A Brief History of Cacao.

The Latin name for cacao (Theobroma) literally means, “food of the gods.” This valuable crop played an important role in many ancient South American cultures. Cacao is native to the forests of the amazon up to the foothills of the Andes. As more people began coming in waves they began to move the tree around. How exactly cacao reached Central America remains a mystery. However, Basil Bartley (a world authority on cacao genetic resources) thinks that cacao may have moved up the Marañón and over a pass in the Andes to the humid coast of northern Peru and Ecuador. From there it may been taken along the Pacific coast to Central America.

In its beginning stages, the Mayans used the cacao to create a ritual beverage that was shared during a betrothal ceremony; this was one of the first uses that linked chocolate and romance. A century later after Spain lost its monopoly on the European chocolate market it started spreading popularity in other European nations. It was especially enjoyed by the wealthy who had the most accessibility to this delicacy. By the mid 16th century a Frenchman opened the first “chocolate house” in London.

By the 18th century these chocolate houses (where delicious confections from the fruit of the cocoa tree were being created), continued to pop up in every country. This period also saw the introduction of the steam engine which help mechanize the cacao bean grinding process. The mechanization reduced production costs and made chocolate an affordable “luxury” to all. Today, people all over the world enjoy chocolate in its thousands of unique forms; consuming every year more than 3 million tons of cocoa beans. Throughout history, the evolution of chocolate has always intrigued and has been enjoyed by the avid following of people who love the “food of the gods.”