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Historia čokolády

History of chocolate

Cocoa beans have found their place in history as early as three thousand years ago. The Mayans, Olmecs and Aztecs later learned to make a drink from them that far outstripped other ways of consuming chocolate. The Aztecs believed that the cacao tree was a precious tree, a symbol of life and fertility – if this is omitted, the context is not lost.

The basis of chocolate is cocoa, which is obtained from the beans of the tropical cocoa tree (in Greek Theobroma Cacao – divine food). Large cocoa plantations are located around the equator in West Africa, but the best quality cocoa beans grow on trees in Central and South America.

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The historical journey of chocolate to northern Spiš

The year is 1519 and Hernando Cortés, an envoy of the Spanish court, is colonizing the New World and tasting cocoa for the first time in what is now Mexico. On his return journey, Hernando takes cocoa and the recipe for cocoa to Spain. There, in 1528, he introduces cocoa to the royal court of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand.

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História čokolády v Starej Ľubovni

The production of chocolate

Chocolate is made from the fruits of the cocoa tree Theobroma cacao, which grows in tropical regions. It is very demanding in terms of cultivation and conditions. The fruits of the cocoa tree grow directly on the trunk. They are shaped like a small rugby ball and contain cocoa beans inside. These are covered in a white liquid when raw. The fruits are harvested twice a year.

Plod Kakaa, zrnka kakaa, kakaová sušina, čokoláda
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Processing of chocolate

  • Cocoa is usually only grown in the equatorial region (mostly tropical regions).
  • Harvesting cocoa beans and their subsequent cutting and shelling of beans
  • Fermenting cocoa beans on banana leaves (the reason is bacteria on the leaves that start the fermentation)
  • Drying cocoa beans
  • Grain quality control and subsequent packaging in bags
  • Transport to individual companies (Callebaut owns most of the highest quality plantations in the world)
  • Master blender – (chief controller) oversees the quality of the cocoa delivered
  • Roasting cocoa beans
  • Crushing – grinding cocoa beans
  • Chocolate conching – a thermal process in which chocolate acquires texture and fineness (it is essentially a few days of "grinding" the chocolate itself to the smallest microns) so that it melts as best as possible on the tongue
  • Tempering chocolate – stabilizing cocoa butter crystals
Základná zložka čokolády - kakao

Virtual tour

History of chocolate

Cocoa beans became a part of our history over three thousand years ago. The Maya, Olmec, and Aztecs later learned to make a drink from them that beat the other ways of consuming chocolate. The Aztecs believed that the cacao tree was a rare tree that was a symbol of life and fertility.

The main ingredient of chocolate is cocoa, which is obtained from the beans of the tropical tree of the cacao tree (in Greek, Theobroma Cacao – a divine dish). Large cocoa plantations are found around the equator in West Africa, but cocoa beans with the best quality grow in Central and South America. However, this drink was very different from the hot chocolate we know today – it was very hot, frothy and flavored with exotic spices, such as vanilla, pepper or chilli. Christopher Columbus was the first European to discover cocoa beans. However, they reminded the Spanish of almonds and didn’t pay any attention to them. The modern history of chocolate in Europe dates back to the 15th century, when the Spanish conqueror Hernando Cortéz shared his knowledge about the production of the hot drink “xocolatl”, which means fruit and water in the Indian language.

During the conquest of Mexico, Cortez tasted chocolate whipped into a delicious foam, which was served at a ceremony while meeting with the ruler of the Aztecs – Montezuma. Cocoa beans were very rare and therefore only rulers could drink the chocolate drink made from them. The original recipe of this drink was to grind the fruits of green cacao. Then they thickened it with corn flour and seasoning with vanilla and chili pepper. Chocolate has become a very valuable energy-supplying drink in Europe, acting as an aphrodisiac. In the 16th century, chocolate penetrated into France and increased in popularity, but only among nobles.

In 1876, Swiss ​Daniel Peter came up with the idea of ​​adding milk and sugar to chocolate, and so the first milk chocolate was born. Chocolate became the most popular confectionery four years later thanks to the Swiss R. Lindt, who invented the conching machine. Chocolate bars, as we know today, were created at the beginning of the 19th century thanks to C. Houten, who invented the first press to separate cocoa butter from cocoa. During World War II, chocolate was a daily ration for soldiers as a source of energy. Chocolate fever occurred at the end of the 20th century and continues to this day…

The historic journey of chocolate

to Northern Spiš

In the year 1519 Hernando Cortéz, an envoy of the Spanish court, colonized the new world and tastes a cocoa drink in present-day Mexico for the first time. On the way back, Hernando takes cocoa and with him a recipe for the cocoa drink to Spain. In 1528, he presented cocoa at the royal court of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain.

Drinking cocoa has been a tradition in Spanish courts for more than a century. It was not until later that the Spanish Princess Anna of Habsburg, the daughter of the later monarch Philip III. introduced chocolate drinking at a French court. The same happened in the case of her sister Maria Anna of Spain, who married to the Austrian court in Vienna. From there, it was just a small “jump”. Unfortunately, Ľubovňa Castle still had to wait a few generations for these delicious sweets. It was Mária Terézia, a great lover of chocolate, thanks to whom chocolate got to Maria Jozef. She was later the Austrian Duchess, Queen of Poland and owner of the Ľubovňa Castle…

Chocolate production

Chocolate is made from the fruits of Theobroma cacao, which grows in tropical areas. It is very demanding on cultivation and conditions in which it grows. The cacao fruit grows directly on the trunk. They have the shape of a small rugby ball. They have cocoa beans on the inside. In raw form, they are covered with a white liquid. The fruits are harvested twice a year. The cocoa beans then ripen for several days hidden under banana leaves in the natural warmth of the tropics. During this period, the white coating drains off. The cocoa beans are then spread on mats and dried for several days.

