The History of Chocolate

 Chronology

600

The Maya Indians moved from their home in Guatemala to the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. They brought with them cacao from the rain forest. In Guatemala the Maya established large plantations to grow cacao.

1000

The people in Central America began using the cacao beans as money. Drawings have been found showing pictures where 10 beans could buy a rabbit or 100 beans could buy a slave. In one Mexican drawing a basket of 8000 beans was used to show the number 8000. The beans were also used to make a bitter drink. This drink was used to treat coughs and fever.

1200

The Aztec's began to rule Mexico. The Aztecs demanded payment in the form of taxes from the Aztecs with cacao beans. The Aztecs used the cocao bean for a drink. They added flowers, vanilla, and honey to their drink.

1502

Christopher Columbus was given his first drink of xocoatl (chocolate) on his fourth voyage to America. Although he did not like the drink he took some of the cacao beans back to his homeland as an unusual item to show the people at home.

1519

Hernán Cortéz was a young Spaniard who went to Cuba to find his fortune. He heard stories of gold in Mexico and South America. In 1519 Cortéz left Cuba to find this gold. With 300 Aztecs  to every one of Cortéz's men the Spanish fought. After 3 battles the Indians gave up. They could not compete against the guns and horses. The Spaniards also wore metal armor. More than this the Indians were afraid of the "god-like" warriors. On November 8, 1519 Cortéz reached Mexico City and was received by Montezuma, the Aztec emperor. Cortéz captured Montezuma and began to rule the empire through him. The Spaniards made the Aztecs work in the mines looking for gold and silver. This gold and silver was shipped back to Spain.  Cortéz also recognized the value of the cacao bean to the Aztecs. He established a cacao plantation in the name of Spain.

1528

Hernán Cortéz returned to Spain with some cacao beans. They were hidden in Spanish monasteries. The formula for making the chocolate drink was kept a secret. Only the very rich could afford to buy the drink.

1585

The first commercially grown shipment of cacao beans grown in South and Central America was taken to Spain.

1615

Anne of Austria, a Spanish princess, marries Louis XIII of France and takes the Spanish custom of chocolate drinking to France.

1657

The first chocolate house is opened in England by a Frenchman. At this time chocolate cost 6 to 8 shillings per pound. Only the rich could afford to buy chocolate at the chocolate house.

1660

Maria Theresa of Austria marries Louis XIV of France. She shares her love of chocolate with the people of France. For the first time people outside the royal court enjoy chocolate drinking.

1663

Pralines are created by a cook in Genensburg, Germany.

1674

A London coffeehouse sells the first solid chocolate in a stick form.

1711

Charles VI moves from Madrid, Spain to Vienna. He takes chocolate with him.

1720

The Italians begin serving chocolate in Florence and Venice.

1732

Monsieur Dubuisson, a French inventor, creates a table for grinding chocolate. This lets the workers stand up while grinding the cacao bean. The table is heated from underneath by charcoal. This makes the production much easier.

1764

The Baker Chocolate Company is established in Dorchester, Massachusetts by James Baker and John Hannon. This was the first time chocolate was made in the US.

1780

The first chocolate made by machine is produced in Barcelona, Spain.

1780

Dr. James Baker calls his products "Baker's Chocolate".

1795

J. S. Fry & Sons uses steam power to grind the cacao beans for the first time in UK.

1819

Francois-Louis Cailler returns from Italy where he studied chocolate-making. He established the first Swiss chocolate factory  in Corsier.

1822

John Cadbury, a Quaker who tried to convince people that drinking chocolate was much healthier than alcohol, opens a tea and coffee shop in Birmingham, England.

1828

Coenraad Van Houten, a Dutch chocolate maker, invents   a hydraulic press that is used to make cacao powder.

1832

Francois-Louis Cailler opens a large plant in Corsier, Switzerland.

1840

Cailler opens a second chocolate factory in Vevey, Switzerland. Twenty years later this factory is sold to Julien and Daniel Peter who invent milk chocolate.

1847

The first manufacturer of chocolate in England creates the first chocolate bars. Their shop is called J. S. Fry & Sons. Not many people liked this because of its bitter taste.

1860

John Cadbury joins with his brother Benjamin to form the Cadbury Brothers of Birmingham. A year later the business goes to John's sons, Richard and George.

1861

Richard Cadbury creates the heart-shaped candy box for Valentine's Day.

1862

The Baker's Chocolate Company obtains the rights to use the painting La Belle Chocolatiere, by the Swiss artist Jean-étienne Liotard. The painting shows the wife of Prince Dietrichstein as a maid serving chocolate. This was how she was dressed when the prince first mets her. Baker's Chocolate Company will use this same painting as their company trademark. This is one of the oldest product trademarks in the United States.

1864

Jean Tobler begins production of handmade confections in Bern, Switzerland.

1872

Baker's Chocolate Company begins to use the chocolate girl painting as the company trademark.

1875

Daniel Peter figures out how to combine milk and cocoa power to create milk chocolate.

1879

Rodolphe Lindt invents the conch. This is a machine that stirs liquid chocolate to break down any remaining clumps. This machines makes the chocolate smooth for the first time. Lindt calls this chocolate fondant and labels his candy bars Lindt Surfin.

1890

Henri Nestlé dies in Montreux, Switzerland. He was the founder of the Nestlé Company.

1893

Milton Hershey goes to the World's Colombian Exposition in Chicago, watches a demo of German-made chocolate equipment. He likes this so much that he buys it immediately & ships the equipment to his Carmel factory in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

1894

Milton Hershey creates his first candy bar. He also makes baking chocolate, cocoa, and chocolate coatings for caramels.

1894

Otto J. Scholenleber starts the Ambrosia Chocolate Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Later he switches to making bulk chocolate for large companies such as Hostess, Pillsbury, and Nabisco.

1896

Leo Hirschfield makes the first Tootsie Roll. He names it after his daughter.

1897

People in England ate a record 36 million pounds of chocolate. Europeans ate 100 mil. pounds and the people from the United States ate 26 mil. pounds of chocolate.

1899

Rodolphe Lindt sold his secret formula for making fondant chocolate to David Sprüngli for 1.5 million Swiss francs. He forms a new partnership and the company becomes Lindt & Sprüngli.