The long evolution of chocolate

Modern chocolate shops around the world sweeten the days of gourmets and chocolate lovers, but like everything else, chocolate shops have come a long and interesting way since their beginnings, and somehow they also coincide with key events in the history of chocolate. Although chocolatiers as we know them today only began to develop in the seventeenth century, the foundations of this sweet activity must be traced back centuries, even millennia!

The history of chocolate

The history of chocolate goes back thousands of years, with cocoa trees being deliberately planted as early as the first or second millennium BC. At that time, cocoa or chocolate was unheard of in Europe, but the Olmecs, a tribe of Indians in what is now Mexico, were familiar with the bitter-sweet taste of the cocoa bean. From them, the secrets of the cacao plant were taken up by the Mayans, who discovered new ways of using the beans to make a variety of beverages that became popular, especially among the more elite classes of the population, and later also among Europeans. But by the time the first European explorers arrived, cocoa bean drinks were known to virtually all Amerindian peoples, some of whom had cocoa plantations and some of whom even taxed cocoa.

Cocoa arrived in Europe in the 16th century, when Spanish and Portuguese explorers spread the word about these fascinating fruits of the cocoa plant. Very quickly, the Spanish realised that cocoa drinks could also be improved very easily by adding cane sugar and various flavour enhancers such as vanilla. Towards the end of the century, the drink became socially established and the shipment of cocoa beans across the Atlantic accelerated.

Chocolate shops

This is the beginning of the history of real chocolatiers - the first was established in London in 1657, selling cocoa beans in powder form as well as a variety of beverages. Chocolate in solid form was unknown at that time, at least not until 1674, when cakes and other chocolate specialities began to be made. However, these were only affordable for the wealthier gourmets, as chocolate was expensive and only available to the richer classes of the population. This remained the case until the middle of the following century, when, as the price of chocolate fell, the development of new gadgets blossomed - first a mill was invented for grinding the cocoa beans, and then a steam engine was added to the machine, making it possible to prepare cocoa powder on a mass scale. This led to the first chocolate factories.

The first Swiss chocolatiers did not appear until the nineteenth century, when the bar form of chocolate also became established. Other sweets - pralines, candies, creams and similar specialities - were of course quickly made from chocolate mass. The first chocolate confectionery was made for Valentine''s Day in 1861. The development of new types of chocolate treats soon followed - milk and chocolate were successfully combined, and the new mixtures became even more popular on the market, leading to the creation of larger companies dedicated solely to chocolate production (Nestle in 1879).

In the twentieth century, chocolate became mainstream - recipes for chocolate and chocolate dishes at home appeared, and more and more products were on the market. With the development of transport and modern methods of chocolate production, the popularity of chocolate delicacies spread rapidly around the world, so that today there is a chocolate shop everywhere, including here! So remember - not only has chocolate travelled from faraway lands to your mouth, it has also travelled through time!