When did chocolate appear in Europe? History of chocolate for children. The vast majority of Trinitario are elite cocoa beans, which are characterized by light acidity, pronounced taste and aroma.

Delicious, appetizing and attractive chocolate has a lot of fans. Not everyone knows where he came from and what he was like before. Not everyone suspects that the delicacy even has its own holiday. Yes, July 11th is chocolate day. The history of sweets is interesting because initially this product was not sweet at all. And not even a solid product that we are used to, but a thick drink with a bright taste. What was the history of chocolate and why is it interesting?

The most reliable history of the origin of chocolate

Chocolates are sold everywhere, and it seems that it has always been like this. Not at all. The delicacy came from the New World and appeared in Europe only after the discovery of America. The history of the appearance of chocolate briefly looks like this: they brought it from Mexico, at first they didn’t taste it, and then they learned how to cook it in accordance with European tastes. But the details are more interesting. So let's take a look at the details.

Where did chocolate originate? Where cocoa beans grew. And this is the coast of Mexico, South and Central America. Wild cocoa trees spread from there. Now they are grown, including in Asia. But the area where chocolate grows is rather limited, because the beans need a warm climate. In any part of the world, cocoa trees grow in the region of the 40th parallel of the southern and northern latitudes. This is the worldwide chocolate belt. In other places, the plant is either too hot or too cold.

Before there was chocolate, cocoa trees had to be "tamed". That is, to start culturally cultivating. It began on the territory of modern Peru around the 18th century BC, that is, almost 4 thousand years ago. But if cocoa beans are in demand now, then they used to use sweetish pulp. They made mash from it - a fermented drink. Only priests could consume this chocolate. The history of origin has gone through such interesting moments. Among the ancient Mayans and Aztecs, cocoa was considered a sacred gift from the gods.

And where was chocolate invented in the form of a drink made from ground beans? Right there in America. This drink was a little like a modern one, it was unsweetened. From beans and maize grains, a paste was prepared by rubbing, hot pepper, salt and vanillin were added to it, and then beaten with water until a thick foam appeared. The drink was called “chocolatl”, that is, “foamed water”.

When asked where chocolate first appeared, they answered. But how did he migrate to us? There are several legends about this. According to one of them, Columbus first tasted the drink in 1502. And, among other things, he took the beans with him to present the curiosity to the Spanish crown. At court, the drink did not please, and Columbus himself did not like it. Perhaps that is why the navigator could not correctly present the novelty.

A full-fledged European history of the creation of chocolate started with the conquistador Hernan Cortes. He tried the drink in 1519 and again brought the beans to Europe. Cortes was a conqueror, and in addition - a very enterprising person. He correctly presented the novelty to the public, and in subsequent years it turned out to make good money on cocoa. Already by the middle of the XVI century. stories about where chocolate was invented and how to make a drink from beans appeared in books. For those times it is very fast.

Initially, an unprecedented drink caused mixed feelings. It's funny that he came into fashion long before he liked the public. Cortes was already selling beans from his plantation in America (or rather, in New Spain) with might and main, and it was bad form not to buy them. Therefore, they tried to adapt the drink recipe to European tastes.

This is where the interesting history of chocolate begins. The drink was brewed by noble hidalgos and Jesuit monks. Hot chili pepper was removed from the original composition, honey was added. Then they began to add vanillin, chopped nuts and orange blossom, anise and cinnamon were included in the original local recipes. Later it turned out that the hot drink tastes better than the cold one. And for cool Europe, warm drink is preferable. Soon the chocolate drink occupied the niche of a kind of tonic.

From unusual to fashionable drink: distribution in Europe

How did the history of chocolate develop further? Briefly, we can say that until 1621, the Spanish monopoly extended to cocoa, the product was expensive. Then he got to Holland, Germany and other countries. Dried beans were pressed into tiles, the desired piece was broken off during the sale, and ground before brewing. The novelty was brought to France by the Spanish princess Anne of Austria, who married King Louis XIV. At the court of the latter, chocolate drink was considered a love potion.

Then chocolate hits the streets. A thick drink began to be sold in street Italian and Venetian cafes. The beautiful Angelica from the famous novel allegedly made her fortune on hot chocolate. The drink quickly became a symbol of the respectability of the townspeople. It was obligatory to drink a cup for dessert after a meal, they started the day with it. The history of chocolate (but mostly its price) influenced the serving of the drink: a cup of drink was served on a saucer so as not to spill a drop, because its cost was very expensive.

In Britain in the 18th century, they came up with the idea of ​​​​heating the powder not in water, but in milk. It softened the taste a lot. According to other sources, milk began to be added in Jamaica. Softness allowed to give a drink to children. And what is included in chocolate at that time? Finally, they began to introduce sugar into it. The latter was only reed and very expensive. The drink still cost a lot, but the story of dark chocolate is over. Now they drank it with and without sugar. By 1798, the product had become quite massive. Only in Paris at that time there were about 500 chocolate cafes. In London - no less, many looked like closed elite clubs.

Interestingly, the liquid drink, which the Aztecs called chocolatl, later became known as cocoa among Europeans. And the tiled product began to be called precisely in Aztec. More on how chocolate bars were invented.

