The history of chocolate, according to experts,began in Mexico for about three years ago. About the fruits of cocoa was known to the American Indians of the Olmec civilization, which existed 1000 BC. And how did this happen?
History of chocolate: the beginning
Еще до таких великих и известных цивилизаций, как Maya and the Aztecs, in the area of the Gulf of Mexico lived the Olmec tribes. They were just the first time and began to prepare a beverage from cocoa beans, they were also the first to grow chocolate trees. By the way, the word "kakava" was found in the everyday life of this long-extinct tribe.
Later, Maya also became addicted to the cocoa drink,but they called it "chocolate". In the Aztecs, it was called "kakahuatl". By the way, it is noticed that all pagan peoples chose something unusual as objects of worship. Indian cultures for centuries replaced one another, but the attitude to cocoa they have always been more than reverential. The Maya believed that there was even a god of cocoa and consumed a chocolate drink during religious rituals, considering it sacred. The Aztecs also perceived cocoa-fruit as the food of the gods, believing that "kakahuatl" gives them spiritual insight.
Today the ancient history of chocolate is goodIt is traced thanks to an amazing find found on the territory of Belize. There it was possible to find a powder with a petrified sediment, which, according to scientists, belongs to 600 BC. As a result of the chemical analysis, it was found that this is nothing else than pounded, and then cooked cocoa beans, supplemented with aromatic impurities.
The history of chocolate got its furtherdevelopment, when in 1502 Columbus landed his ship on American soil. Then the Indians treated him to a cup of hot chocolate. The traveler, however, refused to give the gift, but took a recipe and fruits of cocoa with him to present to the Spanish king. The monarch also did not appreciate the innovation. And only when in 1519 Cortes stepped onto the Mexican coast and decided too bitter black chocolate to sweeten cane sugar, and then brought to the Spanish royal court, the civilized world appreciated this delicacy.
For a long time chocolate was used only inliquid form. The tiled form first appeared sometime in the middle of the 19th century, when the English thought of mixing cocoa powder with cocoa butter and sugar. A huge demand for chocolate bars immediately appeared. Even later in the new product began to add milk - so was born milk chocolate, which today is noticeably ahead of the popularity of bitter.
Today the whole world adores chocolate, which canthanks to the most advanced production technologies to perform in completely different ways. Today, confectioners produce this product on the basis of cocoa with nut, milk, fondant, yoghurt fillings, with a grill, dried fruits, candied fruits, airy rice, and also add a burning pepper. Chocolate glaze traditionally decorates most cakes and pastries. And, of course, all children and adults like to drink a cocoa drink in the mornings and get a beautiful figurine made of chocolate for this or that holiday.
A museum of chocolate in Moscow - is an amazing,a fantastic place where every child dreams to go to make a trip along the river from chocolate (by the way, it is depicted on the floor of the institution) into the world of this delicacy, sweet and bitter at the same time. For sure, the rich thematic exposition presented here, made up of the collections of such legendary confectionery factories as the Rot Front, Red October, Babaevskaya, as well as an ethnographic collection of objects related in one way or another cocoa.
