The Rich History of Chocolate

Cacao Through the Ages

From a delicacy for kings to everyone’s favorite treat, from a sacred and revered health food to a modern scientific wonder, the history of chocolate is rich, varied, and never boring. 

Meso-American painting

The Pre-Columbian Experience (1200 B.C. — 1492 A.D.)

Long before chocolate bars and long before Columbus discovered the New World, the people of Mesoamerica started their own love affair with the cacao bean.
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Spanish warrior

Chocolate's European Debut (16th — 17th Centuries)

The Spanish conquered the Aztecs and brought back many of their treasures, including the cacao bean. But it took a while for Europeans to turn into full-fledged chocolate lovers.
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English maid

The Age of Reason: The Chocolate Enlightenment (18th Century)

Chocolate got caught in the turmoil of revolutions, while being touted as a cure-all, an aphrodisiac and the preferred breakfast drink of the rich and noble.
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Factories

Chocolate Goes Industrial (19th Century)

The candy bar was invented. Milk chocolate was born. And manufacturing took off, creating an even bigger audience for chocolate.
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Dark Chocolate

The People's Treat (20th and 21st Centuries)

Green tea-flavored truffles. Antioxidants. Artisan-crafted creations. How the chocolate of today has changed and how it's stayed the same.
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Where Chocolate Comes From
How Chocolate is Made
Cacao vs. Cocoa
The Rich History of Chocolate
The Pre-Columbian Experience Chocolate's European Debut The Chocolate Enlightenment Chocolate Goes Industrial The People's Treat
Improving the Lives of Cocoa Farmers
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