Chocolate is one of the world’s most universally loved ingredients; whether a bitter dark blend, or a sweet milky white, this decadent beauty has a long and rich history that spans hundreds of years. Here we canvass a brief overview of the story of chocolate, its journey from the bean to the bar, and how it is used as the popular ingredient as we know it today.

From bean to bar: chocolate’s personal journey

A little known fact about chocolate is that it actually begins life inside a fruit – the cocoa pod – that is found on trees that primarily grow in tropical regions such as Southeast Asia, West Africa and Central and South America. The trees themselves require much love and care, and are harvested by hand by the millions of smallholder farmers employed in the industry.  

Once picked, cocoa pods are cracked open so that farmers can scoop out the seeds. They are then dried and fermented before being exported to factories, where they are ground and roasted into the delicious ingredient we know and love so well. Through a process of pressing, rolling and mixing with other ingredients, chocolate is finally formed and ready to be packaged for sale.

Chocolate in the history of the world

Chocolate has been a feature in human life for hundreds of years, first making an appearance in the history books as a liquid used by the Mayans and Aztecs in pre-Colombian Mexico. In 1528, the product had made its to way across the waters to Spain, and soon began spreading throughout Europe in the as a popular wedding gift, still in liquid form.

It wasn’t until around 1850 that the ingredient first took solid shape, when Fry & Sons introduced chocolate to the world as an edible product. Bitter in taste, however, it wasn’t popularly adopted until later in the century, when Swiss chocolatiers started blending cocoa with milk to create the smooth and silky flavours we love so much.

Cooking with chocolate

It’s little surprise that chocolate is a favourite ingredient to cook with, especially for those with a sweet tooth. Usually reserved for the realm of desserts, chocolate is often re-melted back to its liquid form before folding into cake mixes or lavishly pouring atop a steaming mound of pancakes. A relatively easy ingredient to use, the only thing to be aware of is over cooking it – burnt chocolate can be extremely bitter and that is likely to ruin the intended culinary effect!