If you love chocolate, you might be surprised to learn that it wasn’t always the sweet treat we know today. Before the 16th century, chocolate existed only in Mesoamerica, where it was consumed as a bitter drink made from ground cacao beans mixed with cornmeal and chili peppers. The Maya and Aztecs believed cacao was a divine gift from their gods, using it in rituals and even as currency.
Chocolate’s journey to Europe began in 1519 when Hernán Cortés encountered it at the court of the Aztec king Moctezuma. When Spanish colonists brought cacao beans back to Europe, they initially used chocolate as medicine, but it soon became a luxury item after being sweetened with sugar and vanilla. By the 19th century, chocolate had evolved into the solid form we enjoy today, thanks to the invention of the cocoa press by Coenraad van Houten, and the later addition of powdered milk by Swiss chocolatier Daniel Peter, which created milk chocolate.
As chocolate’s popularity grew, so did the demand for cocoa, leading to the use of slave labor on plantations in the Caribbean and Africa. Today, much of the world’s cocoa comes from West Africa, where serious human rights abuses, including child labor, persist despite efforts to address them.
Chocolate has become a symbol of indulgence in modern culture, but its history is intertwined with exploitation. Understanding this complex past and its ongoing impact can change how we view this beloved treat.
