History of Chocolate

Interesting Milestone Facts

Chocolate was first cultivated by the Mayans and Aztecs. By 1000 A.D. the beans were being used as currency. The Aztecs believed that pure chocolate would bring great wisdom, understanding and energy. Its use was reserved for the ruling class.

In 1519, Cortez descended upon the Aztecs and took cacao beans back to Spain. The Spaniards added sugar and honey to the bitter liquid. Chocolate was kept a secret by the Spanish court for almost a hundred years.

In 1755, John Hanau and James Baker opened a processing house in Massachusetts, marking the beginning of the company now known as Baker’s Chocolate.

In 1847, Fry & Sons of Bristol, England mixed sugar with cocoa powder and cocoa butter to produce the first chocolate bar.

In 1868, Frenchman Etienne Guittard journeyed to the Barbary Coast in hopes of discovering gold. Although he never found it, San Francisco discovered him for the delicious chocolate he brought from his uncle's factory in France. Today, Guittard chocolate is one of oldest chocolate making companies in the U.S.

In 1875, Swiss manufacturer Daniel Peters combined cocoa powder and cocoa butter with sugar and dried milk powder to produce the first milk chocolate.

With the migration to the United States came a combination of various heritages and chocolate making skills. One of the oldest chocolate making companies in the U.S. is Guittard. Other chocolate for chocolate making that is popular in the U.S., includes the brands, Callebaut, Valrohna, Godiva, Ghirardelli, Lindt, and Peters.

Chocolate for chocolate and candy making and for chocolate fountains can be purchased from The Chocolate Fountain online or by calling 888-777-6982 toll free or  316-636-4443.