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HISTORY OF CHOCOLATE from The Field Museum

Beans, Nibs, Shavings     The tasty secret of the cacao (kah KOW) tree was discovered 2,000 years ago in the tropical rainforests of the Americas. The pods of this tree contain seeds that can be processed into chocolate. The story of how chocolate grew from a local Mesoamerican beverage into a global sweet encompasses many cultures and continents. The first people known to have made chocolate were the ancient cultures of Mexico and Central America. These people, including the Maya and Aztec, mixed ground cacao seeds with various seasonings to make a spicy, frothy drink. Later, the Spanish conquistadors brought the seeds back home to Spain, where new recipes were created. Eventually, and the drink’s popularity spread throughout Europe. Since then, new technologies and innovations have changed the texture and taste of chocolate, but it still remains one of the world’s favorite flavors.

Here is an example of some links on the site to explore:

Introduction: Chocolate’s History at a Glance
For a quick introduction to the life and times of chocolate, check out this brief summary spanning the centuries and civilizations conquered by cacao.

Chocolate: A Mesoamerican Luxury
Unearth the ancient history of chocolate’s origins as a bitter but beloved beverage in Mesoamerican culture. You’ll discover chocolate’s significance in Maya and Aztec religious ceremonies and learn about the important role it played in social circles.

Chocolate: A European Sweet
Explore the cultural exchange of chocolate as it crossed the ocean and traveled to Europe after the Spanish conquest of Mexico. You’ll learn how France, England, and other countries also made their mark on chocolate’s history.  

Chocolate: A Contemporary Confection
Investigate the effects that new technological innovations of the Industrial Revolution had on chocolate. You’ll find out how it evolved from the sweet drink of kings into its current chocolate bar form loved by so many people today. http://www.fieldmuseum.org/Chocolate/history.html

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at 9:49 am and is filed under Chocolate history. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

5 Responses to “HISTORY OF CHOCOLATE from The Field Museum”

  1. Albert Wells Says:
    November 27th, 2009 at 8:56 pm

    This is such a special resource that you are providing and you give it away for free. I love seeing web sites that understand the value of providing a prime resource for free. I truly enjoyed reading your post. Thanks!

  2. Choco Mama Says:
    November 30th, 2009 at 11:09 am

    Thanks Albert!
    I enjoy educating people about chocolate.

  3. Jolie Says:
    February 10th, 2010 at 1:27 am

    Thanks, that is a very good contribution. I found it via MSN and immediately incorporated into my feedreader. I am pleased to soon be back here to read again! Best greets

  4. Guadalupe Sarkar Says:
    April 6th, 2010 at 10:32 am

    Thanks lots, I’ve found this article extremely nice!

  5. Matthew C. Kriner Says:
    April 11th, 2010 at 2:34 pm

    I found your site via google thanks for the post. I will save it for future reference. Thanks

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