2000 BC, Amazon: Cocoa, from which chocolate is created, is said to have originated in the Amazon at least 4,000 years ago.
6 th Century AD: Chocolate, derived from the seed of the cocoa tree, was used by the Maya Culture, as early as the Sixth Century AD. Maya called the cocoa tree cacahuaquchtl… "tree," and the word chocolate comes from the Maya word xocoatl which means bitter water.
300 AD, Maya Culture: To the Mayas, cocoa pods symbolized life and fertility... nothing could be more important! Stones from their palaces and temples revealed many carved pictures of cocoa pods.
1492, Columbus Returns in Triumph From America: King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella were presented with many strange and wonderful things… the few dark brown beans that looked like almonds didn’t get a lot of attention.
1502, Columbus landed in Nicaragua: On his fourth voyage to America, Columbus landed in what is now called Nicaragua. He was the first European to discover cocoa beans being used as currency, and to make a drink, as in the Aztec culture. Columbus, who was still searching for the route to India, still did not see the potential cocoa market that had fallen into his lap.
1492, Columbus Returns in Triumph From America: King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella were presented with many strange and wonderful things… the few dark brown beans that looked like almonds didn’t get a lot of attention.
1502, Columbus landed in Nicaragua: On his fourth voyage to America, Columbus landed in what is now called Nicaragua. He was the first European to discover cocoa beans being used as currency, and to make a drink, as in the Aztec culture. Columbus, who was still searching for the route to India, still did not see the potential cocoa market that had fallen into his lap.
20 th century
1900, Switzerland Takes the Leadership Role: Spain, where chocolate was first introduced to Europeans, falls far behind. Germany consumes the most per head, followed by the United States, France and Great Britain.
1910, The Swiss Reputation for Wonderful Chocolate is Undisputed: Bolstered by an unbroken series of medals at international exhibitions, Swiss Chocolate, like bratwurst, rosti and fondue, is elevated to a national dish.
1913, A new Star is Born: Jules Sechaud of Montreux of Switzerland introduced the process for filling chocolates.
1923, The CMA was Established: The Chocolate Manufacturers Association of the United States of America (CMA) was organized in.
1925, Cocoa is Big Business: The New York Cocoa Exchange, located at the World Trade Center, was begun so that buyers and sellers could get together for transactions.
1910, The Swiss Reputation for Wonderful Chocolate is Undisputed: Bolstered by an unbroken series of medals at international exhibitions, Swiss Chocolate, like bratwurst, rosti and fondue, is elevated to a national dish.
1913, A new Star is Born: Jules Sechaud of Montreux of Switzerland introduced the process for filling chocolates.
1923, The CMA was Established: The Chocolate Manufacturers Association of the United States of America (CMA) was organized in.
1925, Cocoa is Big Business: The New York Cocoa Exchange, located at the World Trade Center, was begun so that buyers and sellers could get together for transactions.
1938, World War II: The U.S. government recognized chocolate's role in the Allied Armed Forces. It allocated valuable shipping space for the importation of cocoa beans which would give many weary soldiers the strength to carry. Today, the U.S. Army D-rations include three 4-ounce chocolate bars. Chocolate has even been taken into space as part of the diet of U.S. astronauts.
You may read that chocolate is an aphrodisiac based on studies from reputable universities. Scientists have isolated phenylethylamine (PEA) which is a stimulant found in chocolate, and also in the brain. A miniscule amount of PEA is released at moments of emotional euphoria, raising blood pressure and heart rate. There is no evidence that PEA found in foods increases PEA in the brain. And by the way, cheddar cheese, salami and pickled herring all contain more PEA than Chocolate, so join our International Cheese of the Month Club too!
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