Do you ever think about where chocolate comes from? What's in it? Where did it come from? I do. I think about it all the time. More so about eating it than its origin, but it's fun learning where your favorite food comes from, that way you can properly thank that country and/or person who made it. Besides, you should always know what you're eating.
Origin
Chocolate originated from a plant called Theobroma cacao, Theobroma meaning "food of the gods." This cacao plant is believed to have come from the Amazon in South America at least 4,000 years ago.
History
Anthropologists found evidence that chocolate was produced by pre-Olmec groups that were living in present-day Mexico in roughly 1900 BC. The ancient Mesoamericans were the first to cultivate cacao plants. They fermented, roasted, and ground the cacao beans into a paste that they mixed with water, vanilla, honey, chili peppers, and other spices to brew a frothy chocolate drink.
Olmec, Mayan, and Aztec groups thought chocolate was an invigorating drink, mood enhancer, and aphrodisiac. This led them to believe that it possessed mystical and spiritual qualities. The Mayans worshipped a god of cacao and reserved chocolate for rulers, warriors, priests and nobles at sacred ceremonies.
Modern Uses
In 1847, J.S. Fryer & Sons, a British chocolate company, created the first ever solid chocolate bar with cocoa butter, cocoa powder and sugar.
Then in 1879 Rodolphe Lindt invented the conching machine, which made chocolate into a velvety texture with superior flavors. This eventually led to the mass production of smooth, creamy milk chocolate on factory assembly lines.
Other companies such as Hershey, Cadbury, and Mars were creating large quantities of chocolate during the late 1800s and early 1900s during the chocolate boom. Now, chocolate is being used to make drinks and other sweet treats like Nutella and hot fudge.
In America, approximately 2.8 billion pounds of chocolate is consumed each year—that's about 11 pounds per person. The Midwest and Northeastern states consume more candy bars than the South, Southwest, West, and Mid-Atlantic states. The US produces more chocolate than any other country, but the Swiss consumes the most, followed by the United Kingdom. More than $75 billion is spent worldwide on chocolate annually.
Therefore, my chocolate lovers, don't ever feel guilty for eating fudge from the container. Don't judge yourself for chugging Hershey's chocolate syrup or putting extra cocoa powder in your hot chocolate. Enjoy whatever your chocolate fix is and savor every moment of it!
Remember, chocolate is a "food of the gods," meaning every time that you're eating chocolate, you're eating like royalty. Go grab your crown, rise up, and have no regrets.