Subscribe to PostsThere is probably no child in this world that does not like chocolate – from a young age we get addicted to it and even many adults cannot do without it! The people who discovered it must have been really smart and special. But who were they? Let us find out more.
Although today, we see chocolates in the form of slabs of pieces, it was first made as drink. The history of chocolate goes back to the 12th-14th centuries. The Aztecs created it – American Indians who were mainly settled in a valley that is now in Mexico City. Chocolate originally comes from the beans of the cacao tree, and the Aztecs made it by boiling these crushed beans with water. It was later served cold, made spicy and seasoned with pepper! As you know, this recipe has definitely changed over the centuries.
The Spanish explorers who came into contact of the Aztecs, were not fond of peppers so they invented a new recipe by adding the same amount of sugar to the cacao and then boiling it. The Spaniards made sure they kept this recipe a secret and were successful for nearly 100 years! It was only in the 17th century when a Frenchman devised a method of transforming finely ground cacao beans into cakes of chocolate.
The process of changing the cacao into chocolate pieces is quite lengthy -
- The workmen first cut the ripe pods from the cacao tree and slit them open.
- The pods split open and the pulp is taken out and allowed to ferment for a few days.
- The mass is then kept out to dry in the sun; the seeds are separated and packed for shipment.
- Once the beans arrive at the chocolate manufacturer’s mill, all foreign materials are removed and they are then roasted properly.
- The heat loosens the husks, which are then blown away.
- The inner kernel is broken down into ‘nibs’ or small bits.
To make chocolate, the nibs are put under heavy stone mills and finely ground. The oil contained inside makes the mass change into a thick substance, known as “chocolate liquor.” In the hard form, this is used in baking and candy-making. On the other hand, sweet chocolate is made by adding sugar and other things.
