The History of ChocolateThe word 'chocolate' is derived from the words chocolatl and xocoatl, which originated from the Central and South Americans (the ancient Aztec and Maya civilisations) in the early twentieth century. As cocoa beans were so rare and expensive during this time, it was used as a substitute for currency. Due to its bland and natural taste during this period, spices such as chilli peppers were added to exemplify its natural cocoa taste. It is important to note the difference between cacao, cocoa and chocolate. Cacao is the domesticated plant and its products before processing. Chocolate, on the other hand, are the seeds of the cocoa plan after processing. Cocoa is the defatted powder made from cacao. The history of chocolate, from a Western perspective, began when Christopher Columbus arrived in America in 1492 and brought back cocoa seeds. Two decades later, he realised that these beans had been used as currency to trade with indigenous Americans. For thousands of years, cocoa trees grew in the tropical rainforests of the Amazon basin in South and Central America due to its ideal high rain fall and all year high temperatures and humidity. These climate conditions were prime for cultivation of the Cacao Tree. As more people became aware of its value, they began producing and growing cocoa seeds domestically, evident when Hernand Cortes began a cocoa plantation in 1519. The chocolate tree (theobroma cacao), from which the cacao is grown from, is cultivated in countries such as Belize, Honduras and Guatemala. It was not long before the rich chocolate taste we know today was created, by the Spaniards by mixing sugar, vanilla, cloves and nutmeg. During this time, it was still expensive to produce and economies of scale had not made this production worthwhile. Throughout its history during the twentieth century, chocolate was made exclusively for drinking until the early Victorian era. In a similar process to coffee, the production of cocoa for chocolate does not acquire its total richness of colour and flavour until it is roasted. After the roasting process, the beans are cooled and through a winnowing machine, the thin shells are removed (called nibs). Blended with a dozen varieties of different beans, these mixtures maintain a constant quality which produces a unique flavour of chocolate. Into the mid twentieth century, the Spaniards continued to hold their secret about this delicious treat. It began its global expansion through deliveries and presents to royalties, and in the beginning of the following century, the innovation of chocolate drink arrived in European countries such as Austria, Belgium, Germany and Italy. As the New World moved into the twenty-first century, chocolate production soared due to the invention and innovation of chocolate making techniques and machinery. Due to the rapid development of technology and machinery in the Industrial Revolution, the process of producing chocolate transformed dramatically during this time. Mechanical mills enabled the process to squeeze cocoa butter out which created durable and smooth chocolate. Cocoa was now imported extensively around the world, particularly in African countries and thus it was more affordable from Western countries to import rather than grow domestically. Chocolate drink becomes a popular confectionery and this developed into milk chocolate. In 1879, Rodolphe Lindt invented the conching chocolate process which formed a unique chocolate blend which was smoother and literally melted in your mouth. The history of making chocolate derives mainly from the mixture of cocoa paste, cocoa butter, sugar, flavourings and milk. In determining the ideal mixture or the best chocolate, several criteria need to be considered such as appearance (rich in colour with a smooth and glossy surface), snap structure (snap when it is broken), aroma (cocoa smell) and taste (rich, sweet and creamy). The chocolate we know today was formed when sugar was mixed with cocoa powder and cocoa butter which produced the first solid chocolate bar. The costs of producing chocolate can be minimised by decreasing the use of cocoa solid or through the substitution of cocoa butter with a non cocoa fatty content. The rich dark chocolate which we are familiar today was made possible from a culmination of different events. The Van Houten Method (from Johannes Van Houten) began in 1828 where fat and cocoa butter was extracted from the cocoa beans grown in the ground. This resulted in powder which was less bitter tasting and provided its sugar and sweet taste. Fry and Sons of Bristol in England used this method to manufacture a solid dark chocolate and later, Daniel Peters, a Swiss chocolate manufacturer, used the same van Houten process to combine chocolate with powdered milk to produce the first white milk chocolate.
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