The History of Chocolate

Cocoa beans were originally brought to Europe by Christopher Columbus and were just one of the many treasures he had collected during his discovery of America. The European's first experience of these almond shaped beans was not one of great enthusiasm and it was not until further explorations of the Americas by the great Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez that their true possibilities were realised.

When the explorers returned to Spain, the popularity of the drink soon spread and newly discovered spices such as Vanilla and Cinnamon were also added to enhance the flavour. The 'Chocolatl' soon became a favourite of the aristocracy. It was later discovered that using heated milk added to the pleasure of the drink. The secret of this new and delicious drink remained with the Spaniards for quite a time. It was not until some one hundred years later that the recipe for the drink was revealed by monks employed to process the cocoa beans.

Before long the rest of Europe, and of course these days the world, was able to indulge in what we now commonly call 'Hot Chocolate'.

The cocoa tree – Theobroma Cacao – Cacao grows in the wild on trees, some 20 metres high (3-8 metres under cultivation), in parts of the world that are within 20º north and 20º south of the Equator. The largest producers are Ivory Coast, Ghana, Indonesia, Brazil and South American countries such as Venezuela and Ecuador.

Today, Africa is the main overall cocoa supplier, with 75% of the world’s cocoa crop. For the small farms in the many ten thousands of African villages, cocoa cultivation represents an important source of income. 

In Britain we eat more chocolate per person than anywhere else in the world - around 9kg each a year! - And our annual expenditure on chocolate is over £5 billion. Ten percent of this is spent at Easter with over 80 million chocolate Easter eggs sold each year. In addition to this, we munch our way through over 200 million Cadbury's Creme Eggs - that's an average of three per person!

A recent report has revealed that our love affair with chocolate has risen steadily over the last ten years, but it seems that certain areas eat more than others. In Wales , for example, a person spends almost twice as much per week on it than the average Londoner. But despite these regional variations, the nation as a whole is agreed on one thing. its favourite type of chocolate, with Cadbury's Dairy Milk continuing to be the best-selling brand, closely followed by Mars and Twix.

Tasting Tips

Sight - Different beans produce differently coloured chocolate, from deep reds to the darkest browns. Remember, the darkest colour does not necessarily give you the best chocolate.

Texture - Even the best quality beans will taste unpleasant if they are not processed properly. The most obvious giveaway of a badly-made chocolate is grittiness in the texture of the chocolate, which is caused when the beans are not broken down properly. Make sure you look for silky smooth chocolate as this denotes excellent skill on the manufacturer's behalf.

Taste - In order to enjoy the full flavour of a chocolate, make sure your palette is completely clean, and then place the chocolate on your tongue for a moment, before slowly moving it around your mouth. A quality chocolate's taste will gradually hit you and then linger for a while. If the taste disappears very quickly, it is a sign of a poor quality chocolate.

The basic flavours to look out for in chocolate are bitterness and sweetness. It is important to get the balance of these flavours right - if either is too weak or too overpowering, the chocolate will not be pleasant to eat. The level of acidity is also important: some sharpness is good as it will bring out the fruit flavours in the chocolate, but too much will be unpleasant.

Smell - Poor-quality chocolate may smell rubbery, which indicates problems with fermentation of the cocoa beans. It might also have an unpleasant smoky smell to it, this usually happens when the beans have been dried too quickly, and wood fires have been used instead of allowing them to dry naturally in the sun.

Once you start to become more familiar with different chocolates and the way they taste, you'll also begin to tell whether you are going to like a particular variety by simply breaking a piece it in your hand and holding it to your nose. Be aware of whether you like strong earthy smells, or whether delicate floral, fruity odours are more to your liking.

As you will see we have a passion for good chocolate, that's why we can ensure you that we only buy the best Belgian chocolate for our fountains, weather it's Dark, Milk, White or Caramel.

You maybe interested to know the All of the chocolate we supply is NUT FREE.

Chocolate as an aphrodisiac

Chocolate has long been considered to have aphrodisiac qualities since the exploits of Montezuma and there will always be a relationship between the two given the pleasures both bring and the words used to describe them.  It's difficult to write about true chocolate without mentioning the flavours and textures that literally caress the tongue and enchant the taste buds. Just the thought of popping an exquisite chocolate into your mouth and letting its flavour gently melt into a warm, sensual liquid is enough to trigger feelings of pleasurable anticipation.

Scientifically, chocolate contains phenylethyalanine, a stimulant similar to the body's own dopamine and adrenaline. Phenylethyalanine strikes the brain's mood centres and induces the emotion of falling in love.