Soon we will be celebrating 200 years since the invention of the chocolate bar we are used to. In 1828, the Dutch chemist Konrad van Houten suggested adding cocoa butter to the mixture. After cooling, a hardened substance was obtained. Thus began the production of chocolate familiar to us. History claims that the traditional recipe was invented in Germany. It is used until today. It does not include water, but includes grated cocoa powder, cocoa butter, vanillin and sugar.

Commercial production of tiles began in 1847 at the J. S. Fry & Sons factory in England. And the history of milk chocolate in solid form began 30 years later. In 1875, the Swiss Daniel Peter came up with the idea of ​​introducing powdered milk into the recipe.

The bitterness of the mixture depends on how the chocolate is made and on the ratio of the ingredients. Up to 30% cocoa butter is added to the dairy product. If the percentage of its content is higher, the taste is more bitter. Now manufacturers usually indicate the percentage of cocoa butter on the wrapper.

It is difficult to say exactly when the history of white chocolate began. Its peculiarity is that the recipe does not contain cocoa powder. White tiles contain only cocoa butter, sugar and vanillin. Here we come close to why chocolate is brown. The color comes from ground bean powder. If it is not in the composition, then there is no familiar brown color.

The history of chocolate in Russia: briefly about the evolution in our area

Drinking a chocolate drink in Russia fell in love during the reign of Empress Catherine. Presumably, the empress was treated to them in 1786 by the ambassador from Venezuela. For several decades, due to the high cost, the drink was consumed only in the aristocratic and merchant environment. Over time, it began to be served in restaurants and even inexpensive taverns. How was chocolate for the poor invented? It's simple: cheaper establishments brewed cocoa shells. It was brewed not from ground beans, but from production waste, and was more liquid.

In 1850, the German Einem moved to the Russian Empire. He opened a small manufactory for the production of chocolates. It was she who, after the revolution of 1917 and nationalization, turned into the Red October factory. Einem's sweets were delicious and wonderfully packaged. Each box is a work of art. The decoration used leather, velvet, silk, gold stamping. Sweets in boxes with a surprise became a brilliant marketing ploy, and the musical notation of a fashionable play could act as the latter.

One of the most famous chocolate industrialists in Russia was. It was he who came up with sweets called "Crow's feet", "Duck noses" and others. He was the first in the country to begin to cover dried fruits with chocolate icing, before that the delicacy was imported from France. The manufacturer had another "trick": he put cards with images of artists, performers, scientists and other popular personalities into beautiful boxes.

Initially, both the drink and the chocolate bars were intended for adults. Everything changed at the end of the 19th century. Manufacturers realized that they could refocus on children and make additional profits. Abrikosov is associated with the Russian history of the appearance of chocolate. In short, for children, his funny and original names for sweets were invented. And now in "Anna Karenina" the main characters treat children with sweets. It is noteworthy that in Russia the dairy variety of the product was more popular.

July 11 is World Chocolate Day. history of the holiday

People celebrate what is important to them, close or pleasant. It was impossible to get around and adored by many sweetness. For this, France invented World Chocolate Day. The history of the holiday is not too old, it began to be celebrated only in 1995. In many countries, confectioners and chocolatiers organize various events on this occasion: contests, festivals, performances.

Do you want to know what holiday is July 11th? Chocolate Day! Sometimes this date is also celebrated on September 13th. The purpose of such festivities is to draw the attention of the public to the product. In the United States, they believe that they have their own, special history of World Chocolate Day. Americans celebrate not like everyone else, but on July 7 and September 28. Each of these dates is a national chocolate day. The history of the holiday among North Americans is a tribute to their domestic producers. For example, Hershey, Ghirardelli, Mars.

The history of chocolate: interesting facts

Over time, doctors have proven the usefulness of chocolate. And where there is a question of benefit, children are always remembered there. Manufacturers began making special varieties of treats. Without mentioning them, our short history of chocolate would be incomplete. For children, varieties with a lower content of cocoa products have been offered and are being offered. But they have more milk and sugar, so it is better to give "children's" chocolate like kinder surprises to kids in moderation.

Where else is chocolate used? It is not only a gastronomic product. It is used for various architectural, religious, aesthetic and cosmetic projects. The last direction is the most understandable: there are chocolate wraps, masks, scrubs, and other procedures. Here are some more interesting facts:

• If you think that the Milky Way bar was named after the constellation of the Milky Way, then you are wrong. It got its name in honor of the sweet cocktail of the same name.
• M&M's are constantly flying into space, they are very fond of astronauts.
• The most expensive chocolate bar in the world was sold for $687. It was a Cadberry bar that, along with explorer Robert Scott, was on the very first American expedition to Antarctica. At the time of the sale, the age of the sweet was about 100 years old.
• The Aztecs and Mayans used cocoa beans as money. Soldiers of the 18th century had something similar: some were paid for their service with the help of chocolate.

Sweet tiles are interesting because they contain up to 600 types of aromatic compounds. In red wine, the aroma of which is loved by many, there are only about 200 compounds. In fact, there are countless interesting facts about chocolate, it is simply impossible to mention them all.

The Russian factory Fidelity to Quality offers all kinds of chocolates and chocolates, both for children and adults, for any holiday and occasion (handmade chocolate, chocolate sets and figures, chocolate for children, candies with pictures and many other options for sweet gifts) for any choice!

