Box O Chocolates - Chocolate

Chocolate

The History of Chocolate

Chocolate is made from cacao beans or pods, which are found on cacao trees in rainforests in Central America and Mexico. Christopher Columbus was actually the first to bring these cacao beans to Spain sometime between 1502-1504, but Hernando Cortz was the first to realize the commercial value of the bean.

According to legend, Montezuma, the powerful Aztec emperor, drank 50 golden goblets of thick chocolate every day. Even then, chocolate was considered a luxury. It served as a spicy drink for ceremonial purposes as well as a form of currency for Aztec and Mayan cultures. Since they were not yet aware of sugar, they instead flavored the drink with chile peppers and corn meal. Chocolate was also considered valuable and nutritious. Some even believed it had aphrodisiac powers--a belief still carried over in many of today's traditions.

In the 17th century, chocolate was considered expensive and exotic, but people believed it had medicinal benefits. This is how it was introduced in Europe, in fact. It was available in New England by the end of the 17th century, and as more and more countries began planting more and more cacao trees, chocolate eventually became more widely available--and less expensive. However, it was very bitter until 1875 when a Swiss manufacturer improved it and made it into the chocolate we know and love today.

Chocolate in Today's World

In today's world, chocolate--in particular, gourmet chocolate like Godiva chocolate, is given as gifts. It's found in chocolate chip cookies, pies, truffles, fudge, coffee, hot chocolate, fondue and more. And lots of people enjoy giving--and receiving chocolate gifts. (Think of the big heart-shaped boxes of chocolates that are everywhere on Valentine's Day, or the ever-popular chocolate bunny.) With the low carb craze, some people might think twice before giving a chocolate gift, but many companies make sugar-free chocolates that rival any other kind. Of course, true choc-o-holics could never give it up!

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