Chocolate History

  Picture source: https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/17890-cocoa-bean-futures-seen-down-6-by-yearend It was the industrial revolution and advertisement of chocolate that changed who had access and how we consume chocolate but it was the late 20th and now 21st century.  Where people are becoming more aware of the production of chocolate. When chocolate became more accessible, they never really thought about where the cacao to make the chocolate came from, or whether the people growing it were making a living, or if no slave labor was used, or how it was affecting the planet. People are now becoming more aware of the production of cacao and how it affects not only people but the planet. Consumers have the right to know where the thing they eat comes from.  People eat chocolate all the time and don’t think about where the cacao used for the chocolate came from. They don’t realize that there is any kind of enslaved or abusive labor being used such as child labor. ...

  Picture source: https://1.bp.blogspot.com/xW2_i6mi5ko/X6QShGB7iFI/AAAAAAACnY8/in8gjlYJxKoTGKqIvkOL4I8aPCak5tfdwCLcBGAsYHQ/s946/vintage-chocolate-advertisements-7.jpg                   Although it was the industrial revolution that led to new inventions being made allowing for chocolate to be produced at faster and cheaper rate, therefore allowing more accessibility, it was the work of advertisement that got more people to eat chocolate products. Advertisements were strategically placed at events such as world’s fairs, where people go to try samples of chocolate, the selling of trading cards, people kept as collectibles, and just plan old advertising campaigns that led to a great increase in people consuming chocolate. Chocolate once thought to be a luxury only the elites and those could afford could have was now available to more people but how do you get more people to eat chocolate when they’ve never had it before? It was...

  Picture source: https://www.raconteur.net/corporate-social-responsibility/child-labour-cocoa-production/   With the Industrial Revolution came another increase in demand in cacao production. Now that cacao could be turned into chocolate at a cheaper and faster rate, cacao went from being an item that was only produced in the Americas to being produced in every part around the equator where it could grow, twenty degrees above and below the equator. This increased demand in cacao not only led to cacao spreading to other parts of the world, but it also led to the need for more people to do the hard labor of cacao production.  Cacao is a plant that can only be grown in a certain area, twenty degrees below and above the equator. With Latin American countries becoming independent, slavery being abolished, and cacao regions getting attacked with disease, European countries had to find a new area to produce more cacao as Latin American, with so many problems, couldn’t keep up...

  Picture Source: Paul Zipperer, The Manufacture of Chocolate , 2nd edition, 1902; p. 186.         During the industrial revolution new inventions were created that led to the first chocolate bars to be produced. The popularity of chocolate bars led to many companies starting the chocolate industry. Mass production of chocolate allowed for more people to have access to cacao that was once limited in access for the elites and those that could afford the luxury item. It was inventions such as the butter press, winnower, roll refiner, and more that allowed for cacao to be mass produced into chocolate. These inventions didn’t change any of the processes of making cacao into chocolate that have been around for many years, it just made it easier and much faster. These inventions increased chocolate production so much that a worker could now make 500 kilograms of chocolate, in 1890’s, in comparison to before which was only 10 kilograms, in the early 1800’s. The d...

Picture source: https://www.oodaalolly.com/blog/2019/10/23/what-makes-philippine-cacao-special-or-unique After chocolate was brought to Europe through Spain, its popularity spread to the other European countries. Therefore, the demand for cacao by elites increased. In order to meet this demand, more cacao had to be produced but the problem with cacao is that it could only be produced in a certain climate. This climate is known as the “Cacao Belt”, which is twenty degrees north and south of the equator. At the time of this increased demand, cacao was only being produced in Mesoamerica and that area couldn’t meet the increased demand.  In response, European powers created colonies outside of Mesoamerica to increase production. This increase in demand not only increased production but lead to natives being used in the plantation and eventually slaves being traded to replace native workers. When cacao production spread outside of Mesoamerican, it was countries like Spain, Portugal, a...

Picture source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/history-magazine/article/chocolate-in-europe When cacao was brought to Europe, it was served the same way it was served in Mesoamerica but people in Europe didn’t have the same access to cacao as those in Mesoamerica. Due to cacao having to be imported in order for consumption in Europe, it was an item that was a luxury for the elites and for those that could afford it. It was served at special events, political events, and by anyone who had status and power in Europe. Despite the love for chocolate there were people who had issues with consuming something that came from people that were seen as uncivilized and they needed a reason that could validate their continued consumption of chocolate as well as religious beliefs associated with chocolate.  It was only in the United Kingdom that people that could afford chocolate were allowed access to it, whereas in other European countries you had to be a part of the elite class t...