July 11 is World Chocolate Day. The holiday was first celebrated by the French in 1995. However, other countries soon picked up the tradition, because the overwhelming majority of the inhabitants of the globe can be attributed to lovers of this delicacy.

Why the chocolate diet is the most effective>>

The birthplace of chocolate is Central and South America. Local tribes made a cold drink from cocoa beans, which tasted bitter and had nothing to do with the modern one. Europeans got acquainted with a drink made from chocolate in the first half of the 16th century. But only a century later it turned into hot and sweet. However, due to the high cost of raw materials, hot chocolate was consumed only by representatives of the highest nobility. Hard chocolate was first invented in 1828 by the Dutchman Conrad van Guten.

Photo: depositphotos.com Chocolate legend

According to ancient legend, initially chocolate trees grew only in the gardens of the gods, who enjoyed an amazing drink made from cocoa beans. But one day a great gardener was born who cultivated beautiful trees. The gods admired the magnificent gardens and decided to reward the gardener by giving him a cocoa tree.

Now chocolate trees began to grow on the ground. At first, the gardener was upset when he saw the strange elongated fruits, but the drink made from them gave strength and instilled joy in the heart. Therefore, soon the amazing elixir gained popularity among people - they began to appreciate it for all the gold.

The gardener, who was the only one of the people who grew chocolate trees, became incredibly rich and famous. He became proud and imagined himself equal to the gods. But when they saw this, they became very angry and punished the gardener, depriving him of his mind.

Maddened, he cut down all the trees in his garden, and only cocoa was left intact. The tree remained in the world of people and to this day gives them its fruits, from which everyone's favorite chocolate is made.

Photo: depositphotos.com Aztec legend of Quetzalcoatl and chocolate

A very long time ago, the gods lived in a beautiful garden, shrouded in time, and its guardians were the first man and woman who existed in complete harmony with all the elements. But one day people thought about higher knowledge and came up with a cunning plan to steal the power of the gods. The spy found out about this, who told everything to the gods, and they decided to expel the young couple from the garden.

But the god Quetzalcoatl considered that people were punished too severely and stole a cocoa bush from the garden. He planted it on the ground and asked people to take care of it, feeding it with water, and his mother - the goddess of flowers and female beauty Shochiketsal - to give beautiful flowers to the tree.

But when the gods found out about the theft, they became very angry and banished Quetzalcoatl to the ground, harboring a desire to take revenge. The exile began to live among people, helping them in everything. For this, people glorified God and built a temple for him.

But the hour of reckoning was approaching, the envious gods had already matured a plan of revenge. They chose the old enemy of Quetzalcoatl - Tezcatlipoca. The evil god managed to carry out his plan only on the third attempt. He decided to discredit his opponent in the eyes of the people. Quetzalcoatl, who was in the palace, was very sad, fearing for his people because of the revenge of the gods. Tezcatlipoc, disguised as a merchant, came to the good god and asked him about the reasons for his sadness. When Quetzalcoatl told everything, the false merchant offered him to drink a “drink of happiness”, which would dispel sadness and bring joy to everyone.

The unsuspecting Quetzalcoatl drank the drink, which turned out to be Pulque's alcoholic juice. Intoxicated, he began to dance and jump, and even entered into a relationship with his sister. Seeing this behavior of their god, people were confused.

Waking up in the morning, Quetzalcoatl realized that this was the revenge of the gods. Disgraced, he left his people. Leaving, Quetzalcoatl noticed that the cocoa bushes had turned into agave leaves, from which the drink that intoxicated him was made.

Quetzalcoatl went across the seas, where he planted the remaining seeds of the chocolate tree, which became his last gift to the people of Mexico.

Photo: depositphotos.com The Legend of the Chocolate Princess

Once the barbarians captured a rich city. They tried to find out where the treasure was stored from the princess, but even under terrible torture she did not tell where her husband had made a hiding place before leaving for the war. The barbarians killed the brave princess without finding the treasure.

Seeing this, the god Quetzalcoatl gave people a cocoa tree. It grew up in the place where the blood of the princess was shed, who, under terrible torment, retained her devotion. The fruit of the tree was as bitter as suffering, strong as courage, and red as spilled blood.

Interesting facts about chocolate

1. In the 19th century in France, doctors considered chocolate a panacea for all diseases and therefore prescribed it to everyone who fell ill.

2. Previously, chocolate was also used to poison. Poison was often mixed into it, because the taste of chocolate neutralized the smell of poison, making it invisible.

3. For a long time, the Catholic Church could not decide whether it was possible to eat chocolate during Lent, because everything that gave pleasure fell under the ban. In 1569, the bishops of Mexico sent a representative to the Vatican to ask the opinion of the Pope himself. However, Pius V was confused because he had never tasted chocolate. Then they brought him a cup of hot drink. He took a sip, grimaced and declared: “Chocolate does not break the fast, such disgusting things cannot bring pleasure to someone!”

4. During the Inquisition, chocolate was generally banned by the Catholic Church, and its use was equated with blasphemy, heresy and witchcraft.

5. The famous heartthrob Giovania Casanova believed that the secret of his male power lies precisely in chocolate. He claimed that it was all about the cup of hot chocolate he drank in the morning. According to the diaries of the seducer, he almost never parted with his silver "chocolate".

6. Cocoa beans used to be used instead of money. At the same time, they were counted individually, but if a larger amount was required, then they paid in pods. But there were also dishonest merchants who took the beans out of the pods, and put other grains in there and passed them off as valuable.

