Chocolate History

Columbus and the Cocoa Bean

        On his fourth voyage to America between 1500 and1600A.D. Columbus landed  in Nicaragua and was the first European to discover cocoa beans. These were used by the natives as currency and also in the preparation of a delightful drink. But Columbus, who was still searching for the sea route to India, and was not interested in cocoa.

Until 1492, the Old World knew nothing at all about the delicious and stimulating flavor that was to become the favorite of millions.

It was not until the Spanish blended ground cocoa  beans with sugar from Ecuador and vanilla from Mexico that the consumption of chocolate took off. It was first used by Kings an aristocrats, however it was later consumed by the masses in coffee houses all over Europe. It had always been consumed as a liquid until,   in 1847, "Fry and Sons" in England made the first "eating chocolate." However, this eating chocolate still did not have as much of a cult following as when, in 1876, Daniel Peter added milk to the chocolate to make the milk we drink today.

  In 1519, Herman Cortez, the famous  Spanish explorer, discovered chocolat  in Mexico.