History of Chocolate Timeline

(1500 BCE - Present)

The history of chocolate spans over 3,000 years, beginning with the Olmec and Maya civilizations of Mesoamerica, who consumed cacao as a bitter beverage used in rituals and trade. After the Spanish brought cacao to Europe in the 16th century, chocolate evolved into a sweetened drink favored by the elite. The Industrial Revolution enabled mass production, and innovations like solid eating chocolate, milk chocolate, and modern confectionery transformed chocolate into one of the world's most beloved treats. More Less

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Mesoamerican Cultures

Earliest cacao drink consumption in Mesoamerica

1900 BC - 900 BC

The earliest evidence of cacao drink consumption in Mesoamerica dates to the Early Formative Period (1900–900 BC).

Image source: History of chocolate

Mokayan cacao drinks on Chiapas coast

1900 BC

On the Pacific coast of Chiapas, Mexico, the Mokayan people consumed bitter frothy watery cacao drinks by 1900 BC.

Cacao traces at Puerto Escondido

1851 BC - 1045 BC

Traces of cacao have been found in bowls and jars dated between 1851 and 1045 BC in the city of Puerto Escondido, Mexico.

Pre-Olmec cacao preparation in Veracruz

1750 BC

Archaeological evidence from the Gulf Coast of Veracruz, Mexico, demonstrates cacao preparation by pre-Olmec peoples by 1750 BC.

Traditional cacao processing established

1000 BC

The basic process of fermenting, roasting, and milling with metates continued unchanged until the 19th century. According to Grivetti (2008), consumption was restricted to adult men, as the stimulating effects were considered unsuitable for women and children.

Toltec cacao-turquoise trade network

800 AD - 1200 AD

During the 9th to 12th centuries, cocoa was imported as part of a cacao-turquoise exchange within a Toltec-run trade network.

Chocolate exclusive to Aztec elites

1300 AD - 1520 AD

Aguilar-Moreno (2006), citing Colonial Spanish sources, says chocolate was drunk exclusively by the Aztec elites, including the royal house, lords, nobility, and long-distance traders known as pochteca. According to Coe and Coe (2013), soldiers in battle were the only exception, as chocolate was considered a stimulant. It was also served to the sick to treat coughs, stomach issues and fever, and was widely available across Mesoamerica at the time of the conquest for rituals around healing, marriage and travel.

Cocoa beans used as currency recorded

1545

The Spanish conquistadors recorded the currency value of the cocoa beans, noting in 1545 that thirty beans could buy a small rabbit, one bean could buy a large tomato, and a hundred beans could purchase a turkey hen.

European Arrival and Spread

Decline of Native American populations reduces cacao output

1500 - 1600

During the 16th century Native Americans experienced a massive population decline due to exposure to Eurasian diseases and direct violence from colonizers, and production of cacao decreased.

Columbus encounters Mayan trading canoe

Aug 15, 1502

On the fourth voyage of Columbus, on 15 August 1502, the expedition came upon a Mayan trading canoe near an island in the Gulf of Honduras.

Spanish conquistadors encounter cacao

1519

Spanish conquistadors encountered cacao in 1519 and brought it to Spain, where it was used as a form of medicine. Hernán Cortés may have been the first European to encounter chocolate when he observed it in the court of Moctezuma II in 1520.

Spanish expand cacao production in Mexico

1524

By 1524, the Spanish had established control over central Mexico, and expanded cacao production while increasing tribute requirements in 'frenzied' efforts to profit from cacao.

Spanish introduce cacao to the Caribbean

1525

The Spanish introduced cacao to the Caribbean around 1525, where it spread from Trinidad to Jamaica.

Chocolate introduced to the Spanish court

1544

According to the earliest documented evidence, chocolate was introduced to the Spanish court in 1544 by Qʼeqchiʼ Mayan nobles brought to Spain by Dominican friars, but it was not until 1585 that the first official shipment of cacao to Europe was recorded.

Mass production of chocolate begins

1550

By the mid-16th century, chocolate was being manufactured and sold in large quantities. Through the 16th century, the Spanish were interested in the medicinal qualities of Mesoamerican plants.

Ecclesiastical fast controversy over chocolate

1550 - 1700

From the late-16th century until the early 18th century, there was controversy about whether chocolate was both a food and a drink or just a drink; this distinction was important for determining if consumption violated ecclesiastical fasts.

Word 'chocolate' first recorded

1579 - 1604

Chocolate is a Spanish loanword, first recorded in English in 1604 and in Spanish in 1579. By about 1580, when the Izalcos were major cacao producers, the word expanded to mean cacao beverages in general.

First official cacao shipment to Europe

1585

It was not until 1585 that the first official shipment of cacao to Europe was recorded.

Drinking chocolate popular among European elite

1600 - 1700

During the 17th century, drinking chocolate became very popular among the elite of Europe, and was believed to be an aphrodisiac. From Spain, chocolate spread to Portugal, to Italy in the 17th century, and then outwards. By the 17th century, Madrid had stored around 700,000 pounds of cacao. Most cacao imported to Europe came from Venezuela.

