History of Chocolate

The history of chocolate is an interesting journey from the ancient Maya and Aztecs of Mexico and Central America more than 1,500 years ago, where chocolate was a cold, thick, bitter beverage, consumed almost exclusively by the nobles of that time to today’s huge assortment of chocolate in every form imaginable, which is enjoyed by people from all walks of life.

The history of chocolate owes a prominent place to the founding of Cadbury by John Cadbury. At Age 22, he started his retail business in  a fashionable part of Birmingham, England.

“The shop was next door to his father’s drapery and silk business and apart from selling tea and coffee, John Cadbury sold hops, mustard and a new sideline - cocoa and drinking chocolate, which he prepared himself using a mortar and pestle,” according to the Cadbury website

Information from the site also notes that “Cocoa and drinking chocolate had been introduced into England in the 1650s but had remained a luxury enjoyed only by the elite of English society. Customers at John Cadbury’s shop were amongst the most prosperous Birmingham families - the only ones who could afford to buy cocoa and chocolate.”

Cadbury began trying different ways of preparing cocoa beans using a mortar and pestle and he came up with a variety of cocoa and chocloate beverages, to which sugar was added. The chocolate products were sold in blocks: customers then scraped a little off into a cup or saucepan and added hot milk or water.

John Cadbury had a considerable flare for advertising and promotion and he ran his first advertisement in the Birmingham Gazette on 1st March 1824.

For more information on Cadbury, visit the Cadbury Website

You may also want to visit  History of Chocolate Facts