Tabs, Hot Chocolate and Thou
A bit of history on the origins of a magical elixir
Today we have a happy little marshmallow bathing in a nice warm cup of hot chocolate. It’s the perfect way to enjoy your Wonkette Tabs! Put it in a swanky Wonkette mug (get ‘em here!). Or you could have coffee or even tea if you’d like—we don’t judge! But today, let’s talk about chocolate.
The history of chocolate can be traced back to at least 1800 BCE with the Olmecs, who farmed cacao plants and collected the seeds. While it is probable that chocolate consumption occurred earlier, the first verified evidence of chocolate’s use in beverages dates back to about 500 BCE with the Mayans. They would grind cocoa beans into a paste and mix that with water, cornmeal, ground chili peppers and other ingredients and then pass the liquid at at height between vessels to create a frothy, spicy, bitter drink which was consumed cold and unsweetened. In Mesoamerica, cacao was considered a gift from the gods: it was used as a currency, in medicine and in ceremonies (chocolate being given to individuals slated for human sacrifice, for example). The ingredient was so prized that Aztecs required conquered people to include chocolate in their tributes and restricted its consumption to warriors and the nobility.
The first recorded introduction of chocolate to Europeans was in 1502. Conquistador Don Hernán Cortés visited the Aztec King Moctezuma and was presented with a cup of chocolate in a gold goblet. He repaid the honor by later betraying and finally murdering the Aztec king. Along with pilfered golden goblets and other riches from the New World, Cortés brought chocolate back to Spain. Holy Roman Emperor Charles V adopted chocolate drinks as a court beverage and the craze eventually spread from Spain’s fashionable elite to other parts of the continent. Since at the time cocoa beans were only grown in South America and had to be transported by ship, chocolate was an expensive luxury item reserved for the wealthy.
In the 17th century, posh Europeans started sweetening their chocolate and serving it hot, aromatized with other flavorings such as vanilla and jasmine. Towards the end of the century, while visiting Jamaica the president of England’s Royal College of Physicians, Sir Hans Sloane, was offered hot chocolate. To ameliorate the drink’s bitterness, he added milk to it. He brought this idea back to London, kicking off the milk chocolate craze in Europe. Further tinkering by Dutch chemist Coenraad Johannes van Houten in 1828 created a pressing process by which cocoa fat could be separated out from the beans, creating a powder more easily incorporated into milk or water for beverages. A delicious secondary consequence of this invention was that the purer powdered chocolate could be remixed with the cocoa fats, resulting in the confection that the world enjoys today—the chocolate bar.
With the introduction of chocolate plantations to Africa in the late 1800’s and the reduced costs of importing cacao beans, chocolate became an affordable and highly-sought treat by the end of the 19th century. And its popularity shows no signs of slowing down. Today, chocolate is big business with an industry worth almost $128 billion dollars. While Europeans consume the most chocolate, Americans eat on average about 19.8 pounds per year, the equivalent of about three chocolate bars per week. But that access comes at a price. The modern history of cacao farming is rife with worker exploitation, slavery and child labor abuses. With the expansion of cooperative farming and increased consumer awareness, more equatable purchase choices are available and are leading to improving conditions for cacao farmers. However, there are still an estimated 1.56 million children engaged in cocoa production. Further complicating the problem, an increased global appitite for chocolate is leading to deforestation of African tropical forests classified as “protected.” Ultimately, it will be consumer pressure that will drive businesses to discontinue these unsavory conditions, so it behooves us to be informed consumers of where the chocolate we eat comes from. Buying from brands that are certified as Fair Trade and sustainable help support better labor and environmental practices.
A brief overview of the history and modern implications of chocolate consumption is to be found in this excellent summary:
OverBlog: "Chocolate consumption in Europe" 5/7/24
Dame Cacao: "31 Current Chocolate Statistics (Market Data 2024)"
USDA: " Child Labor in the Production of Cocoa"
Fairtrade Foundation: Chocolate
And one more subject that you might want to explore further: the impact of climate change on chocolate production.
Ta, Martini. Great little video.
Excellent history of a most excellent gift of nature. Thank you!