Cocoa was first developed as a crop in ancient South American cultures, such as the Aztecs and Mayans.
It also has appeared in many different cultures all over the world for hundreds of years. There is also evidence suggesting that it was used in food dating back several thousand years.
The word "chocolate" has its roots in two words from the Nahuatl language: chocolatl, which means "hot water",
and cacahuatl, which is a beverage made with cocoa that was used in religious ceremonies. It was significant enough that the beans were served in royal feasts and given as a reward.
Most interestingly, it was also used as a currency for trades.
When the Spanish colonized the New World, they had discovered the cacao crop and its value.
Their addition to the chocolate drink was to add sugar and spices to sweeten out the bitterness. They would then try to keep the production method a secret
from Europe but it would make its way to the rest of the continent eventually where it was served in "chocolate houses" for the social elite. Hot chocolate as a drink would
then gain the reputation as an aphrodisiac.
During the Industrial Revolution, steam-powered machines would make the processing of cocoa powder much more efficient and affordable.
Solid chocolate would also appear in 1850 as Joseph Fry discovered that adding cacao butter to the powder would make it solidify. Sixty years later, chocolate confections
with flavored filling would be introduced by Jean Neuhaus II. From there the chocolate and cocoa industry would quickly spread across the world.