When their humidity is low enough, they are transported to factories, where they are roasted and peeled. Subsequently, the cocoa beans are crushed into a paste and pressed to separate the cocoa powder from the cocoa butter. The next step is when the components of the future chocolate (cocoa powder, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla, milk mix) are mixed together. However, the ground particles are still not small enough and therefore the conching process follows. The rollers rub and mix the chocolate in them, while removing the residual bitterness and reducing the particles, which contributes to the sweetness of the final product. Chocolates of very high quality are conched for several days.

The last step is to temper the chocolate – that is, heating and then cooling to create the correct crystalline structure of the cocoa butter. The chocolate is then heated to the exact temperature, which depends on the type of chocolate, and poured into molds.

History of chocolate

Cocoa beans became a part of our history over three thousand years ago. The Maya, Olmec, and Aztecs later learned to make a drink from them that beat the other ways of consuming chocolate. The Aztecs believed that the cacao tree was a rare tree that was a symbol of life and fertility.

The main ingredient of chocolate is cocoa, which is obtained from the beans of the tropical tree of the cacao tree (in Greek, Theobroma Cacao – a divine dish). Large cocoa plantations are found around the equator in West Africa, but cocoa beans with the best quality grow in Central and South America. However, this drink was very different from the hot chocolate we know today – it was very hot, frothy and flavored with exotic spices, such as vanilla, pepper or chilli. Christopher Columbus was the first European to discover cocoa beans. However, they reminded the Spanish of almonds and didn’t pay any attention to them. The modern history of chocolate in Europe dates back to the 15th century, when the Spanish conqueror Hernando Cortéz shared his knowledge about the production of the hot drink “xocolatl”, which means fruit and water in the Indian language.

During the conquest of Mexico, Cortez tasted chocolate whipped into a delicious foam, which was served at a ceremony while meeting with the ruler of the Aztecs – Montezuma. Cocoa beans were very rare and therefore only rulers could drink the chocolate drink made from them. The original recipe of this drink was to grind the fruits of green cacao. Then they thickened it with corn flour and seasoning with vanilla and chili pepper. Chocolate has become a very valuable energy-supplying drink in Europe, acting as an aphrodisiac. In the 16th century, chocolate penetrated into France and increased in popularity, but only among nobles.

In 1876, Swiss ​Daniel Peter came up with the idea of ​​adding milk and sugar to chocolate, and so the first milk chocolate was born. Chocolate became the most popular confectionery four years later thanks to the Swiss R. Lindt, who invented the conching machine. Chocolate bars, as we know today, were created at the beginning of the 19th century thanks to C. Houten, who invented the first press to separate cocoa butter from cocoa. During World War II, chocolate was a daily ration for soldiers as a source of energy. Chocolate fever occurred at the end of the 20th century and continues to this day…

The historic journey of chocolate

to Northern Spiš

In the year 1519 Hernando Cortéz, an envoy of the Spanish court, colonized the new world and tastes a cocoa drink in present-day Mexico for the first time. On the way back, Hernando takes cocoa and with him a recipe for the cocoa drink to Spain. In 1528, he presented cocoa at the royal court of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain.

Drinking cocoa has been a tradition in Spanish courts for more than a century. It was not until later that the Spanish Princess Anna of Habsburg, the daughter of the later monarch Philip III. introduced chocolate drinking at a French court. The same happened in the case of her sister Maria Anna of Spain, who married to the Austrian court in Vienna. From there, it was just a small “jump”. Unfortunately, Ľubovňa Castle still had to wait a few generations for these delicious sweets. It was Mária Terézia, a great lover of chocolate, thanks to whom chocolate got to Maria Jozef. She was later the Austrian Duchess, Queen of Poland and owner of the Ľubovňa Castle…

Chocolate production

Chocolate is made from the fruits of Theobroma cacao, which grows in tropical areas. It is very demanding on cultivation and conditions in which it grows. The cacao fruit grows directly on the trunk. They have the shape of a small rugby ball. They have cocoa beans on the inside. In raw form, they are covered with a white liquid. The fruits are harvested twice a year. The cocoa beans then ripen for several days hidden under banana leaves in the natural warmth of the tropics. During this period, the white coating drains off. The cocoa beans are then spread on mats and dried for several days.

When their humidity is low enough, they are transported to factories, where they are roasted and peeled. Subsequently, the cocoa beans are crushed into a paste and pressed to separate the cocoa powder from the cocoa butter. The next step is when the components of the future chocolate (cocoa powder, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla, milk mix) are mixed together. However, the ground particles are still not small enough and therefore the conching process follows. The rollers rub and mix the chocolate in them, while removing the residual bitterness and reducing the particles, which contributes to the sweetness of the final product. Chocolates of very high quality are conched for several days.

The last step is to temper the chocolate – that is, heating and then cooling to create the correct crystalline structure of the cocoa butter. The chocolate is then heated to the exact temperature, which depends on the type of chocolate, and poured into molds.