Guayaquil cacao smuggled despite bans

1630

Despite bans on importing this cacao around 1630, Guayaquil cacao continued to be exported by smugglers.

British conquer Jamaica, securing cocoa supply

1655

Cocoa was supplied by Jamaican plantations, after the British conquered the Spanish territory in 1655.

Chocolate arrives in England

1657

Chocolate arrived in England from France around 1657, around the same time as tea and coffee, and encountered an initial backlash from those with medical concerns. Chocolate was served in coffee houses to whoever could pay, and by the end of the 17th century it was compulsory to include it in British Navy rations.

Chocolate spreads among French aristocracy

1670 - 1684

By the 1670s, drinking chocolate was widespread among French aristocratic women, despite debate over whether chocolate was medically good or bad; it would only be settled as beneficial by 1684 with the publication of a thesis defending chocolate by a Paris physician.

Chocolate reaches North American colonies and Philippines

1680 - 1700

From England, chocolate spread to the North American colonies by the late-17th century. Chocolate was also well established among the elite of the late-17th-century Philippines, brought over by the conquering Spanish.

Industrialization

Churchman patents water-powered cocoa milling

1729

In 1729, British apothecary Walter Churchman received a patent for a water engine that powered cocoa milling, purchased by Joseph Storrs Fry II of J. S. Fry & Sons.

Image source: J. S. Fry & Sons

French heated table-mill developed

1732

The French began heating working areas of the table-mill to assist extraction in 1732.

Chocolaterie Lombart founded

1760

Chocolaterie Lombart was founded in 1760, and is claimed to have been the first chocolate company in France.

Image source: Lombart Chocolate

Water-powered milling begins in American colonies

1765

In the American colonies, water-powered milling began in 1765.

Hydraulic mill invented in France

1776

In 1776 in France, a hydraulic mill was invented, which spread to other European countries.

First Swiss chocolate factory opens

1819

In 1819, François-Louis Cailler opened the first chocolate factory in Switzerland.

Image source: Cailler

Portuguese begin West African cacao cultivation

1820 - 1824

In the early 19th century, the Portuguese began commercial cacao growing in West Africa after their colonies in South America gained independence. Introducing the crop to São Tomé from Brazil in 1824, widespread cultivation soon spread across Africa.

Van Houten patents Dutch cocoa process

1828

In 1828, Coenraad Johannes van Houten received a patent for the manufacturing process of making Dutch cocoa.

Image source: Coenraad Johannes van Houten

Menier launches chocolate tablet

1836

French pharmacist Antoine Brutus Menier helped expand chocolate production, launching a chocolate tablet in 1836 and developing the Menier factory in Noisiel.

Image source: Menier Chocolate

Fry's creates the first chocolate bar

1847

In 1847, Fry's invented a method of mixing cocoa butter with cocoa powder and sugar to invent a non-brittle and dry eating chocolate, commonly considered the first chocolate bar. Competition between Cadbury and Fry's created the chocolate box and the chocolate Easter egg.

Portugal abolishes slavery amid labor abuses

1869

When Portugal made slavery illegal in 1869 after large international pressure, production was maintained by creating a captive workforce through 'legal trickery'.

Milk chocolate invented in Switzerland

1875 - 1900

Modern milk chocolate was invented in 1875 when Swiss chocolate manufacturer Daniel Peter combined the recently invented powdered milk with chocolate and achieved public acceptance after 1900.

Image source: Daniel Peter

Lindt invents conching

1879

In 1879, the conching process was invented by the Swiss chocolatier Rodolphe Lindt, which heats and agitates liquid chocolate for days to change flavor and increase smoothness.

Image source: Rodolphe Lindt

Modern Era

Linnaeus names cacao Theobroma

1753

In 1753, Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus gave cacao its genus name: Theobroma, meaning 'food of the gods'.

Image source: Theobroma

Mass market chocolate boom

1880 - 1914

From 1880 to 1914, the mass market for chocolate experienced huge growth: between 1896 and 1909, chocolate consumption in the United States increased 414%, and similarly quadrupled between 1880 and 1902 in England.

Cadbury investigates Portuguese cacao labor practices

1901 - 1909

After receiving the attention of journalists and activists, Cadbury began inquiring into labor practices in the Portuguese cacao industry in the first decade of the 20th century. A 1908 report by Cadbury agent Joseph Burtt described the system as 'de facto slavery'. In 1909, Fry's, Cadbury, and Rowntree's boycotted plantations in Portuguese territories which generally improved working conditions, although not entirely.

São Tomé becomes largest cacao producer

1905

São Tomé and Príncipe became the largest producer in 1905. Although cacao had historically been grown on a mix of estates and smallholdings, by 1914 the latter was becoming dominant.

