History of chocolate and a recipe from our pastry chef

Chocolate may seem like a modern invention, but the beginnings of chocolate actually date back to Central America, to a time when the region was known as Mesoamerica. The first traces of chocolate come in the form of fermented chocolate – essentially an ancient hot chocolate – that have been dated back to 450 BC.

Not only does chocolate have a long history, but the reverence people hold chocolate with seems to be a longstanding trait of the foodstuff too. The scientific name of the cacao tree is even Theobroma cacao, which literally translates as ‘Food of Gods’. The Aztecs believed cacao seeds were a gift from Quetzalcoatl – a god of wisdom. In this age, cacao seeds were so valuable, they were actually used as a form of currency!

A world where chocolate makes the world go round and makes people wise sounds like a pretty good one to us…

Back in those days, drinks and foods made with cacao seeds were quite bitter. But in the 16^th century, chocolate arrived in Europe, sugar was added, and chocolate closer to the variety we know today was born.

Over the years, chocolate’s highly esteemed status has continued. It was considered to be an essential part of ration packages for US soldiers during World War I. On Valentine’s Day alone, an estimated £330 million is spent on buying chocolate. And other industries feed chocolate too – including 40% of the world’s almonds, which are used in chocolate making.

To celebrate all things chocolate, our pastry chef has shared a very special chocolate recipe.