Chocolate : the story right from the start

It would be quite unthinkable to even attempt to produce good chocolates without knowing the fabulous history of chocolate which dates back to the 10th century.

The Aztecs were the first to start working with cacao beans. At that time their God, Quetzalcoatl, was the Gardener of Paradise, which explains why cacao beans were used as their form of currency. At this stage they served no culinary purpose whatsoever, and it was only on observing the monkeys that the Aztecs started to become interested in the culinary properties of the cacao tree fruit. To begin with only the pulp of the tree was used and it was not until later on that the beans themselves started to be consumed.
We do not know who actually had the idea to roast the beans and then grind them into a paste, but whoever it was had hit on something fantastic. This mixture of cocoa and spices was to bring happiness to a whole population. That is until the day a strange vessel sailed into their harbours…

When in 1502 Christopher Columbus set foot in this “New Spain” he received a gift of cacao beans from an Indian Chief. He had no idea of the immeasurable value of what he held in his hands.

Meanwhile the legends of Quetzalcoatl continued. As a King cum Priest seeking immortality he lost his way and finally became mad when he swallowed a potion prepared by an evil magician. Before moving eastwards he prophesized saying “I will return in a year of the reed and exercise my authority once again”. The cult continued to live on under the name of Votan until 1519, a year of the reed. Chance had it that on 21 April 1519, the time Quetzalcoatl was due to return Hernan Cortés actually landed on the shores of belonging to King Moctrezuma. Convinced that the “Great Plumed Serpent” had returned, the Aztecs were invaded and easily conquered, and endured only bitter hardship until they finally disappeared. The Conquistadors who were in the search of a new El Dorado also went through terrible times. The cocoa prepared for them by the Aztecs was not to their liking because it was too fatty and bitter, but since they had already exhausted their own supplies they had no other choice but to get used toit. Cocoa served either with cane sugar or as a drink gradually gained a reputation as a powerful aphrodisiac. This reputation was of course reinforced by what the legends had to say about cocoa.
The Spanish soon became very fond of this beverage.