History of chocolate

The history of chocolate, according to experts, began in Mexico, a millennium ago, three years ago. About the fruits of cocoa was known to the American Indians from the Olmec civilization, which existed 1000 BC. And how did this happen?

History of chocolate: the beginning

Even before such great and famous civilizations as the Maya and the Aztecs, the Olmec tribes lived in the Gulf of Mexico . They are just the first time and began to prepare a drink from cocoa beans, they were also the first to grow chocolate trees. By the way, the word "kakava" was found in the everyday life of this long-extinct tribe.

Later Maya became addicted to the cocoa drink, but they called it "chocolate". In the Aztecs, it was called kakahuatl. By the way, it is noticed that all pagan peoples chose something unusual as objects of worship. Indian cultures for centuries replaced one another, but the attitude to cocoa they have always been more than reverential. The Maya believed that there was even a god of cocoa and consumed a chocolate drink during religious rituals, considering it sacred. The Aztecs also perceived cocoa-fruit as the food of the gods, believing that "kakahuatl" gives them spiritual insight.

Today the ancient history of chocolate is well traced thanks to an amazing find found in Belize. There it was possible to find a powder with petrified sediment, which, according to scientists, belongs to 600 BC. As a result of the chemical analysis, it was found that this is nothing else than the crushed, and then cooked cocoa beans, supplemented with aromatic impurities.

The history of chocolate was further developed when in 1502 Columbus landed his ship on American soil. Then the Indians gave him a cup of hot chocolate. The traveler, however, refused to give the gift, but took a recipe and fruits of cocoa with him to present to the Spanish king. The monarch also did not appreciate the innovation. And only when in 1519 Cortes stepped on the Mexican coast and decided too bitter black chocolate to sweeten cane sugar, and then brought to the Spanish royal court, the civilized world appreciated this delicacy with dignity.

For a long time chocolate was used only in liquid form. The tiled form first appeared somewhere in the middle of the 19th century, when the English thought of mixing cocoa powder with cocoa butter and sugar. On the chocolate bars immediately there was a huge demand. Even later in the new product began to add milk - so was born milk chocolate, which today is noticeably ahead of the popularity of bitter.

Today, the whole world adores chocolate, which, thanks to the most advanced production technologies, can perform in completely different ways. Today, confectioners produce this product on the basis of cocoa with nut, milk, fondant, yoghurt fillings, with a grill, dried fruits, candied fruits, airy rice, and also add a hot pepper. Chocolate icing traditionally decorates most cakes and pastries. And, of course, all children and adults like to drink a cocoa drink in the mornings and get a beautiful figurine made of chocolate for this or that holiday.

A chocolate museum in Moscow is an amazing, fabulous place, where every child dreams to go to make a trip along the river from chocolate (by the way, it is depicted on the floor of the institution) in the world of this delicacy, sweet and bitter at the same time. For sure, the rich thematic exposition presented here, which was made up of exhibits from the collections of such legendary confectionery factories as the Front, Red October, Babaevskaya, as well as an ethnographic collection of objects related in some way or other cocoa.