7. According to the latest research, chocolate contains a large amount of antioxidants and theobromine, which is very beneficial for cardiovascular system human, lowers cholesterol levels, helps to cope with coughs and prevents the development of cancer.

8. Scientists from the University of Helsinki found that if pregnant women consume chocolate regularly, their baby will be born more cheerful and stress-resistant.

9. During World War II, the Germans developed chocolate-coated explosives. After the outer shell was broken, an explosion occurred. The Germans also used chocolate to lure Jews into wagons to be sent to concentration camps.

10. Switzerland is the leader in chocolate consumption. There, each person eats an average of 11 kilograms of goodies a year. A little less - 10 and 9.5 - falls on Australia and Ireland, respectively.

11. Among celebrities, chocolate lovers are: Britney Spears, Sandra Bullock, Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, Uma Thurman, Lindsay Lohan, Shakira. Many of them simply cannot imagine life without eating their favorite treat every day. And some even sit on chocolate diets.

The history of chocolate begins in Latin America, where cocoa trees still grow in abundance. The people who first tasted chocolate lived in what is now southern Mexico about 1,000 years before our era. It was the word from their lexicon, "kakava", that has come down to our days and formed the basis of the modern word "cocoa". As you can see, the funny mangling of the name of the drink is actually the correct pronunciation!

Then the history of chocolate breaks off for about 1000 years, only to start again in 250-900 AD in the settlements of the Mayan tribes. From the history of the Maya, a real continuous history of the development of recipes, traditions and culture of the use of this wonderful product begins.

Maya cocoa beans were not used for their modern purpose, but as a currency. So, for 10 grains they could buy a rabbit, and for a hundred - a personal slave. Some smart natives even forged grains by carving beans out of clay. Interestingly, cocoa beans were used as currency in parts of Latin America well into the 19th century!
The Aztecs, who conquered these territories after the Maya, adopted their traditions and used chocolate mainly in liquid form, and cocoa beans exclusively as monetary units.

Chocolate is sweet money

The first European who was lucky enough to taste chocolate was Christopher Columbus, the leader of the Spanish expedition to find the shortest sea route to India. The tasting took place in 1502 on the territory of the modern state of Nicaragua. The drink did not make much impression on the navigator, but, nevertheless, he gave him a chance, delivering cocoa beans to the New World. So America first learned about chocolate.

The conquistador Hernan Cortes, who conquered Mexico, was the first to bring a cocoa drink to Europe. The chocolate of that time was bitter, because. the Aztecs added cornmeal, aromatics, and even spicy spices to it. The Spaniards at the beginning of the 16th century were the first to experimentally establish that sugar, it turns out, has a beneficial effect on the taste of chocolate. In Spain, chocolate was so expensive that one Spanish historian wrote: "Only the rich and noble could afford to drink chocolate, as they literally drank money."
The Spaniards strictly kept the recipe for making chocolate a secret. But everything secret, especially with such a unique taste, sooner or later becomes clear. Gradually, with the light hand of the sailors who spread the news about the wonderful drink, all of Europe learned about chocolate.

chocolate houses

Even then, chocolate had a lot of fans, and without that much excitement was intensified by the rarity and exclusivity of the drink. At the same time, so-called chocolate houses began to appear in England, where the English elite gathered. It was in England in the 1850s that the Englishman Joseph Fry experimentally determined that if you add more cocoa butter than hot water to chocolate, the product will become solid. So the Englishman invented the well-known and loved by many solid chocolate.

Chocolate in Russia

The appearance of chocolate in Russia has neither an exact date nor a specific method of penetration. One version says that Peter I brought chocolate along with coffee. Another, more plausible, claims that in 1786, during the reign of Empress Catherine II, Francisco de Mirand brought the recipe for this wonderful delicacy. Most likely, it was this foreigner who gave rise to the history of the development of chocolate in Russia.

At first, chocolate in Russia, as elsewhere, was a drink close to the authorities, and it was produced mainly by foreigners. So, in 1850, the German citizen Theodor Ferdinand Einem came to Moscow with the hope of starting his own chocolate business. Soon he started building one of the first Russian chocolate factories "Einem" (after some time it was renamed "Red October") on the banks of the Moscow River. Boxes with Einem premium sweets were trimmed with silk, velvet, leather; surprise sets included postcards or notes of specially composed melodies - "Waltz Monpasier" or "Cupcake Gallop". In the 1920s, new types of products appeared, designed for a wider audience, which still make up the golden fund of the factory.

In fairness, it should be noted that even in the Soviet period, when the individuality and exclusivity of sweets were not paid attention at all, the products produced were in no way inferior in quality to the famous Swiss chocolate, and its low cost was explained simply: almost all cocoa exporting countries were allies of the USSR.

In the early 2000s, after more than 70 years of mass-produced chocolate, at the expense of its exclusivity, the tradition of hand-crafted premium treats gradually began to revive. So, Andrei Korkunov, a famous Russian confectioner, was one of the first after the collapse of the USSR to open a chocolate boutique in Moscow, on Bolshaya Lubyanka.
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Do you want to enjoy sweets from the brand "A. Korkunov"?

I continue my tour Museum of the History of Chocolate in Kirov.

