Chocolate: the good, the bad and the bitter

It is well known that chocolate appeared among the Aztecs as a drink for kings. The cocoa beans, from which the drink was derived, were highly valued and used as currency. When Hernando Cortés, a ruthless conqueror, set his sights on the Aztec nation, King Moctezuma presented him with the bitter drink. Cortez proceeded to plunder their country and seize their lands, which included the cacao plant.

Back in Spain, Cortez had no idea what he had found until some enterprising chemists added sugar and honey to the bitter drink and happily introduced a drink that became the precursor to hot chocolate, ushering in the love affair. the world with chocolate. In the 17th century, the European elite happily drank the newly prized drink (waists were competently expanded, one wonders). And with the promise of aphrodisiac and medicinal powers, it’s no wonder it took off.

But alas, until it was mass-produced in the latter part of that century, the masses could only dream of it, as the cost was too high and the Easter bunny just a distant fantasy. In the early 19th century, the Dutch discovered a process to make powdered beans less bitter and paved the way for our current cocoa, still called “Dutch chocolate.” Soon, solid chocolate was created, and Katy closed the door, Europe developed an insatiable sweet tooth. Mid 1800s. A resourceful gentleman named Joseph Fry took chocolate paste and some other ingredients and pressed them into a mold, which hardened into the first chocolate bar. A few decades later, the Cadbury Company began selling boxes of this glorious gift in its native England.

Switzerland, a country synonymous with chocolate, participated in the creation of milk chocolate and became a creation of the Nestlé company. Sounds familiar?

Not to be left out of the mix, American soldiers carried chocolate during the Revolutionary War, and it was sometimes used as wages, when money was scarce (works for me). Once again the value of the cocoa bean was put into service.

Today’s chocolate making in the US alone is a staggering $ 4 billion industry, and the average American eats more than half a pound per month. Which could easily translate into so much body weight gain!

Chocolate is synonymous with the Hershey name. Founded by Milton Hershey in rural Pennsylvania in 1886, it started as a candy business. Soon, Mr. Hershey branched out into chocolate production and introduced the first Hershey bar eight years later, with the express purpose of making chocolate available to the common man as an affordable gift. Not satisfied with just one factory, he built an entire city for his workers, and Hersheytown, PA came to life. Hershey’s kisses appeared in 1907 and were originally hand-wrapped, requiring long assembly lines of women wrapped around the clock, but the end result was worth it. In 1926, Hershey’s syrup hit the market and children of all ages could add it to their milk or pour it over ice cream. Not just a businessman but also a philanthropist, Hershey created jobs for people during the Depression and provided for orphans in Hersheytown.

Cocoa beans are supplied by many foreign countries to support the world’s chocolate habit, and the value of chocolate goes far beyond just adorable sweets. Many of these third world countries depend on their exports of cocoa beans. For example, the small island of Playón Chico, off the coast of Panama, is receiving help from outside sources to increase its production. A relatively isolated town, they search for the beans for medicinal properties and are beginning to export them for much-needed income.

There seems to be no end to this glorious product called chocolate. In the US, candy ranges from inexpensive drugstore brands like Whitman’s and Russell Stover, to luxury imports from Godiva, Lindt, Ghiradelli, and Roche and everything in between. The original producers of chocolate and candy, Nestlé and Cadbury, are still alive and well. (this author prefers Chicago-based Fannie May)

So whether you’re in the mood for a rich truffle, a Snickers bar, a handful of Hershey kisses, or a thick chocolate sauce on your chocolate ice cream, from milk to semi-sweet, powdered or solid, bake with it, eat it alone. or order it mixed. With your favorite coffee drink, it keeps coming. And we are not grateful.