All about Chocolate....
For Chocolate lovers all around the world...
Choc's Corner, chocolatier, fine handmade belgian chocolates, exquisite chocolate truffles and centers

CHOCOLATE

Hundreds of years ago, Chocolate was a rare luxury. It was an expensive, sumptuous luxury only affordable to the few lucky enough to have the wealth to pay for it.

The cacao beans (as they were once called) had to be transported all the way from the tropical rainforests of the Amazon basin and other exotic places in South and Central America, across the vast oceans to Europe, where they were simply consumed in the form of "drinking chocolate". What a huge contrast to the way chocolate is consumed today! Not only is chocolate accessible- in many more places and forms- it completely surrounds us in everyday life and has, in fact, become a thriving commercial empire.

Although many of us think of chocolate as a modern creation; the known history of human consumption of chocolate dates all the way back about 2000 years in the tropical climates of Central and South America where the ancient civilisations used the cacao beans grown from the cacao tree not only for drinking chocolate but for currency, religious ceremonies and offerings to their gods as well! The Maya people that occupied the area harvested cacao beans from the cacao trees that grew wild in the local rainforest. From these beans they fermented, roasted and ground the seeds with various seasonings to make a paste and from this they created a spicy, frothy drink which they named "chocolatl". The history of chocolate in Europe began when the Spanish invaded Mexico in 1521 and discovered the delicious "chocolatl" drink that the Maya people took such pride in. The Spanish observed their customs involving the cacao beans and recognised that a high value was placed on it. From this point onwards they began shipping the cacao seeds back to Europe and sweetened the bitter "chocolatl" with cinnamon and sugar.

The Spanish enjoyed their newly sweetened drinking chocolate for about 100 years before it became popular throughout the rest of Europe due to the Spaniard's secrecy about their exquisite discovery. However, at this point it remained a rare luxury due to the costs of importing the ingredients and still came only in the form of drinking chocolate (similar to the hot chocolate many of us enjoy regularly at contrastingly low prices.).

However, when the Industrial revolution kicked in, chocolate was soon seen in a completely new light and underwent its own revolution till it became the chocolate we know today. Cocoa (the name was altered by the Europeans) and sugar plantations had already been set up in climatically ideal areas such as the West Indies and Africa. This mass production meant more demand and lower prices for the illustrious chocolate drink. The Industrial Revolution also allowed easier access to chocolate because cocoa transportation became altogether quicker, easier and more common. This new access led to new ways being thought up of how to consume chocolate and finally, by the 1800s, chocolate had become a solid confectionary affordable to a much wider range of the public.

The first European chocolate factory was created in France in 1761. The first machine for crushing and mixing the chocolate paste was invented in 1778 and then in 1819 the first steam powered production plant was built. Many family businesses which led on to become commercial empires were spawned at this point in time.

Chocolate had irrevocably and unquestionably become yet one more embellishment on common society.

And so to present day... Today, you walk down a street and you are met by a shop that will sell some form of what we know today as chocolate. Keep in mind that chocolate has undergone many advancements and transformations since its early days when it was only seen in the form of "chocolatl" or drinking chocolate.

However, even in this millennium we hold on to the traditional cocoa drink as a warming treat for cold winter days. Although what we know as hot chocolate today bears little resemblance to the original, bitter, drinking chocolate- it still holds a firm place in society with its easy accessibility and sweet taste and texture.

Hot chocolate, although often confused with, is not the same as, hot cocoa. Hot cocoa is made simply from cocoa powder- which is most similar to the original beverage- whereas hot chocolate is made from chocolate bars melted into cream. The original hot cocoa recipe was a mixture of ground cocoa beans, water, wine and peppers: a far cry from either of the drinks mentioned above. It was the Spaniards who first began heating the mixture and sweetening it with sugar and then the English who introduced milk to it. These alterations are what has left us with the self-indulgent, sweet drink we enjoy today.

Nowadays, all over the globe, chocolate is eaten in various, solid forms such as truffles, white chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate and as a topping on biscuits and cakes. Possibly the most luxurious form of all- the chocolate truffle- has a rather recent history. A French invention, the original chocolate truffle was merely a ball of ganache, chocolate and cream, often flavoured and rolled in cocoa. It was named after the black truffle fungus because of its physical resemblance. From this it has been developed with many ganache fillings and liqueurs and has been coated with different nuts, paprika, peppercorns or simply solid chocolate. Modern chocolatiers are constantly inventing new truffle recipes for the ever-growing truffle-adoring public.

Another high status type of chocolate is the illustrious Belgian chocolate. What makes Belgian chocolate so unique in comparison to every other variety is the quality of its ingredients and its adherence to Old World manufacturing techniques. Even today, with all our quick, cheap and automatic manufacture, most Belgian chocolate is still hand-made in small shops by devoted chocolatiers using original equipment. Belgian chocolate may be expensive but the cost is definitely worth the quality.

So, all in all, history shows that chocolate is not a new thing but instead an ever-changing confection transforming constantly to meet the different needs and demands of its fans. In every country all over the world today and strewn across the evermore accessible internet, devoted chocolatiers are listening to the wishes of chocolate-lovers and creating businesses that always have more new creations and gifts for people of all sorts to buy. Not only that but they even offer personalised chocolate now! These more personal chocolates, with alterations to enhance the pleasure of a special gift or occasion, are becoming more and more sought after and especially highlight the remarkable journey that chocolate has undergone. But whether simply the original, bitter drinking chocolate or the modern day truffle, there is one thing that has, and will, always remain the same- people simply adore chocolate.