A Brief History of Chocolate
The world chocolate actually comes from the word ‘xocoatl’, which was used thousands of years ago in ancient Aztec. However, it was not used to refer to a piece of chocolate as we know it today but actually it was the name of a drink that was brewed using beans for the cacao plant.
Latin America
It is clear from this then that the roots of the much loved sweet treats actually lie in South America...and not in Bournville. It is in the beautifully lush country of Mexico where the first ever cacao plants were discovered and then harvested. An ancient civilization known as the Olmec used the beans from the plant and used it to form part of a medicinal drink that was consumed during rituals and ceremonies.
Reaching the Continent
Although chocolate made its way to Spain in the year 1528, no one is quite sure as to how exactly it got there. Whilst many theories persist, none of them can truly stake claim to the events. When in the year 1615, the then King of France (Louis XIII) wedded the daughter of the king of Spain (Philip III), chocolate samples were given through the French royal courts and this is why Europe’s love affair for the confection really began.
It then made its ways into the UK, which saw dedicated chocolate houses open their doors up to the public for trade. As chocolate became more widespread across the continent, some countries even resorted to setting up their very own plantations for the purpose of growing cacao plants - that is how much the stuff was loved.
A Revolution
It was in the year 1828 when things really changed though and when chocolate became a product that everyone in society could afford to enjoy and not just the rich and the aristocracy. The invention of the chocolate press was responsible for this revolution. This allowed for solid molded bars of chocolate to be produced - much similar to the ones that we see today and the ones available in the chocolate gift hampers that are available from The Awesome Hamper Company.
Fast Forward to Modern Day
The popularity of chocolate has now exploded the world over, with different parts of the globe specialising in their own local variety of the confection. Some of the brands manufacturing these sweet treats have actually gone on to become some of the biggest names in the world and include the likes of Mars, Ferrero, Hershey, Nestle, Lindt & Sprungli, and Cadbury.
The fact that so many of these are now household names all around the world goes to show just how much chocolate is universally loved by the masses.
The Future of Chocolate
As modern palettes change and trends come and go, what is obvious is that chocolate will need to change in order to stay relevant. This is something that we have seen, with many of the manufacturers mentioned above producing fully vegan ranges in order to cater for the growing number of people following plant based diets.