The ancient civilization of the Aztecs was considered one of the most developed and richest. It is not surprising that trade flourished there, and commodity-money relations developed. The Aztecs used cocoa beans as money, not coins.
The dishonest Aztecs wanted to trade no less than the honest ones, and therefore began to come up with ways to cheat their tribe comrades. The first counterfeiters they forged cocoa beans no worse than any other currency: they cut cocoa pods, took out beans from there, filled the pods with clay or earth, glued them together and passed them off as full-fledged ones.

Cocoa beans money and shackles of the first counterfeiters

The first Europeans, who tasted cocoa were members of the Columbus expedition, who noted the special attitude of the Indians to cocoa beans.
Christopher Columbus gained immortal fame thanks to the discovery of the American continent in 1492. This discovery changed the way of life in the Old World. Tobacco, corn, potatoes, spices, exotic fruits are just a small part of what Native Americans gave to Europeans.
Cocoa, which never got to Europe in the time of Columbus, was one of the curiosities that the expedition members managed to taste on the land of the Indians, but Columbus turned out to be less perspicacious than his follower Hernan Cortes, and never tasted cocoa ...

Portrait of Christopher Columbus (1451 - 1506)

The situation was as follows: in search of a new route to India, which the great traveler started for the fourth time, the ships of Christopher Columbus approached the shores of an unknown land near present-day Honduras. In July 1502, from a small island, which has since then been called Saint-Salvador, several well-equipped ships with welcome gifts came out to meet the sailors. The hospitable inhabitants of the island gave Columbus all the best that their land could give. Among the gifts, as the adopted son of Columbus, who participated in the expedition, wrote in his diary, were strange nuts that looked like almonds - a product not new to Europe. Neither Columbus nor his team appreciated the taste of bitter offerings, but drew attention to the reverent attitude of the Indians to this "almond": if the nut fell, everyone rushed to pick it up in order to carefully put it in its place. The sailors marveled and forgot. They were so interested in the search for a waterway to the shores of distant India that the strange exaltation of the "ordinary nut" by the population of the whole island did not interest anyone ... On the ships of Columbus, pineapples, cassava, corn, and capsicum went to Europe. Cocoa was not brought on board. It is still not known for certain whether Columbus was the first European to taste cocoa. But from the records of his son it is known that in appearance he compared the "divine" grains with almonds.

17 years after the indigenous people treated Christopher Columbus with cocoa, another great navigator and conquistador was awarded the same fate Hernan Cortes.

Portrait of Hernan Cortes (1485 - 1547)

In November 1519, in one of the regions of the Yucatan Peninsula, where the Mexican state of Tabasco is located today, Cortes and 700 people of his team landed on land with one single goal - to conquer the new land, to make it part of great Spain .. at any cost. The locals greeted Cortes as a god. And there was a reason: according to one of the legends, the god Quetzalcoatl, who gave cocoa to humanity, once went on a voyage towards the sun. And did not return. Shining with armor, carrying a wooden cross in front of him, Cortes, who arrived from the direction of the sun, was immediately mistaken by the natives for the returned god. As befits the gods, Cortes was greeted with all honors and taken to the palace of the mighty ruler of the Aztec king Montezuma. What else to treat the cocoa god if not the fruits of his favorite tree? In a golden goblet, Cortes was served a bitter drink, chocolatl. The taste of Cortes was not impressed, but he described the invigorating properties of the drink in his letter to King Charles V, noting that this drink satisfies hunger and allows you to go without food for a whole day, remaining energetic and full of strength.

Meeting of Cortes and Montezuma. Unknown artist, second half of the 17th century

Despite the warm welcome, Cortes soon did what he came to the American continent for: he ruthlessly destroyed numerous Indian tribes, killed King Montezuma and proclaimed himself Governor General of New Spain. Forgot about cocoa for a few years ..
It wasn't until 1524 that Cortés finally decided to send a few cocoa beans as a gift to his king, but history is silent on whether the monarch liked the American curiosity. One thing is known: even court botanists did not show the slightest interest in cocoa beans.
Only a few years later, when the ship Veracruz landed in Seville with a cargo of cocoa on board, Europe finally became interested in the bitter gift of the Indians. Cocoa and the wonderful tonic chocolatl impressed Charles V himself so much that he agreed to the Spanish monopoly on the production and trade of cocoa - a monopoly that lasted for almost a century.

Model of the ship "Santa Maria", on which Columbus discovered America in 1492

Thus, Spain was first European country recognizing the taste of chocolate. Not surprisingly, the American drink did not cause delight in the royal court. After all, "hot chocolate", as the Indians drank it, was heavily peppered, spicy and consumed cold. The first experiments with the taste of the drink began to be made by Jesuit monks, loyal subjects of the Spanish monarch.

Scholar-monk of Italian origin Benzoni, 1565

In 1565 a native of Italy monk Benzoni, working on the issue of improving the supply of the army, he suddenly discovered the high nutritional value of cocoa, which he immediately reported to the court. Realizing what a gold mine was in his hands, the Spanish king made everything related to cocoa a state secret, so both the recipe of the drink and the results of experiments on cocoa remained hidden from the rest of Europe for a long time. At one time, about 80 people were executed for breaking the "chocolate" secret!

At the beginning of the 17th century, the first revolution in the cocoa world took place within the walls of the Spanish monasteries.

