Chocolate is something with which we are all familiar. It is available in many varieties. We have dark, milk and white chocolate. In addition, there are almost countless delicious flavours like popular biscuit fillings and even chilli (which might be an acquired taste). Chocolate-flavoured foods are also popular and we see everything from biscuits and cakes to puddings and even coffee with cocoa flavour added. Since we can’t remember a time without this delicious treat, many people wonder how it all came about.

Mexico

In around 1900BC, cacao beans that grew from the cacao tree were harvested by the Mesoamerica (now Mexico) locals. They would mix the ground beans with cornmeal and chilli before preparing this mixture as a drink.

Chocolate in Spain

In 1519, thanks to groundbreaking exploration missions, Christopher Columbus stumbled upon this delicious bean. He decided to take it back to Spain which led to a great demand and importing of this bean began. Later in the 1500s, people started developing ways of improving the bitter flavour. They added vanilla, and this gave the drink a much sweeter and more appealing taste.

The Netherlands

In 1828 the Dutch chemist, Coenraad Johannes van Houten, was ready to change the way we enjoy choc treats thanks to his cacao press. This press made it possible to extract cocoa butter from the beans and produce the solid form of chocolate that we enjoy today.

Chocolate in Switzerland

Over the years, brands like Cadbury worked hard to maintain certain popularity by regularly presenting consumers with new delicious treats. While in Switzerland during the 1800s, Daniel Peter decided to combine melted chocolate with milk powder. The result was a delicious, creamy milk chocolate that helped define Switzerland as a giant in the industry. Even today when you mention Swiss chocs, everyone immediately thinks of delicious quality products.

There are many different chocolates on the market today. While some are considerably cheap, others can prove particularly pricey. Cheap varieties are not always the best quality. Not only does it lack that creamy flavour, but it also doesn’t quite melt in your mouth and you can be left with a rather odd, fatty sensation in your mouth. When sending a chocolate hamper, remember to always look for chocolate gifts that contain quality products. You want to make sure that the recipient has the most delicious experience.