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====Early History====The Maya are earliest evidence for using the first to document the consumption and use of cacao (also cocoa) plant for chocolate. Like is derived from the Olmecs, the also document Olmec culture that chocolate was consumed as a drink rather populated southern Mexico more than eaten3000-4000 years ago. In factWhile no direct evidence exists, such as written records, Mayan depictions trace chemicals that include theobromine found in the plant indicate a ritual style that some ceramic vessels were used to prepare or direct consumption and this is suggested by Mayan writingsof chocolate-derived products. The Aztecs from central Mexico also used cacao This early chocolate was most likely roasted and chocolatefermented, where it also became cacao seeds would have been first pulverized and grounded in using a religiously important drink that had its own association with the god Quetzalcoatlmortar and pestle. In fact, a feathered serpent deity who protected and held the knowledge for almost all of chocolate. The Aztecs drank chocolate cold's history, suggesting some differences from the Maya who liked it mostly as a warm fermented drink. Cacao beans seem to have also has been used drunk rather than consumed as a type of currencysolid, traded to purchase other objects as neededand often it was an alcoholic beverage (Figure 1). Christopher Columbus, <ref>For more on his fourth trip to the New Worldhistory of the cacao plant, while traveling with Ferdinand his sonsee: McNeil, encountered the C. L. (2006). <i>Chocolate in Mesoamerica: a cultural history of cacao bean in 1502, making him the first European to encounter this plant and learn about chocolate.</i> Gainesville: University Press of Florida. Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com/id/10490739</ref>
By the second half of the 18th century, with industrialization in the UK, the first chocolate factories were being created that used hydraulic machinery. In subsequent decades, entrepreneurs began to experiment with different machinery to facilitate the process of separating cacao butter from cacao seeds and making chocolate easier and with new tastes. The 1730s also began to break the Spanish monopoly, mostly in Central and South America, of cacao. It was soon spread to other parts of the Americas and Africa for production. Gradually, Africa became the leading producer of cacao, but this took some time to develop. In the colonies in the United States in 1765, in the state of Massachusetts, the first chocolate factory was built (Figure 2).<ref>For more on the industrialization of chocolate, see: La Boone, J. A. (2006). <i>Around the World of Food: Adventures in Culinary History.</i> New York: iUniverse, Inc, pg. 83. </ref> By 1820, new machines were invented that separated cacao solids and butter. Soon, cacao powder was produced. Chocolate now became more mass-produced. The German chocolate manufacturer, still producing chocolates today, also established its first factories and helped bring chocolate to a larger market. However, it was still a product for the upper classes. Finally, in 1848, the realization was made that adding cacao butter, sugar, and cacao liquor allowed the creation of what would be edible, solid chocolate, which proved to be a revolutionizing moment for chocolate consumption that allowed it to become a more diverse food product.<ref>For more on the science of production of chocolate in the early 19th century, see: Beckett, S. T. (2008). <i>The Science of Chocolate</i> (2nd ed). Cambridge, UK: RSC Publishing, pg. 46.</ref> ====More Recent Use====The late 19th century continued to see improvements in machines that made the taste and quality of chocolate better. It allowed creamy and rich chocolate to be made that left no aftertaste. With the increasing popularity of chocolate, the rise of fraudulent chocolate or imitation products emerged. European countries soon moved to create food standards and guidelines that protected chocolate and its quality so that imitation products could not be falsely advertised. At the same time, prices of cacao began to drop dramatically in the 1890s and 1900s. This now meant that a much wider middle class could purchase chocolate. The production also began to shift away from the New World, and cacao production increased in Asia and Africa in particular. This helped to depress the price of cacao for growers but enabled it to be a mass consumptive product at even greater levels.<ref>For more on the history of cacao in the 19th and 20th centuries, see: Clarence-Smith, W. G. (2000). <i>Cocoa and chocolate, 1765-1914.</i> London ; New York: Routledge.</ref> In the 1910s, many well-known European brands began to be established, including Godiva, La Maison du Chocolat, Fauchon in France, Lindt, Suchard, and Sprüngli. The 1860s had already established the Nestlé family. In 1912, praline was invented and became one of the latest crazes of chocolate. In the 1930s, improvements in the preservation of chocolate also now allowed it to be included in other foods so that chocolate pastes and other chocolate derived products could be more easily mixed with other food items after they were transported to other regions.<ref>For more on the major chocolate brands, see: Cadbury, D. (2011). <i>Chocolate wars: the 150-year rivalry between the world’s greatest chocolate makers.</i> New York: PublicAffairs.</ref> Today, Western Africa produces about 2/3 of the world's cacao. The price of chocolate has been relatively volatile in recent times, as world politics influences the cacao trade. Unfortunately, this has also meant that modern-day slavery has often been associated with cacao production, as low prices have sometimes created or instigated farmers to use forced labor or not pay their workers.<ref>For more on recent cacao production and its shift to Africa, see: Ryan, O. (2012). Chocolate nations: living and dying for cocoa in West Africa.</ref> ====Summary====Chocolate, even in its earliest history, was a product of great desire that was considered, as the name implies, the food of the gods. The Maya and Aztecs saw it as a warm or cold drink, often drunk as an alcoholic beverage that was bitter in taste and associated with a religious ceremony. With the conquest of the New World, the Spanish brought cacao back to the Old World. For a time, the Spanish even dominated the production of cacao and, therefore, chocolate production. Mixing cacao with honey and sugar made chocolate a more desired product in Europe. Soon, with the backing of the elite and nobles in Europe, chocolate became a highly valued drink. It was only in the early 19th century that chocolate became easier to produce and by the mid-19th century, it could finally be produced in a solid form. By the late 19th century, chocolate became a mass consumption item that spread to all classes. Many well-known brands soon developed by the early 20th century. Innovations in preservation helped chocolate to be used in a variety of foods and products. While chocolate's importance is undisputed among foods worldwide, the basic cacao beans used have now mostly grown in volatile West Africa. This has, unfortunately, at times, led to difficult production circumstances and even modern slavery. <div class="portal" style="width:85%;">====Related DailyHistory.org Articles====*[[How Did Ancient Societies Adapt to Dairy Consumption?]]*[[Alexander the Great Top Ten Booklist]]*[[How Did Black Pepper Spread in Popularity?]]*[[What Factors Led to the Creation of the First Cities?]]*[[How Did Honey Evolve in our Diet?]]</div> ====References====<references/> [[Category:Wikis]][[Category:Food History]][[Category:Ancient History]] [[Category:South American History]]{{Contributors}}