We all know hot chocolate as the warm, rich drink we enjoy on a cold night by the fire, or after engaging in winter activities such as ice skating and skiing. But have you ever thought about this delicious beverage's origins? Hot chocolate's history goes quite a way back, and the drink has changed over the years, evolvingfrom cold and spicy to warm and sweet.
It Started in Mexico
As early as 500 BC, the Mayans were drinking chocolate made from ground-up cocoa seeds mixed with water, cornmeal, and chili peppers(as well as other ingredients)—a much different version from the hot chocolate we know today. They would mix the drink by pouring it back and forth from a cup to a pot until a thick foam developed, and then enjoy the beveragecold. Although the chocolate drink was available to all classes of people, the wealthy would drink it from large vessels with spouts, which later would be buried along with them.
Then Made its Way to Europe
In the early 1500s, the explorer Cortez brought cocoa beans and the chocolate drink-making tools to Europe.Although the drink still remained cold and bitter-tasting, it gained popularity and was adopted by the court of King Charles V as well as the Spanish upper class. After its introduction in Spain, the drink began to be served hot, sweetened, and without the chili peppers. The Spanish were very protective of their wonderful new beverage, and it was over a hundred years before news of it began to spread across Europe.
When it hit London in the 1700s, chocolate houses (similar to today's coffee shops) became popular and very trendy, even though chocolate was very expensive. In the late 1700s, the president of the Royal College of Physicians, Hans Sloane, brought from Jamaica a recipefor mixing chocolate with milk, which made the drink more palatable in his opinion. Well, others agreed andthe English started adding milk to their chocolate; it was then enjoyed as an after-dinner beverage.
Hot Chocolate Today
Up until the 19th century, hot chocolate was used as a treatment for stomach and liver diseases as well as a special drink. Today, however, we simply treat this warm concoction as a beverage to sip and savor. In America, hot chocolate is somewhat thin and often made by combining hot water with packets of powder, although you can find more authentic and gourmet varieties in restaurants and cafes. Other countries have their own versions—Spain's thickchocolate a la taza,spicedchocolate para mesafrom Latin America, and Italy'scioccolata calda, which is very thick.
Hot chocolate has become so popular in the United States that it is available in coffee vending machines. The powder is sold in packets and canisters, and coffee houses often have rich, somewhat thicker varieties on their menus.
The Evolution of Chocolate
It wasn't until the middle of the 18th century that chocolate began to evolve past its drinkable form. First, cocoa powder was invented in Holland, where the Dutch controlled nearly the entire cocoa bean trade. Since the cocoa powder blends much easier with milk or water, it allowed for more creations to come. Next came chocolate as a candy by mixing cocoa butter with sugar and in 1876, milk chocolate was developed. From then on, chocolate has become more popular as a solid treat rather than as the drink it started from.
Hot Chocolate Recipes
FAQs
According to The Sweet Story of Hot Chocolate! by Stephen Krensky, 3,500 years ago — long before coffee hit the scene — the Olmec people in Central America grew cacao beans. They would grind them up, mix them with water and other ingredients, and drink this as medicine or for special occasions.
Who first invented hot chocolate? ›
It Started in Mexico
As early as 500 BC, the Mayans were drinking chocolate made from ground-up cocoa seeds mixed with water, cornmeal, and chili peppers (as well as other ingredients)—a much different version from the hot chocolate we know today.
Did the Mexicans discover hot chocolate? ›
The first chocolate drink is believed to have been created at least 5,300 years starting with the Mayo-Chinchipe culture in what is present-day Ecuador and later consumed by the Maya around 2,500–3,000 years ago. A cocoa drink was an essential part of Aztec culture by 1400 AD, by which they referred to as xocōlātl.
Why did the Mayans make hot chocolate? ›
Drinking chocolate was a regular part of their military rations; every soldier on a campaign received ground cacao pressed into wafers, ready to mix into water.
