History of chocolate

Megan Giller, author of Bean-to-Bar: America’s Craft Chocolate Revolution, on what it all means for our national sweet tooth.

Megan Giller, author of Bean-to-Bar: America’s Craft Chocolate Revolution, on what it all means for our national sweet tooth.

Illustration,Digital Art,Adobe Illustrator

For those with a sweet tooth, chocolate is probably something you simply cannot live without. But how exactly did chocolate come to be on our shelves today?

If you want to increase your chocolate knowledge here are ten insightful charts taking you from bean to bar with plenty of cocoa insight along the way.

From its journey to Europe from the New World at the beginning of the sixteenth century to its modern-day iteration as we know it, chocolate climbed its way into the hearts and homes of people all over the world. In its long and fruitful evolution through time, we've pulled together a timeline of chocolate's history from Europeans first encounter with the substance with the Aztecs through the Heirloom Cacao Initiative in 2014.

Contrary to popular belief, chocolate is not native to Belgium or France. In fact, it wasn’t introduced to Belgium or France— or anywhere else in Europe for that matter— until just a few centuries ago.

Chocolate is the nation's favourite treat, but why? Is it an aphrodisiac or harmful to dogs? Find out more about the chemistry of chocolate.

Have you ever stopped to wonder how chocolate is actually made? The chocolate-making process is a fascinating blend of art and science. It’s pretty complicated, but we’ve broken it down into 8 easy-to-understand steps. Check it out! Link 👉🏻🔗 https://www.cocoterra.com/how-to-make-chocolate/

Help us eradicate child slavery in the cocoa industry.