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It’s hard to imagine a world without chocolate, isn’t it? For all of us, it has been an ever present treat throughout our lives. When we think of chocolate, we think of the bars and moulded shapes that are so familiar today. With such a range of flavours and inventive inclusions, there have never been so many chocolate varieties on offer as there are today. Even though we have our favourite chocolate and love trying new kinds, we rarely think about where it came from. How long has chocolate been around? Where does it come from? Well, let us find out.
Derived from the beans of the cocoa plant, chocolate has undergone a significant evolution over millennia before reaching this point. Many of the most famous chocolate companies today have been around for hundreds of years; however, people have been consuming cocoa beans for thousands of years before that.
Indigenous to South America, the beans were turned into a health drink in Olmec society – a civilisation that pre-dated the Aztecs. It would be used in rituals and consumed for health benefits but was incredibly bitter. Later, in Mayan culture, chocolate was held in very high esteem. Ancient notations show that their chocolate drink was drank to seal important transactions and was part of celebrations and ceremonies. Despite its status, it was commonly available and probably tasted better than the Olmec counterpart, as it was mixed with honey or chillies.
The Aztecs continued this tradition and also believed that the gods gifted the cacao plant! This meant that, whilst chocolate drinks were still enjoyed by everyone in society, the beans were used to buy food and were seen to have more value than gold…
Chocolate is thought to have made its way to Europe in the 1500s, but with whom exactly is still debated. Some think it was Christopher Columbus, others credit Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes, whilst another theory says they were given to Philip II of Spain. What isn’t disputed, though, is that it spread across Europe from Spain. It was here that it became a treat favoured by regal and wealthy circles.
Over a short period of time, Europe went mad for chocolate – despite thinking it could taste better. New recipes were formed that included sugar, cinnamon and other popular spices as exclusive chocolate cafes began to appear in major cities. It is also thought that it was in this furore that people began heating the drink and invented hot chocolate!
For a couple of hundred years, chocolate remained a drink that was enjoyed by the elite, until a Dutch chemist found a way of turning the beans into a powder. This made it easier to mix into a drinks, but the big breakthrough came almost 20 years later.
In 1847, British chocolatier J.S. Fry and Sons made a breakthrough that was the birth of chocolate as we know it. They created a chocolate paste that could be moulded and set into a bar. A revolutionary step, this changed chocolate from a drink into a delicious snack and set things in motion! Yep, we’re talking about the same Fry’s chocolatier that went on to create Turkish Delight and Fry’s Cream Bars that they still produce today.
A short while later, more European tweaks shifted the chocolate norm when a pair of Swiss chocolatiers created the first milk chocolate bar for Nestle. Then, just three years later, Lindt’s signature melting chocolate was accidentally invented. In the following years, many modern mainstay brands were founded, with Cadbury, Hershey’s and Mars all hot on the heels of these pioneers. We had to wait a little white longer for the first white chocolate though, which was an evolution of Nestle’s vitamin-filled children’s formula that didn’t come until 1936.
When trying to decide who invented chocolate, it’s a tough call and depends on how you define chocolate. Given how popular milk chocolate is, some would credit the first Nestle bar as the first. For us, though, we’d have to say J.S. Fry’s and Sons invented modern chocolate! It may have been dark chocolate, but it was the first chocolate bar and it changed the game.
Over the last 150 years, we have undoubtedly seen rapid change in the chocolate landscape with modern options including an incredible range of flavours and catering for different dietary requirements. We’ve also seen the introduction of Fair-Trade to make the production process more sustainable, ethical and fair.
Today, chocoholics truly are spoilt. From Cadbury Dairy Milk and Galaxy Smooth Milk Chocolate to Kinder Bueno and vegan bars from award-winning brands like Dirty Cow and Moo Free, there is a wider range of chocolate on offer today than ever before – and that’s just the bars! Of course, there are also chocolate coins, the joy of surprise eggs and hot chocolate, too. But you also come across wacky creations like wasabi flavour chocolate, bars filled with cheese and onion crisps and plenty more which aren’t quite as appetising.
Here at Wholesale Sweets, we’re a mad for chocolate as we are any other kind of confectionery! We’re as excited by the thought of chocolate as any chocoholic out there, which is why the selection we offer is so mouth-watering! You’ll find the biggest brands and the latest creations – something to make everybody lick their lips. Whether you’re stocking up for a party, making a chocolate hamper for your bestie, or just want to keep your sweet stash stocked up, buying in bulk at Wholesale Sweets offers fantastic value – and all the chocolate you could dream of!
