Where Does Chocolate Come From?

We know about it’s sensual taste, but just where does chocolate come from? Ever wonder how this favorite dessert and ingredient for baked goods came about?

Where Does Chocolate Come From – History

The history of chocolate as we know it dates back to 1828 when a dutch chemist Johannes Van Houten came up with a way of separating the fat (cocoa butter) from the ground cocoa beans. This provided cocoa powder which tasted a lot better than the whole bean. Soon enough people were coming up with ways to mix the powder with milk and make chocolate bars and the first bar (swiss of course) was sold in 1875.

Where Does Chocolate Come From – Process

Chocolate comes from the cocoa bean. These seeds are found in pods that grow on the trunk and lower branches of the cacao tree. This tree is native to the Amazon and Brazil but is cultivated in many tropical climates today. The pods take about 6 months to develop and cocoa can be harvested about twice a year.

From Beans To Bars

You may not only wonder where does chocolate come from, but also how it ends up as a candy bar? First the pods are harvested, fermented and dried. (gourmet chocolates use coca that is dried using a natural process that takes 7 days, the mass produced chocolate is not and the difference is in the taste!). The powder is pressed to extract the cocoa butter then it is blended back together with other ingredients to make the chooclate. Other ingredients include sugar and cocoa liquor. If the desired result is milk or white chocolate, milk or milk powder are also added.

Today, we have 3 basic types of chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate and dark chocolate. Each is made with slightly different ingredients but the most important ingredient is the cocoa powder. If you have ever eaten gourmet chocolates, you will notice the difference in taste than that of a regular candy bar and this is because the mass produced chocolate contains little cocoa solids. In fact mass produced chocolate is made with inferior ingredients and the experience of eating it can not be compared to that of fine gourmet chocolates – they cost more but are well worth the money!