An Introduction to the History of Chocolate

The origins of this solid, sensuous, and to some (including ourselves here at Chocolat), addictive substance we know as chocolate are firmly rooted in New World prehistory of the Olmec and the more known Maya.

It was these ancient people living in Central America who began cultivating the Theobroma Cocoa Tree, on which this amazing bean grows. 

The eighteenth-century Swedish botanist Linnaeus, named the tree meaning ‘drink of the gods’, from the Greek Theos, meaning God, and broma, meaning beverage.

The tree favours hot, humid and shady conditions, so the tropical rain forests on the Gulf of Mexico inhabited by the Olmec was ideal.

We are planning to give you an insight into the development of the much loved phenomenon chocolate, and why we love it so much over our next few blogs.

We hope you follow this journey and enjoy it with us 😀