Postage stamp with a portrait of the historian José Acosta

Back in 1604, the Jesuit historian Jose Acosta writes that cocoa is used "predominantly in the preparation of a drink, which, without reason, was revered by the Indians as divine, although it tastes disgusting to the one who tastes it for the first time." And now hot pepper disappears from the recipe of the chocolate drink, with which the Aztecs abundantly seasoned the drink, but honey appears, which was very quickly replaced with sugar, and vanilla is added a little later. So, in Spain, the recipe for the prototype hot chocolate was as follows: 1 ounce of cocoa, 8 ounces of water and 2 ounces of sugar were mixed, brought to a boil and whipped into a foam. The drink is still very oily, but its taste is already approaching modern.
In 1631, some medicinal properties of a chocolate drink were experimentally discovered. The first doctor who dared to put them into practice was Antonio Colmenero de Ledesma, the most popular doctor of the Spanish nobility. A little later, in 1653, the scientist Bonavertura di Aragon described his own method of healing the body with the help of hot chocolate, which he used to relieve irritability and improve digestion.
Fashion for chocolate arose quickly in Spain, despite its high cost. In the 16th century, the Spanish historian Oviedo wrote: "Only the rich and noble could afford to drink chocolate, as he literally drank money." The Spaniards so jealously guarded the secret recipe for the miraculous drink that when a British ship captured a Spanish ship loaded with cocoa beans in 1587, the cargo was destroyed as useless.
When hot chocolate became incredibly popular among the Spanish aristocracy, a serious discussion broke out in the world about whether it was possible to drink it during fasting. Those in whose hands the trade in cocoa beans was concentrated - the Jesuits, insisted on the harmlessness of this drink. Others were against it - after all, the Catholic Church has always forbidden during fasting everything that brings sensual pleasure.
In 1569, the bishops of Mexico held a special meeting on this occasion, at which they decided to send Father Girolamo de San Vincenzo to the Vatican so that the Pope himself would resolve the dispute, for which chocolate was prepared (it is worth noting again that in those days the drink was odorous , viscous and rather bitter).
Pope Pius V was in some confusion. He had never tasted chocolate and didn't even know what it was. Having taken a sip of the drink, the Pope frowned and uttered the historical phrase: "Chocolate does not break the fast, such a muck cannot bring someone pleasure!"
A hundred years later, the Catholic Church, under the pressure of a new secular custom, was forced to allow the use of hot chocolate even within its walls, so as not to lose noble and wealthy parishioners. As I wrote later Alexandre Dumas son: "Ladies rave about chocolate, it's not enough for them to drink it at any time of the day or night in their living room, they carried it to church! This habit at first brought the wrath of the confessors on them, but they soon became addicted to drinking chocolate."

Bags of cocoa beans in the museum

Having got their hands on the "chocolate" secret, the Spaniards for a long time remained monopolists in the cocoa trade and processing market. But you can’t hide cocoa in a bag, and already in 1606, after the trip of an Italian Francesco Carletti to the shores of America, Europe it becomes possible to get cocoa directly from the New World.
Second after Italy residents learn about cocoa Netherlands, either stolen or bartered for the secret of cocoa from the Spanish monks. At the beginning of the 17th century, having captured Curaçao, the great Dutch navigators brought cocoa fruits to Holland. Cocoa is hailed as a valuable product and is recommended by doctors as a cure for all diseases.
At the same time, the cocoa bean trade began to spread.
In 1615 Anna of Austria- the daughter of the Spanish king Philip, marries the king of France, Louis XIII. Anna presents cocoa to the spoiled French public, who enthusiastically greets the new drink.
Thanks to travelers from Italy, chocolate reaches Germany, Poland and Belgium. In the pharmacy price lists of that time, you can find the following information: chocolate is a means that strengthens the body.
In 1650, the secret of a fragrant chocolate drink reaches England. Very soon chocolate becomes the most popular drink of King Charles II.
Chocolate immediately has supporters and haters. Among the latter was the famous English pharmacist John Parkinson, who did not call the drink anything other than "pork swill". The pirates who hunted in the Caribbean did not appreciate cocoa either. For example, the famous English corsair Francis Drake, attacking merchant ships, ordered cocoa beans to be thrown overboard, mistaking them for sheep dung.
At the beginning of the 17th century, the first chocolatiers appeared, but chocolate is prepared and sold exclusively in pharmacies, since for a long time it has been considered a strong aphrodisiac. The first chocolatier who did not have pharmaceutical skills was La Molina, the maid of Queen Maria Teresa. She got her nickname from the word "molinello", which meant a special stick for making cocoa drink.
Molinillo- hot chocolate frother. According to one version, molinillo was invented by the Spanish conquistadors in the early 1700s, based on a French whipping tool called "moulinet" (miller, stirrer). The tool was dipped to the bottom of a vessel with a chocolate drink and began to rotate rapidly, holding one end between the palms, and the carved cloves on the other end, rotating, turned the cocoa into a thick foam. Molinillo is used in the same way to this day.
The second, less common and unproven version of the origin of the molinillo connects the history of this instrument with the preparation of a drink from cocoa among the Aztecs, who actively used the prototype of the molinillo - a simple wooden instrument called "holzquirl", notched at one end, but less refined. It is he who can be considered the ancestor of the molinillo conquistadors.

