Cacao Tree

• Where does chocolate come from??

The cacao tree!

The Maya of Central America in the rainforests (250-900 A.D.)

The Maya of Central America in the rainforests (250-900 A.D.)

• Collected the cacao beans from cacao trees• Ground the beans into a paste and made a frothy,

bitter chocolate drink.

What do you think the drink tasted like?

The Maya of Central America in the rainforests (250-900 A.D.)

The Maya of Central America in the rainforests (250-900 A.D.)

• Used for medicinal purposes (gave them strength and alertness)

• Used as $ for trading

• Favored drink of the wealthy

The Aztecs conquered the Maya (1400-1521)

• Conquered the Maya and were then introduced to chocolate

• Only rulers, wealthy merchants and priests could enjoy the drink

Spanish explorer, Cortez, brings the cacao bean to the Spanish court

(1528)

• The Aztec emperor Montezuma offered the cacao drink to Hernando Cortez who then brought it back to Spain in 1528.

Spanish explorer, Cortez, brings the cacao bean to the Spanish court

(1528)

• Europeans did not like the bitter taste, so they added spices and sugar to the mix. They also heated

the drink.

Chocolate drink spreads through the rest of Europe (1620s)

• For 100 years, the drink only stayed in Spain but eventually spread to the rest of Europe.

• Only for the wealthy because it was expensive.

Cacao tree plantations were set up in Spain, England, France and Holland

(1660-1880s)

• Slaves were used to work the plantations

?? What effect did the plantations have on chocolate?

Mid-1700s-Chocolate became more affordable and more than just the wealthy were able to enjoy it.

First pieces of Chocolate - 18491849- English chocolate maker produced the

world’s first eating chocolate.1893- Milton S. Hershey built a chocolate

factory in Southern Pennsylvania