The Chocolate History
The chocolate history started with the discovery of America, because until 1492 nobody knew about this wonderful and extraordinary food. Cristopher Colombus in one of his returns from his trips from the New World, showed the court of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel some cocoa seeds, but almost no interest was given to it at that time.
As far as we know the Aztec Indians were the first chocoholics known in history, they picked cocoa seeds and made an infusion believing that that substance was the powerful aphrodisiac called “chocolate” (hot liquid). The Aztec impire Montezum used to drink more than 50 portions per day – and he made sure to drink an extra dose before he entered in his harem. With this Cortez, the European conqueror and his men, belivied that chocolate could intensify their sexual performance.
When Cortez returned to Spain, in 1528, he gave to the King Carl V some precious cocoa seeds- from that moment on the chocolate entered in history, becoming so popular and precious in Spain that its manufacturing was kept in secret for over a century. The chocolate scarcity during the century XVII became a precious gift at that time. Therefore, the Spanish monasteric monks, responsable for the manufacturing of chocolate could not hide it for much longer.
They believed that chocolate arrived in Britain in the mid- century XVII, therefore, the first British “factory of chocolate” was founded in 1657. Slowly, the crafted production was substituted by massive production, and around 1730 it was already affordable for most of the population. The invention of the cocoa compresor in 1828 decreased the cost of production.
When the princess of Spain Mary Theresa was engaged to King Louis XVI of France, she sent a decorated basket of chocolate. After that, he became so addicted to chocolate that she had to hire her own chocolate maker.
During most of the years of the century XIX, chocolate was still only consumed as liquid. But, from 1861 it began to be sold in a solid form. Put in boxes in heart shapes. And only in 1876, in Vevei, in Switzerland, the chocolate maker Daniel Peter, developed the technic of adding milk to the chocolate, creating the final product that we know until today.
Chocolate has more than 300 different chemical substances e many nutritio important for our body. It is estimated that a medium size bar has:
- 3 grams of protein
- 15% ryboflavin of daily nutrition
- 9% calcium of daily nutrition
- 7% iron of daily nutrition
The fat (butter) in the cocoa gives to chocolate its texture. Researches show that this fat does not increase you cholesterol level, mainly due to high estearic acid. Besides this, recent studies in the California University showed that chocolates presents a high level of chemical products known as flavonoids and phenolic and as it has been said that phenolics can decrease the heart diseases. For example, recently, some studies has shown that small
doses of red wine (one glass per day) has a beneficial effect to the heart and they believed that this is because of the presence of these components which are also in chocolate.
(Boa Saúde - website)