It is common knowledge that chocolate made its appearance among the Aztecs as a drink for kings. The cocoa beans, from which the drink was derived, were highly valued and were used as currency. When Hernando Cortez, a ruthless conquistador, set his sights on the Aztec nation, King Moctezuma introduced him to the bitter drink. Cortés proceeded to plunder his country and seize his land, which included the cacao plant.

Back in Spain, Cortez had no idea what he had found until some enterprising chemists added sugar and honey to the bitter drink and happily introduced a drink that became the forerunner of hot chocolate, marking the beginning of the love affair. of the world with chocolate. In the 17th century, the European elite happily drank the newly prized beverage (one wonders if the waistbands expanded at the same time). And with the promise of an aphrodisiac, as well as medicinal powers, it’s no wonder it took off.

But alas, until it was mass-produced at the end of that century, the masses could only dream of it, as the cost was too high and the Easter bunny was just a distant fantasy. In the early 1800s, the Dutch discovered a process for making powdered beans less bitter and paved the way for our cocoa today, still called “Dutch chocolate.” Soon, solid chocolate was created, and Katy closed the door, Europe developed an insatiable sweet tooth. In the mid 1800s, an ingenious gentleman named Joseph Fry took chocolate paste and a few other ingredients and pressed them into a mold, which hardened into the first chocolate bar. A few decades later, the Cadbury company began selling cases of this glorious delicacy in its native England.

The Swiss, a country united with chocolate, were involved in the creation of milk chocolate and became the brainchild of the Nestlé company. Sounds familiar?

Not to be left out of the mix, American soldiers carried chocolate during the Revolutionary War, and it was sometimes used as wages, when money was tight (works for me). Once again the value of the cocoa bean was put into service.

Today’s chocolate manufacturing in the US alone is a staggering $4 billion industry, with the average American eating more than half a pound per month. Which could easily translate into so much body weight gain!

The chocolate is identical to the name Hershey. Founded by Milton Hershey in rural Pennsylvania in 1886, it began as a candy company. Soon, Mr. Hershey forayed into chocolate production, introducing the first Hershey bar eight years later, with the express purpose of making chocolate available to the common man as an affordable gift. Not satisfied with just one factory, he built an entire city for his workers, and Hersheytown, PA came to life. Hershey’s kisses appeared in 1907 and were originally wrapped by hand, requiring long assembly lines of women wrapping them all day, but the end result was worth it. In 1926, Hershey’s syrup hit the market and kids of all ages could add it to their milk or pour it over ice cream. Not only a businessman but also a philanthropist, Hershey created jobs for people during the Depression and cared for orphans in Hersheytown.

Cocoa beans are supplied by numerous foreign countries to support the world’s chocolate habit, and the value of chocolate goes far beyond adorable sweets. Many of these third world countries depend on their exports of cocoa beans. For example, the small island of Playón Chico, off the coast of Panama, is receiving help from outside sources to increase its production. A relatively isolated people, they seek medicinal properties in the beans and are starting to export them for much-needed income.

There seems to be no end to this glorious product called chocolate. In the US, candy runs the gamut from inexpensive drugstore brands like Whitman’s and Russell Stover, to luxury imports from Godiva, Lindt, Ghiradelli and Roche and everything in between. The original chocolate and candy producers, Nestlé and Cadbury, are still alive and well. (this author prefers Chicago-based Fannie May)

So whether you want a rich truffle, a Snickers bar, a handful of Hershey kisses, or a thick fudge sauce on your chocolate ice cream, from milk to semi-sweet, powdered or solid, bake with it, eat it plain or ask for it mixed with your favorite coffee drink, keep it coming. And aren’t we thankful?