History Of Chocolate For Kids That Will Leave You Speechless

It is amazing to think how cacao pods are harvested and processed and eventually become chocolate that has so many varieties.

Chocolate is widely consumed all over the world in various forms, be it in drinks, chocolate bars, desserts, and candies. But did you know that this chocolate has a 4,000-year-old history? Yes, it is true.

The sweet treat that is loved by the majority of people is chocolate. However, chocolate is not directly extracted from trees but is produced by processing cacao beans or cocoa beans that are extracted from the cacao pod.

These cacao beans are fermented, dried, cleaned, and then roasted. The chocolate that is made from unroasted cocoa beans is called raw chocolate.

After roasting, cocoa nibs are produced by removing the shell which is then ground to form a cocoa mass that can be in solid or liquid form. The liquid form is called chocolate liquor and the chocolate liquor is further cooled and processed to produce cocoa butter and cocoa solids.

The cocoa butter and cocoa solids go into the making of different types of chocolates.

There are primarily three types: dark chocolate, white chocolate, and milk chocolate. Dark chocolate is formulated by combining cocoa solids and cocoa butter and it is rather bitter chocolate.

Baking chocolate is typically dark chocolate that is unsweetened, while milk chocolate and white chocolate contain some amount of sweetness. Milk chocolate is the most popular chocolate type; its creamy texture with sweet flavor is the reason why it is favored more.

Chocolate has a rich past just like its rich taste, so why not read more about it? To know more fascinating details about chocolate and its history, continue reading this article as we have curated more information below.

If you like this article then check out our articles on why do I crave chocolate and where does chocolate come from and share them with everyone. 

When did chocolate originate?

The origin of chocolate has an elaborate past. It originated thousands of years ago and the cacao tree is native to Mesoamerica. It was initially consumed as a chocolate drink mixed with other ingredients.

It has been documented that chocolate originated around 4,000 years ago in the Amazon region of South America. There is evidence of Mayans having used chocolate in the sixth century AD and the term chocolate is said to be taken from the Mayan word ‘xocoatl’.

Chocolate was even offered to the gods by the Mayans as it was a part of various rituals. This chocolate was a type of unsweetened chocolate as sugar was unknown to them.

They prepared this liquid chocolate with some of their spices.

Chocolate was mainly a type of drink until the middle of the 19th century when a solid chocolate bar was introduced. It was the British chocolate manufacturer named Joseph Fry who invented the first chocolate bar by adding cocoa powder and cocoa butter with sugar.

What was the first chocolate ever made?

Chocolate that is originally obtained from cacao beans which are present inside cacao pods is a part of the original recipe. Ancient civilizations such as Mayans, Olmecs, and Aztecs were the first to transform it into a drink and consume it during various ceremonies, and even used it for medicinal practices. Later, many other civilizations embraced this chocolate drink.

As stated earlier, chocolate was originally consumed as a drink. Even when it traveled to Europe it was consumed as a drink for a large time until the 19th century.

The solid chocolate bar was soon made after Dutch cocoa was made in 1828. Dutch chocolate was named after the Dutch chemist who made powder chocolate by separating half of the cocoa butter or fat from the cocoa solids.

A few years later in 1847, an English chocolatier named Joseph Fry made the first chocolate bar by adding the melted cocoa butter back to the Dutch chocolate along with sugar.

Joseph Fry made a paste and then molded the paste into bar chocolates. Joseph Fry became a leading chocolate producer in the United Kingdom.

Later, Cadbury joined the force and developed the chocolate bar. The first milk chocolate ever made was by Daniel Peter and Henry Nestle who added milk to make chocolate smoother and creamier.

What country eats the most chocolate?

Although Mexico is where chocolate originated, it is not the country that eats the most chocolate. The concept of chocolate was completely unfamiliar in Europe; however, it was introduced in the 16th century.

Since then, different countries made different modifications to it and made signature chocolate of their own, for example, Belgian chocolates, Swiss chocolates, and Italian chocolates. Switzerland is the country that eats the most chocolate.

Chocolate has gained so much popularity because it has multiple uses, be it chocolate candy, chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate brownies, chocolate pudding, hot chocolate and so much more. It is a very popular type of gift as well, as during every special occasion people gift chocolates to each other. Therefore, chocolate is largely eaten.

In the 17th century, Switzerland made use of its position as place where goods passed through Europe to begin processing chocolate. In 1800, when chocolate was not yet that developed, it was consumed as hot cocoa and by 1806 Switzerland already had almost seven chocolate factories.

Chocolate was treated as a luxury and was available only to the higher segment of society. Credit goes to François-Louis Cailler who established the mechanized production and made chocolate more affordable.

Nevertheless, the texture of the bittersweet chocolate was still gritty. In 1867, Daniel Peter first experimented with the available chocolate and added powdered milk to it.

By doing that the entire texture of the chocolate changed and milk chocolate was formed. Later, Swiss chocolatiers evolved the chocolate even more and created some of the most infamous chocolate brands.

Chocolate plays a huge role in the economy of Switzerland. According to a survey that was held in 2017 it was found that almost 19.8 lb (9 kg) of chocolate was consumed per capita.

History Of Chocolate Time Line

The chronology of chocolate can be traced as far back as 4,000 years ago. It is largely believed that it had an origin in Amazon then it proceeded along with different civilizations including Mayans and Aztecs. The timeline from the past until the present is described below.

In 2000 BC cocoa is said to have originated, then in the sixth century AD chocolate was extracted and prepared as a drink. There are testimonies of cacao pods on the ancient architecture of the Mayan civilization from 300 AD.

There are records of Aztecs using cacao beans in 1200 as currency and to prepare a drink to offer gods and deities. In 1492, cacao beans were first discovered by Christopher Columbus and in 1502, he landed in Nicaragua where he witnessed the importance of cacao beans.

In 1513, the name was changed to chocolate. In 1519, Hernán Cortés captured a part of Mexico and started cacao plantations.

In 1528, Cortés introduced chocolate to the Spanish king who didn’t like it much so later sugar and other spices were mixed with the chocolate to make it taste better.

In 1587, chocolate was first launched in the Spanish market. In 1623, chocolate was introduced in France and became very popular and soon it spread to the rest of Europe.

In 1765, the first chocolate factory was opened in the United States. In 1828, the cocoa press was invented and in 1847, the chocolate bar was first invented.

In 1867, the first milk chocolate was made and Switzerland emerged as one of the leading chocolate producers. In the 20th century, the cocoa business was booming and in the 21st century, chocolate is still widely consumed.

What is the inmportance of the history of chocolate?

The history of chocolate is important as it is associated with a different culture that gives us an in-depth study of that culture's traditions. Although the discovery and production of chocolate were groundbreaking, there is a dark side, for example, child labor and slavery.

When you buy a chocolate candy or a chocolate chip cookie or order a hot chocolate it is important to know what went into making these things. When chocolate started gaining popularity in Europe, after the Spanish took it with them they began enslaving people to work in plantations.

Chocolate was highly valued therefore cacao beans have often been used a wage.

Mesoamericans were forced to work on the plantation and Europeans even brought their African laborers to compensate for the shortage of labor. The shortage of labor occurred after countless deaths of Mesoamericans due to diseases brought by European people.

As most of the work was manually done, like planting of the cacao tree or picking cacao beans, the requirement for labor was even greater.

The Industrial Revolution changed the course of chocolate history with the invention of new machines and chocolate became an important source of economy. Thus, the history of chocolate is linked with some crucial issues.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for history of chocolate for kids that will leave you speechless then why not take a look at how is white chocolate made or chocolate facts.