Beyond delighting palates, Chocolate has played significant culinary, cultural, societal, religious, medicinal, and economic roles since ancient times. Long revered as both a delicacy and a skin superfood with antioxidants and rejuvenating benefits, the colorful history of Chocolate timeline spans worldwide across North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

The Heritage of Chocolate
Chocolate’s rich history is reported to have begun in Latin America about 4,000 years ago, in 1900 BCE. Cacao plants were first discovered in ancient Mesoamerica, which is Mexico today. The Olmec, who created colossal stone heads, monuments, slabs, and statues and are thought to be the originators of the ceremonial Mesoamerican ball game played throughout the region for centuries, are considered the first to create Chocolate from this multifunctional plant. The Latin name for Chocolate is Theobroma Cacao, which translates to “food of the gods” in Mayan and Aztec cultures. What is Chocolate known for? Beloved for its flavor profile, nutrient- dense Cacao Extract from the fruit (beans) of this venerable tree is the magical ingredient in Chocolate recognized for its medicinal properties dating back to these early civilizations.

Chocolate History Facts and Folklore
The Cacao trees originated from the tropical climates of Peru and Ecuador in the Andes region, then spread to South America and Central America. But Chocolate’s history started in what is now southern Mexico and part of Central America. This is confirmed by vessels with Chocolate residue found in Mexico and in Mayan tombs from 1900 BCE and 400 CE, respectively, confirming that ancient civilizations prepared Chocolate that far back. Chocolate was used in Mayan marriage rituals where a family would invite the father of a girl their son intended to marry to discuss the marriage. They would serve him a Chocolate beverage while discussing the nuptials - one of the earliest examples of Chocolate’s role in cultivating relationships.

Spiritual Meaning of Chocolate
Since its discovery, Chocolate has been a symbol of religion, power, luxury, and wealth. Cacao was connected with Gods and religion by the Mayans. The Cacao God was sacred in the ancient Mayan civilization, where the word Cacao had spiritual and literal meaning. Believing that Kukulkan, a plumed serpent, gifted earth the Cacao tree, they held annual celebrations worshiping Ek Chuah, their God of Trade and War associated with Cacao. Images of the Opposum God carrying the Rain God on its back, accompanied by the caption “cacao is his food,” signifies that the powerful consumed this luxurious elixir to give them strength and status. The Aztecs, who came later, exchanged Cacao Beans as currency and consumed as food and drink for the affluent among them.

They also deemed Chocolate to be an aphrodisiac food, believing that xocolatl, as they called it, enhanced desire and could make their “crushes” open to romance. They deemed it a sacred mystical elixir with the ability to alter mind, body, and spirit. They were onto something, as the serotonin and phenylethylamine in Chocolate can boost moods and, according to some sources, act as a mild sexual stimulant due to its euphoric, sensorial effects. They also used it as a medicine to treat indigestion and other stomach problems, blended it with tree bark to treat infections, and with corn to reduce fevers. Both the Aztecs and Mayans mixed it with corn meal, herbs like vanilla or chili peppers, and honey for sweetening, similar to champurrado, which is still consumed in Mexico for religious festivals and Christmas today.

Chocolate History Europe
Some sources indicated that Christopher Columbus became the first European to discover Cocoa in 1502, while others credit the explorer Hernán Cortés as the discoverer of Chocolate in Mexico while searching the Americas for gold and riches in 1519. The legend has it that Montezuma (Moctezuma II), the Aztec emperor, thought him a God and gave him a cup of Cocoa in a golden cup, and the rest is Chocolate history. He brought Cocoa seeds to King Charles of Spain in 1528, where the “brown gold” was served as a beverage mixed with sugar and honey for Spanish Chocolates to cut the bitter taste. It was enjoyed by the well-to-do in Spain and used in religious practices by Catholic monks.

Several Spanish explorers brought Mestizo, or indigenous women, back to Spain with them and they would prepare the Chocolate beverage. Women and men regarded the Mestizo as healers or witches and sought them out to make Chocolate drinks to dissolve marriages, gain new lovers, or improve sexual performance. Inquisition authorities indicate that the Catholic Church sought to eliminate local indigenous beliefs and ban Chocolate, accusing these women of controlling men through their enchanted Chocolate beverages. However, this was not entirely successful, as people in the Americas did not want to give it up. Thereafter, they came to accept the beverage and eliminate its unsavory connotations. Spain assumed control of the production and trade of Cacao Beans by setting up Cacao plantations and taxing both. By the 17th Century, it was sweetened with sugar to increase its appeal, making it a common beverage enjoyed by the nobility.

In 1615, Chocolate appeared again in marriage rituals when Anne of Austria, daughter of Spanish King Phillip III, married French King Louis XIII and brought Chocolate to the French royal courts to celebrate the union. Soon, wealthy Europeans consumed Chocolate beverages at exclusive watering holes, with special “Chocolate houses” cropping up in Britain. Shortly after that, Chocolate became a mass product as Chocolate spread throughout Europe, and other nations established their own Cacao plantations. In 17th -18th Century Europe, Chocolate was assimilated as a symbol of love and luxury in European culture. European royalty gifted their sweethearts Chocolate blended with amber to stimulate passion. Opulent Chocolate pots, similar to coffee pots made from the finest silver, were made for the elite to serve this imported indulgence in their homes. These vessels quickly made their way over the “pond” to Boston, further spreading the allure of rich drinking Chocolate to wealthy merchants.

Next, the history of Chocolate in Switzerland transformed Chocolate forever. Considered by many to be the best Chocolate producers in the world, the entrepreneurial Swiss were pioneers of Chocolate production. François-Louis Cailler opened one of the first Chocolate factories in 1819, which is the oldest Chocolate brand in Switzerland today. Daniel Peter, a Swiss confectioner, was the first to make Chocolate into an enjoyable candy in 1875. He blended condensed milk, invented by his neighbor Henri Nestlé, with cocoa butter, mass, and sugar, which, according to legend, was intended to stir the affections of a young woman. While one source indicates that this is the same year that Henri Nestlé invented the original Nestlé Milk Chocolate Bar, other sources state that several years later, the two founded the Nestlé Company, together bringing Milk Chocolate to the mass market. With technological advances, manufacturers commercialized it as a giftable token of love for Valentine’s Day.

Chocolate History in America
While most timelines indicate that Chocolate arrived in what is modern-day U.S. in the 1600s, archaeologists discovered fragments from 1,000-year-old vases with Cacao remnants dating back to 900-1200 A.D. These vases were once used by the Anasazi in New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon and may confirm the theory that a trading route from Mexico, Central America to New Mexico existed. Chocolate arrived again in 1641 in Florida on a ship from Spain, with the first American Chocolate house for drinking Chocolate believed to have been opened in 1682. Chocolate became a significant import into American colonies, enjoyed by all classes by the late 1770s. Beyond being one of the world's favorite foods steeped in cultural rituals and symbolism, it also has topical application benefits. Much like the indigenous women who first carefully prepared Chocolate beverages, Pevonia’s Chocolate Indulgence Collection uses sustainably harvested raw Cacao Extract native to the Amazon that has been meticulously fermented, ground, and cold-pressed. This preserves its potent antioxidant power and ensures that the bioavailable antioxidants, enzymes, vitamins, and minerals are available to smooth, protect, boost circulation, and so much more.

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