set within the financial reach for all. The invention of the cocoa press in 1828 reduced the price even more and helped impr...