Molinillo - hot chocolate frother

In the 18th century, a cup hot chocolate for dessert, it became a sign of good taste in high society throughout Europe, a sign of prosperity and respectability. Various medicinal properties were attributed to it, including the properties of an aphrodisiac. The divine drink inspired poets and artists. The symbol of the chocolate mania of that era is still the painting "Chocolate Girl", created in the mid-40s of the 18th century by the Swiss painter Jean Etienne Lyotard.
At the same time, confectioneries began to open all over Europe, where everyone could enjoy a drink. At first, the drink was strong enough, but later they began to add milk to it (the British did it first in 1700), which gave chocolate the necessary lightness and pleasant taste for women and children. Since then, chocolate has become much cheaper and has become available to many. They prepared hot chocolate in a special vessel with a short spout, a long wooden handle and a lid with a hole for a beater to foam the drink well.
The drink was served first in ordinary cups, gradually moving to special ones - porcelain. BUT Marquis of Manser even invented a special set - a cup on a saucer, which seems to wrap around the bottom of the cup and prevent the precious drink from spilling.

Raimundo de Madrazo and Garreta (1841 - 1920) - Hot chocolate

Jean-Étienne Liotard (1702 - 1789) - Lady with chocolate, 1744

Pietro Longhi (1702 - 1785) - Morning chocolate, 1775-1780

Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841 - 1919) - A cup of chocolate, 1878

"A Cinderella Story"

The legend of the creation of the painting "Lovely Chocolate" is this: in 1745, the Austrian aristocrat Prince Dietrichstein went into a Viennese coffee house to try a new chocolate drink, which was so much talked about at that time. His waitress was Anna Balthauf, daughter of the impoverished nobleman Melchior Balthauf. The prince was captivated by her charm and, despite the objections of his family, he took the girl as his wife. "Chocolate Girl" became a wedding gift for the new princess, ordered by the newlyweds from the fashionable Swiss artist Lyotard. The portrait painter portrayed the bride dressed as an 18th century waitress, immortalizing love at first sight. (This version is real story Cinderella, was popularized in booklets by Walter Baker).
According to another version, the future princess's name was Charlotte Balthauf, her father was a Viennese banker and the painting was painted in his house - this is the inscription preserved on a copy of the painting, lined in London. There is also a variant according to which it was not a custom-made portrait, but a picture painted at the artist’s own request, struck by the beauty of the girl, from the maid of Empress Maria Theresa, called Balduf.

Jean-Étienne Liotard (1702 - 1789) - Chocolate, 1744-1745

Chocolate is a delicious treat not only for children, but also for most adults. Today, its taste and aroma can be recognized with closed eyes, but, as history shows, chocolates were not always distinguished by pleasant taste qualities. Chocolate has come a long way to win the hearts of aficionados all over the world. In short, this amazing product has gone through a transformation from a tart and bitter drink to an exquisite sweet dessert, which today is produced in the widest range - bitter, dark, ruby, milky, white, porous ...

Who invented it?

According to one of the hypotheses of linguists, the name "chocolate" comes from the Aztec "xocolātl", which is pronounced "chocolatl" and means "bitter or foamy water". At the same time, the chocolate tree was named by the Swedish naturalist K. Linnaeus and other Greek. translated as "food of the gods".

Ancient chocolate

Chocolate history began more than 3 thousand years ago in Central America. The local Indians, first the Olmecs, and then the Mayans who replaced them, prepared a drink from cocoa fruits, which was considered sacred and was an integral part of sacred rituals, marriage and funeral ceremonies. Cocoa beans are also widely used for medicinal purposes. This cold, bitter and rather spicy, due to the addition of hot pepper and spices, the drink was first whipped to a high foam in special jugs, and then immediately drunk or allowed to brew and ferment. Drinking such a drink was allowed only to the highest layers of one of the most mysterious world civilizations - shamans, leaders, noble men and worthy warriors.

The Aztecs, who had the largest army at that time, and in the XIV century. who imposed their supremacy on the Maya, adopted the established tradition of preparing and consuming chocolate, and valued the fruits of the chocolate tree no less. In addition to gold and silver, cocoa beans were brought as tribute, which had already become a monetary unit and were considered a symbol of wealth, in connection with which they were even forged. During this era, the first chocolate tree plantations were established.

According to historical data, the wealth of the Aztec rulers was estimated not only by jewelry, but also by the number of bags of cocoa beans. They were mainly consumed as a drink with various ingredients on which the taste depended. Although in some cases the fruits were consumed raw or fried. Moreover, men who could afford a cocoa drink drank it in large quantities, because it was believed that it had a positive effect on communication with the female sex. In addition, the Indian peoples believed that cocoa beans, from which spiritual insight, wisdom and strength come, are a sacred gift from the gods. There are many stories and legends about chocolate.

Chocolate in Europe

During the period of great geographical discoveries, the navigator and discoverer Columbus, in search of "India", discovered the "New World" (1502). Here, among the indigenous people, he tried exotic cocoa, which did not make much of an impression on him. Nevertheless, from his fourth trip, the traveler brought mysterious grains to Europe as a gift to the Spanish monarch. But among many other treasures and curiosities, modest-looking cocoa beans have not been given due attention.

