A History of Cocoa
Detailing the Discovery and Migration of Chocolate.
Nov 16, 2008 Graidi Taylor-Rose
The Earliest Use of Coca
The earliest records of chocolate (or cacao as it was known) comes from the Mayans, who lived in the Yucatan Peninsula (a tropical area in what is now Southern Mexico).
As far back as 250-900 CE they made a drink infused with the bean of the cacao tree, laced with raw chillies, and blended with hot water. They found it an invigorating concoction, the consumption of which was restricted to the elite of the tribes.
In the 14th Century, the Mayans introduced the drink to the Aztecs, an ancient Nomadic people who called it “xocalatl” meaning warm or bitter liquid. The Mayan Emperor Moctezuma consumed large quantities of the blend ( served to him in a golden goblet) before entering his harem, leading to a belief in aphrodisiacal qualities.
Other qualities were quickly attributed to xocalatl, with the Emperor describing it as “The divine drink which builds up resistance and fights fatigue. A cup of this precious drink permit’s a man to walk for a whole day without food”.
Cocoa Brought to Europe
When cacao beans were brought to Spain in 1528, (now pronounced “chocolat”) by Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez, their bitter taste and grainy texture did not find favour in the court of King Charles. To rectify this, Monks were chosen to process the beans and perfect them to Spanish tastes, this was achieved by removing the chilli and adding sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and cinnamon. It was also discovered to taste much better when heated.
In the late 15th Century, Italian explorer Francesco Carletti visited Central America and observed Indians preparing the cocoa beans, establishing the drink in Italy by 1606. The drink was introduced to France upon the marriage of Anne, daughter of Philip II of Spain to King Louis XIII of France in 1615. The warm, sweet blend became popular within the French court and quickly gained a reputation for it’s supposed medicinal qualities.
The Popularity of Cocoa
Throughout the 17th Century, cocoa slowly spread across Europe, being praised and recommended by doctors for almost everything. When chocolate reaches England from France in the 1650’s, it became immensely popular in the court of King Charles II who drank it before visiting his mistress Barbara Villiers.
The popularity of cocoa at court led to the establishment of the first Chocolate House in London, which was advertised as “an excellent West Indian drink”. Chocolate Houses soon immerged as a popular place for people to meet and discuss important political and social issues of the day as well as socialise. Samuel Pepys mentions in his famous diary that he “went to Mr Bland’s and there drank my morning draft of chocolatte”.
Up until the mid-1800’s chocolate was purely served in liquid form, the first edible bars of chocolate, produced by Fry’s and Son of Bristol, England, in 1847, with John Cadbury adding a similar product to his range in 1849.
From it’s use in Mayan religious ceremonies, to being served in the elite Chocolate Houses of Europe, cocoa has become an established aspect of society, with countless studies claiming to prove the medicinal properties it possesses. Modern day pioneers such as Willie Harcourt-Cooze are striving to bring the magic of pure cacao back to the public, preserving a tradition which would otherwise be lost. Good news for us chocolate lovers!
Sources:
- Chocolat by Joanne Harris
- The Diary of Samuel Pepys by Samuel Pepys
- allchocolate.com
- aphrodite-chocolates.co.uk
- www.venezuelan-black.co.uk
A Mug of Hot Chocolate
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Melting Chocolate
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