Image source: São Tomé and Príncipe

Gold Coast becomes largest cacao producer

1911 - 1977

Cadbury moved sourcing to the British colony of the Gold Coast, today Ghana, which became the largest producer of cacao in 1911. It remained the largest producer until it was overtaken by the Ivory Coast in 1977.

Cadbury merges with Fry's

1919

After Cadbury merged with Fry's in 1919, their competition became Swiss chocolatiers and the American firms Mars and The Hershey Company.

Image source: Cadbury

Callebaut invents couverture chocolate

1925

Couverture chocolate was invented by Belgian chocolatier Octaaf Callebaut in 1925.

Tempering process developed

1931

Tempering, the process of cooling and heating chocolate to form a crisp break and glossy appearance, was developed by 1931.

Nestlé sells white chocolate

1936

In 1936, Nestlé first sold white chocolate.

Image source: White chocolate

Cocoa butter substitute debate begins

1956 - 1997

In 1956, chocolate containing cocoa butter substitutes was launched in Britain. From the 1970s there were arguments over how much cocoa butter could be replaced with these cheaper fats and still be called chocolate, and in 1997, EU regulations ruled this could only be a maximum 5% of chocolate's fat, which was followed by Australia and New Zealand.

Godiva brings Belgian chocolate to America

1966

Godiva introduced Belgian-style chocolate to America in 1966, bringing about a large demand for premium chocolate.

Image source: Godiva Chocolatier

Bean-to-bar craft chocolate movement begins

1984 - 2013

Single origin chocolates were first created in 1984, starting the bean-to-bar, or craft chocolate movement. As of 2010, the movement was unregulated, and producers' claims of provenance and quality were criticized. In 2013, there were at least 37 bean-to-bar producers in the United States, increasing from one in 1997.

Chocolate consumption grows in Africa and Asia

1990 - 2013

Markets in China and India emerged in the late 20th century, with chocolate centrally a gift. In the 2000s, consumption grew in Africa; in Nigeria, for example, the market grew 775% between 2006 and 2013. From the late 1980s to 2019, cocoa bean production doubled.

Valrhona introduces vintage-dated single-origin chocolate

1998

Valrhona introduced single-origin, vintage-dated chocolate in 1998 from a Trinidadian plantation.

Image source: Valrhona

Slavery documentary exposes African cacao labor

2000

Slave labor among African cacao growers gained public attention after the release of the documentary Slavery: A Global Investigation in 2000. In 2005, a non-binding, voluntary industry agreement called the Harkin–Engel Protocol created by US Congress members was created to address child and forced labor. As of 2018, there was 'little evidence' that initiatives to reduce child labor had been effective.

Image source: Ad Hoc Committee on Slavery

Traditional cacao drinks persist in Mesoamerica

2006 - 2017

As of 2006, drinks were still made from cacao seeds across Mesoamerica, including the beverages bupu and tejate from Oaxaca. In many rural areas of Central America and Mexico, disks of sweetened chocolate were sold at local markets as of 2017.

Image source: Tejate

Dark chocolate health-driven resurgence

2009 - 2018

Dark chocolate experienced a 'popular resurgent interest' by 2009 from public attention around health claims concerning its polyphenolic antioxidants, and raw and organic chocolates were observed to have risen in popularity as of 2018.

Image source: Dark chocolate

Industry faces disease, climate and sustainability threats

2017 - 2023

Through the 20th century, plantations were damaged by disease and climate. As of 2019, the cacao industry was under threat by the emergence of diseases; by 2017 up to 38% of cacao harvested annually was lost to disease. As of 2023, the industry's sustainability was threatened by deforestation, poor soil management, persistent poverty and forced labor among farmers, and climate change.

Global chocolate trade exceeds $100 billion

2018

As of 2018, the global chocolate trade was valued at over US$100 billion — worth US$108 billion that year — concentrated among a relatively small group of cocoa processors and chocolate manufacturers. The 'Big Five' makers — Mars, Mondelez, Ferrero, Nestlé and Hershey — comprised almost two-thirds of the global market, and the largest market and consumption per capita remained in the West.

West Africa dominates world cocoa supply

2022 - 2023

In 2022, Ghana and the Ivory Coast supplied 57% of the world's cocoa. In 2023, cocoa processors Olam, Cargill, and Barry Callebaut controlled 40% of trade between countries.

Key Facts

The Olmec civilization of Mesoamerica is believed to be the first to process cacao beans into a consumable product around 1500 BCE.
The Maya and Aztecs valued cacao so highly that they used cacao beans as currency and in religious ceremonies.
Spanish explorers introduced chocolate to Europe in the 16th century, where it was sweetened with sugar and became a luxury drink among aristocrats.
In 1847, Joseph Fry created the first modern solid eating chocolate bar, revolutionizing how chocolate was consumed.
Daniel Peter invented milk chocolate in 1875 by combining chocolate with powdered milk developed by Henri Nestlé.

Source

This History of Chocolate timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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