History of Cacao
There are two
leading theories regarding the origin of cacao. The
first suggests that its origin goes back to Mesoamerican cultures,
such as the Olmecs, more than three millennia ago. But the most
recent genetic research seems to indicate that cacao originated in
the Amazon and was brought by human beings to Central America at a
later date, which could possibly extend its beginnings to some four
millennia ago.
The Mayas called it "kakaw", the Nahuatl
named it "cachuatl" and we owe the word "chocolate to the Aztecs
who christened it "xocoatl", a bitter drink they fashioned from
boiled cocoa beans. The scientific denomination is Theobroma
cocoa which means "food for the gods."
In any case, it is clear that cacao is
from the Americas and that it has always been considered a basic
and valued culinary ingredient. But its attributes don't stop
there; we know that for years the cocoa beans were used as money by
the Aztecs. One seed could be exchanged for a
tamale, and one hundred would get a good turkey. The Mayas
and the Aztecs both believed in the divine and magic properties of
cocoa, which is why they used it in rituals having to do with
birth, marriage and death. It is said that when a person was
to be sacrificed and was feeling sad they were given "xocoatl"
mixed with the blood of previous victims, to cheer up the short
time they had left to live.
When the conquistador Hernán Cortés met
the leader of the Aztec, the legendary Montezuma, he was invited to
a sumptuous banquet which included "xocoatl", which is how cocoa
found its way to Europe and transformed it forever. However,
the European palate took some time to embrace the original
"chocolate invasion" Without sweetening and careful preparation,
chocolate can be a bitter experience. Circa 1530, the Spanish nuns
in Guanuco, in South America, discovered that the addition of
sugar, honey and vanilla much improved the flavor of the new world
chocolate drink. Thanks to this combination Europe became
enamored by chocolate's enchantments so much so that by the
17th century it was fully in style at court, where it
was considered nutritious, medicinal and even an aphrodisiac.
The turning point for chocolate, however, was the invention of the
steam engine toward the end of the same century, which allowed for
mass production and the popularization of the product within the
masses.
The modern history of chocolate began with
two singular events, the first- what came to be known as the Dutch
Cocoa process- happened in 1828 when a Dutch chemist was able to
separate the solids from the fats (cocoa butter). By
separating the cocoa from the unsweetened chocolate paste these two
new ingredients provided infinite opportunities for developing new
products. The second event was the addition of milk to
develop milk chocolate, a key element in modern history and which
is attributed to Swiss chocolatiers.
During the 20th century cacao
was commercialized on a large scale and it grew to occupy a
preferred position with consumers around the world; a position it
still holds to this day.