*

he beginning of the chocolate story takes place among the Toltecs and other Central and South American tribes. At first they ate only the flesh of the cocoa fruit, because the seeds themselves were too bitter. It was discovered later that throwing the seeds on the fire produced a mouthwatering scent. This scent aroused enough curiosity that experiments with the seeds began - and when the seeds were crushed between stones and ground to a creamy paste, chocolate was born.

Quetzalcoatl, the feathered snake god, gave man the cacahuaquahitl, or cocoa tree. The bean from this sacred tree was believed to have magical powers. The Mayas were first to cultivate the cocoa bean. It was an ingredient in a popular drink, xocotlatl, made of vanilla, pepper and other herbs mixed with a small amount of chocolate. Because of their great value, the beans also served as a popular means of exchange.

The first European to encounter chocolate was Christopher Columbus. Less than impressed by the stuff, it wasn't until 1520, when Cortez reached the east coast of Mexico, that chocolate began its journey to Europe. A favored guest of Montezuma, Cortez was introduced to the xocotlatl drink, and given a plantation of cocoa trees so that he might spend among the native population. After Cortez's discovery, the bean made its way to Spain. The Spanish added sugar to the roasted bean, and sought a monopoly on the cocoa bean. Large shipments smuggled to Europe and Asia prevented the attempt, however, and chocolate became a delicacy of the Royal courts of Europe.

The first breakthrough in the production of chocolate took place in Holland. Seeking a way to make the chocolate drinks then available finer and lower in fat, the Dutch invented the cocoa press. The cocoa press crushed freshly ground chocolate beans and extracted liquid cocoa butter. The leftover product was a dry, hard slab of low-fat cocoa powder. In 1828, a method of alkalizing the powder made it easy to mix and digest.

The advent of a revolutionary process for condensing milk was a turning point in the production of chocolate. This new development led to chocolate and milk in a solid mix - changing the way chocolate has been made ever since. Following the introduction of milk into chocolate production came a new method of refining chocolate for taste and texture. It was discovered that leaving the chocolate to mix in a container for several days improved the flavor considerably. This process became known as conching, and is now employed as a standard part of creating chocolate.

* based on the publication "All About Chocolate," by Callebaut.

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