The Spaniards, or rather the conquistador Fernando Cortes, who led the conquest of Mexico, were the first to appreciate the taste of a chocolate drink. An interesting fact contributed to the invader. According to one version, the Aztecs believed that the god Quetzalcoatl or the Winged Serpent, who gave people a cocoa tree, should come to them. When, in 1519, Cortes landed on the shore along with his warriors, whose armor sparkled in the rays of the sun like the scales of a snake, locals decided that the prophecy had come true and received the guests with great honors. At the feast of the leader Montezuma, a foamy, thick, red drink was presented in golden bowls with the greatest reverence. Although Cortez did not really like its taste, he noted how refreshing, invigorating and energizing chocolate is.

Literally six months later, the Spaniards attacked, destroying the centuries-old Aztec empire to the ground, but having received the most valuable thing - the secret of making an exotic drink. After the establishment of Spanish domination on the island of Haiti, Cortes founded the first cocoa plantation belonging to Spain. Soon, returning to his homeland, the conquistador personally treated the Emperor Charles V with the exotic, and after scientific confirmation of the value of the product, the manufacturing secret was equated with a state secret and many people were executed for disclosure. Regular imports of valuable cargo under guard from the "New World" to Europe began. And at first, English pirates, capturing Spanish ships, thought that the beans were sheep dung and simply threw it overboard.

The Spaniards, or rather the Jesuit monks, are under fear death penalty they began to experiment - heat the drink, add cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, cloves, honey, but when it was supplemented with cane sugar, a real turning point occurred in the history of the appearance of chocolate, because its popularity skyrocketed. The noble drink was first appreciated at the Spanish court, while the secret of its preparation and recipe was kept in great secret.

The chocolate drink appeared in Europe when coffee was not yet popular, and Chinese tea was fabulously expensive.

chocolate boom

From the 17th century the fame of the hot and sweet drink spread throughout Europe. Florentine traveler Francesco Carletti learned about it during a trip around the world and published a recipe, and the Italians soon established chocolate production. From Venice, the chocolate mania spread to other European countries. At the same time, the French court learned about the delicacy thanks to the wife of Louis XIII, the daughter of the Spanish monarch, Anna of Austria.

A little later, the "Chocolate House" opens in the capital of England, giving rise to hundreds of cafes that treat visitors to an exquisite dessert. Drinking a cup of a noble drink was considered a sign of good taste. In addition, doctors advised chocolate as a tonic and aphrodisiac. European confectioners prepared various delicacies from it with milk, nuts, dried fruits, flower petals and added it to pastries. Expensive sweetness remained the privilege of the upper strata. In the 18th century there were attempts to mechanize production, reduce costs and expand the circle of dessert admirers.

According to modern statistics, one inhabitant of the Earth accounts for at least 5 kg per year.

chocolate industry

Until the 19th century sweetness was offered only in liquid form. But thanks to the Dutchman Konrad van Guten, who designed a special device, it was possible to squeeze out enough fatty oil from grated cocoa. Confectioners began to add it to hot chocolate, which made the liquid mass harden. The powder remained in the press, which was perfectly soluble in water or milk.

The first chocolate bar was officially created in 1847 at the J.S. Fry & Sons (England), which was later taken over by the larger company Cadbury Brothers. In the future, tiles began to be produced at other enterprises, and chocolate as a drink lost its relevance. Due to high competition, manufacturers came up with new forms and tastes with different fillings.

In Sweden, Daniel Peter, one of the founders of the Nestlé factory, succeeded in making the first milk chocolate bar by adding powdered milk. In the 1930s under the brand name "Nestlé" released a white kind of delicacy.

With the onset of the industrial revolution, chocolates and sweets became available to almost everyone, and chocolate production became one of the most profitable areas in the food industry.

Today they produce chocolates with the most unusual flavors, for example, with salt, bacon, hay flavor and cologne smell, with wasabi and algae for those who want to lose weight.

Chocolate in Russia

Catherine II was a great admirer of chocolate, who became a trendsetter in the St. Petersburg courtyard to start the morning with a cup of hot drink. His recipe was brought by Venezuelan Ambassador Francisco de Miranda. By the middle of the XIX century. Russian factories began to appear in Moscow, though they were opened by entrepreneurs of foreign origin. One of the founders was the Frenchman Adolphe Siou, who opened a confectionery business under the brand name “A. Sioux and Co., as well as the German Ferdinand von Einem, the owner of the Einem Partnership, who conquered the capital with a wide range of confectionery.

A talented merchant A. Abrikosov opened the first domestic chocolate production. At the same time, he launched a powerful advertising campaign, independently made packaging and colorful wrappers for products dedicated to cultural and scientific figures, as well as on children's topics. The creations of the confectioner are known to many - "Crow's feet", "Cancer necks", sweet New Year's figurines. Abrikosov proudly bore the title of "chocolate king" of Russia.

AT Soviet era many large chocolate enterprises were nationalized until the middle of the 20th century. did not pay due attention to this industry. But since the 1960s, a new program has been adopted, with which milk chocolate became available to every Soviet person, and several generations of Russian children grew up with Alyonka chocolate.

The history of chocolate does not end today. Talented confectioners and chocolatiers continue to create the most attractive sweets from chocolate mass according to classic and original recipes. There are several museums in the world and a monument dedicated to chocolate, and September 13 marks the most delicious holiday- World Chocolate Day.