Chocolate Presentation By Dylan

The origins of chocolate Chocolate originally came from Mesoamerica at around 1900 BC. It was made from the fruit of the cacao tree, Theobroma cacao. The cacao seeds (beans) were fermented, roasted and ground and used in drinks.

The Aztecs The Aztecs grew cacao beans and used them in royal and religious ceremonies. The Aztecs also used cacao beans as a form of tax payment. Cacao beans were used as an offering to the gods by priests. The Aztecs grew cacao beans and used them in royal and religious ceremonies. The Aztecs also used cacao beans as a form of tax payment. Cacao beans were used as an offering to the gods by priests.

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus was the first to bring cocoa beans into Europe between 1502 and He brought back many other treasures and initially the humble cocoa bean was neglected!

Hernando Cortez Hernando Cortez, a Spanish explorer, was the fist to realise the true value of cocoa beans. He noticed that the Aztec Indians used cocoa beans in the warm drink and he set up cocoa plantations. This business soon made him a lot of money.

Europeans The British company ‘Fry’ were the first to make a solid chocolate bar in 1847 by mixing cocoa powder, cocoa butter and sugar. However, the Cadbury brothers were selling a similar product soon after. In 1919 the two companies joined and they continue to produce chocolate for the world to enjoy today.

Milk Chocolate Milk chocolate is the most popular variety of chocolate sold today. It is sweeter and smoother than dark chocolate. In 1875, the Swiss Chocolatier M. Daniel Peter made the milk chocolate process perfect. He linked up with ‘Nestle’ who invented evaporated milk for this process.

White Chocolate White chocolate is formed from a mixture of sugar, cocoa butter and milk solids. It does not contain any cocoa solids. The ‘milkybar’ is a famous white chocolate bar enjoyed by many children.

Belgian Pralines A praline is a soft centre made with nuts and sugar syrup covered in chocolate. Pralines are named after an ambassador for Louis XIII, the Duke of Plessis-Pralin, who had the idea of coating almonds in chocolate.

Chocolate Mousse My family make our favourite chocolate mousse by melting dark chocolate and mixing it with eggs, caster sugar and lemon juice.

Chocolate War This was a argument between Britain, Ireland, Denmark and other chocolate-making nations in Europe about the ingredients of chocolate. Britain uses vegetable oil as an ingredient while France and Belgium use cocoa butter oil. The argument was resolved in 2003 when The European Union decided Britain was right.

Fairtrade Chocolate The Fairtrade Foundation was set up to make sure that people in poorer countries that produce a product get a fair price for it. The logo can be seen on lots of products in our shops including chocolate.