How does chocolate become a condiment for everyone's good life?

Chocolate is a mixed food that is processed by cocoa beans as the main ingredients. It is one of the people's favorite home tourism and leisure foods. From the small cocoa beans in China and South America to chocolate that is popular in the world, the story of food has begun.

1 mysterious drink

The earliest drinking chocolate was the Mayan. However, the chocolate beverage formula was relatively special at the time, and there were pepper powder. This mysterious drink was introduced into the Aztek Empire and was gradually accepted. However, the Cocoa beans cannot adapt to the local climate conditions, and the cocoa beans of the Aztec Empire can only be imported from other places.

Cocoa has high nutritional value and is not easy to oxidize. It is the main raw material for making chocolate.

Cocoa beans are expensive because they are scarce, and they are even used as currencies. Generally, ordinary people cannot afford such expensive condiments and missed the taste of imported products. Chocolate has become a luxury that only the rich can ask.

2 Gold by Spain

After the new route was opened, the explorer Columbus brought back cocoa beans from the New World. Unfortunately, the Europeans have not found the correct way to open the cocoa bean, and the deliciousness of the cocoa bean has not been fully developed.

The turning point occurred in 1517. European navigator Elnan Cultes came to the Aztec Empire by boat. The Aztec Empire monarch Montezuma II enthusiastically received Cordus and took his favorite drink- Chocolate introduced to Cordus.

At this time, the drink is a cold drink mixed with chocolate, vanilla, spices, and honey. The gradually melting taste and taste after the entrance fascinates Cordus. However, Cordus is not just to taste delicious. He quickly defeated the Aztecs and forced them to tribute. In 1528, he returned to Spain by the Galen sail boat carrying cocoa beans and chocolate beverage manufacturing machines.

Elnan Cordes

With its unique taste rotation, chocolate drinks conquered Charles V and his court, and became popular drinks in the upper society of Spain.

The Spaniards have a keen insight. They saw the business opportunities contained in chocolate drinks, and they did not want to make this money -making god tree stained by other countries. Spanish tribute to control the planting of cocoa tree in limited areas of Latin America and try to expand the planting scale.

Spain firmly controls the production of cocoa beans, dominates and even monopolizes the cocoa market. Cocoa beans have become the cash cow of the Spaniards. With Cocoa's trading Spaniard, the Spaniards have obtained a generous profit.

In addition to controlling raw materials, Spain also controls the secret recipes of making chocolate drinks in their own hands, so that even if some people get cocoa beans, they do not know how to make chocolate. wealth.

3 Chocolate walks into the public's taste buds

But there is no eternal secret in the world. In 1606, an Italian businessman shared the cocoa beans and chocolate drinks he had experienced in the West India and Spain with his Italian companion, and for the first time, he revealed the secret of cocoa beans. The Italians are obsessed with the taste of chocolate drinks and set off a real chocolate frenzy. Just like the Domino, chocolate was introduced into Germany, Austria and Switzerland via Italy, becoming a fashion drink that is popular in Europe.

The French made outstanding contributions in the history of chocolate, and they produced the true chocolate we see now. In 1659, David Xia Lan added flour to chocolate to make chocolate flavored biscuits and pastries. For the first time, chocolate appeared in a non -liquid form. Chocolate becomes portable, the taste is more delicate and mellow, and it has won the love of the people. In 1847, cocoa butter was added to a chocolate drink, and the well -known chewing chocolate block was made. In 1875, the Swiss added milk into chocolate, and since then, milk and chocolate, the perfect partner, formed a good marriage.

[This article comes from "Speaking World (8): Enlightenment Era" published by People's Publishing House]

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