A Short and Sweet History

Preview audio:

storyj.mp/acczht52apyv

We normally think of chocolate as a sweet treat, but it began as a bitter beverage! Chocolate as a food got its start in ancient times, when it wasn’t just a dessert – it played an important part in ritual and culture.

In ancient Latin America, chocolate was worshipped – literally! Both the Mayan and Aztec people had gods that they believed were responsible for bringing chocolate to the earth. Both cultures consumed chocolate as a drink,which was popular among nobility. It was believed that the cocoa bean had magical powers, and it was used during major life events like births, marriages and deaths.

Chocolate wasn’t mixed with sugar until Europeans came in contact with the Americas in the 1500s. They brought it home to Europe, where it became in expensive import and a symbol of wealth. Instead of chili and corn, Europeans added cinnamon and sugar to chocolate. But because chocolate was imported from another country, chocolate was available only to the upper class and became a symbol of wealth and status.

In the mid -1600s '' chocolate houses'' which were like coffee houses we have today, were trendy meeting place for English citizens. By the 1700s chocolate was a part of life for upper-class citizens in Europe; believed to be a nutritious drink with many health benefits. Back in America, chocolate was so popular that it was included in the rations for soldiers on the battlefield in the Revolutionary War.

In the early 1800s the Industrıal Revolution was in full swing, and people quickly found ways of speeding up the chocolate making process. In 1828 a Dutch chemist found a way to remove some of the natural fat from chocolate, which lead to the creation of chocolate in food form. In 1868 Nestle invented milk chocolate

QUESTIONS

1.Which cultures were the first to consume chocolate?

a) The Swiss and the Dutch

b)The Mayans and Aztecs

c)The English and the Mayans