Where did Spanish hot chocolate come from? ›
The History of Chocolate in Spain
The Spanish Explorers first brought chocolate to Europe over 500 years ago! The Spanish were the first ones who mixed the bitter cocoa with sugar, thus modifying a bitter Mayan drink into the delicious and sweet hot chocolate drink as we know today.
What country is known for hot chocolate? ›
It makes sense to start with the country of origin for hot chocolate: Mexico. Mayans were the first culture to make a drink out of chocolate. However, it was much different than the beverage you're familiar with today. It was served cold and brewed like a beer for celebrations.
Was hot chocolate invented in Jamaica? ›
According to the Natural History Museum in Britain, that credit goes to Sir Hans Sloane, an Irish botanist. Sloane spent some time in Jamaica in the early 1700s, where the local people gave him cocoa to drink. “He found it 'nauseous' but by mixing it with milk made it more palatable," the museum says.
What did the Aztecs call hot chocolate? ›
This bitter, spicy Aztec drink is what modern 'Hot Chocolate' is based from. For a more authentic version the way the Aztecs enjoyed, chill the Xocolatl before drinking.
Who first put marshmallows in hot chocolate? ›
Marshmallows first came into the picture in 1917, when the company Angelus Marshmallows published a recipe for hot cocoa topped with their product. (In another genius marketing move, the company also hitched its wagon to sweet potatoes with a recipe for the side dish that has since become a Thanksgiving staple.)
What is the difference between hot chocolate and hot cocoa? ›
Hot Chocolate is made using solid chocolate melted in warm milk or cream. Hot Cocoa, however, is made from a powdered base of cocoa with added sugar and dissolved in hot water or hot milk.
Hot chocolate has been associated with improved mood and reduced stress levels due to its high cocoa content. The flavanols in cocoa have been linked to increased levels of serotonin, which helps to regulate mood and reduce anxiety. Additionally, theobromine in cocoa can help to reduce fatigue and improve alertness.
What drink did the Mayans invent? ›
The Mayans called the drink “chocolhaa” (“bitter water”) and Aztecs called it “Xocolatl.” From those words eventually evolved the word “chocolate.” Cacao was used in special celebrations such as those for funeral rituals, war, or harvests.
Why do they call it hot chocolate? ›
The name of this concoction was a combination of both Mayan and Aztec cultures. "The Mayan word 'Xocol', that means 'hot', and the Aztec word 'atl' means 'water'," Spehr said. "So 'xocolatl', that's where 'chocolate' comes from. Originally, this means 'hot water'."
Who made hot chocolate first? ›
The roots of hot chocolate can be traced back to the ancient Mayan civilisation in the regions of present-day Mexico and Central America. Around 500 BC, the Mayans began cultivating cacao trees and discovered the pleasure of a drink made from its beans.
Did the Incas invent hot chocolate? ›
Moreover, Mayans and Mexico civilizations were the ones behind the phrase “hot chocolate invented.” Furthermore, it is a drink that has been around since 2500 BC according to the research of today.
What do the Mexicans believe about hot chocolate? ›
Mexican chocolate has been around for centuries. Mexican cultures once used chocolate as currency. The Aztecs believed that chocolate was a gift from the gods and would only drink it on special occasions. When the Spanish arrived in Mexico, they began to add sugar and milk to the chocolate to make it more palatable.
Who was the founding member of hot chocolate? ›
Hot Chocolate are a British soul band popular during the 1970s and 1980s, formed by Errol Brown and Tony Wilson.
Who was the first person to invent chocolate? ›
The Olmec, one of the earliest civilizations in Latin America, were the first to turn the cacao plant into chocolate. They drank their chocolate during rituals and used it as medicine. Centuries later, the Mayans praised chocolate as the drink of the gods.
Which founding father loved hot chocolate? ›
Thomas Jefferson once wrote to his pal John Adams and predicted that hot chocolate would surpass coffee and tea to become the favored beverage of Americans.
