Americans manage to consume over 2.8 billion pounds of chocolate per year (about 11 pounds per person).
Chocolate, way back
600 A.D. The Maya Indians move from their home in Guatemala to the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, and bring with them cacao from the rain forest. In Guatemala the Maya established large plantations to grow cacao.
1000 The people in Central America began using the cacao beans as money. Drawings have been found showing pictures where 10 beans could buy a rabbit or 100 beans could buy a slave. In one Mexican drawing a basket of 8000 beans was used to show the number 8000. The beans were also used to make a bitter drink used to treat coughs and fever.
1200 The Aztec's began to rule Mexico. The Aztecs demanded payment in the form of taxes from the Aztecs with cacao beans. The Aztecs used the cocao bean for a drink. They added flowers, vanilla, and honey to their drink.Chocolate circa 1500's
1502 Christopher Columbus was given his first drink of xocoatl (chocolate) on his fourth voyage to America. Although he did not like the drink he took some of the cacao beans back to his homeland as an unusual item to show the people at home.
1519 Hernán Cortéz was a young Spaniard who went to Cuba to find his fortune. He heard stories of gold in Mexico and South America. In 1519 Cortéz left Cuba to find this gold. On November 8, 1519 Cortéz reached Mexico City and was received by Montezuma, the Aztec emperor. Cortéz captured Montezuma and began to rule the empire through him. The Spaniards made the Aztecs work in the mines looking for gold and silver. This gold and silver was shipped back to Spain. Cortéz also recognized the value of the cacao bean to the Aztecs. He established a cacao plantation in the name of Spain.
1528 Hernán Cortéz returned to Spain with some cacao beans. They were hidden in Spanish monasteries. The formula for making the chocolate drink was kept a secret. Only the very rich could afford to buy the drink.
1585 The first commercially grown shipment of cacao beans grown in South and Central America was taken to Spain.
1600's Rich & Royal Chocolate
1615 Anne of Austria, a Spanish princess, marries Louis XIII of France and takes the Spanish custom of chocolate drinking to France.
1647 The first chocolate house is opened in England by a Frenchman. At this time chocolate cost 6 to 8 shillings per pound. Only the rich could afford to buy chocolate at the chocolate house.
1660 Maria Theresa of Austria marries Louis XIV of France. She shares her love of chocolate with the people of France. For the first time people outside the royal court enjoy chocolate drinking.
1663 Pralines are created by a cook in Genensburg, Germany.
1674 A London coffeehouse sells the first solid chocolate in a stick form.
1700's Chocolate
1711 Charles VI moves from Madrid, Spain to Vienna. He takes chocolate with him.
1720 The Italians begin serving chocolate in Florence and Venice.
1732 Monsieur Dubuisson, a French inventor, creates a table for grinding chocolate. This lets the workers stand up while grinding the cacao bean. The table is heated from underneath by charcoal. This makes the production much easier.
1764 The Baker Chocolate Company is established in Dorchester, Massachusetts by James Baker and John Hannon. This was the first time chocolate was made in the United States.
1780 The first chocolate made by machine is produced in Barcelona, Spain.
1780 Dr. James Baker calls his products "Baker's Chocolate."
1795 J. S. Fry & Sons uses steam power to grind the cacao beans for the first time in England.
1800's Chocolate goes big-time
1819 Francois-Louis Cailler returns from Italy where he studied chocolate-making. He established the first Swiss chocolate factory in Corsier.
1822 John Cadbury, a Quaker who tried to convince people that drinking chocolate was much healthier than alcohol, opens a tea and coffee shop in Birmingham, England.
1828 Coenraad Van Houten, a Dutch chocolate maker, invents a hydraulic press that is used to make cacao powder.
1832 Francois-Louis Cailler opens a large plant in Corsier, Switzerland.
1840 Cailler opens a second chocolate factory in Vevey, Switzerland. Twenty years later this factory is sold to Julien and Daniel Peter who invent milk chocolate.
1847 The first manufacturer of chocolate in England creates the first chocolate bars. Their shop is called J. S. Fry & Sons. Not many people liked this because of its bitter taste.
1860 John Cadbury joins with his brother Benjamin to form the Cadbury Brothers of Birmingham. A year later the business goes to John's sons, Richard and George.
1861 Richard Cadbury creates the heart-shaped candy box for Valentine's Day.
1862 The Baker's Chocolate Company obtains the rights to use the painting La Belle Chocolatiere, by the Swiss artist Jean-étienne Liotard. The painting shows the wife of Prince Dietrichstein as a maid serving chocolate. This was how she was dressed when the prince first met her. Baker's Chocolate Company will use this same painting as their company trademark. This is one of the oldest product trademarks in the United States.
1864 Jean Tobler begins production of handmade confections in Bern, Switzerland.
1872 Baker's Chocolate Company begins to use the chocolate girl painting as the company trademark.
1875 Daniel Peter figures out how to combine milk and cocoa power to create milk chocolate.
1879 Rodolphe Lindt invents the conch. This is a machine that stirs liquid chocolate to break down any remaining clumps. This machines makes the chocolate smooth for the first time. Lindt calls this chocolate fondant and labels his candy bars Lindt Surfin.
1890 Henri Nestlé dies in Montreux, Switzerland. He was the founder of the Nestlé Company.
1893 Milton Hershey goes to the World's Colombian Exposition in Chicago. He watches a demonstration of German-made chocolate equipment. He likes this so much that he buys it immediately. He ships the equipment to his Carmel factory in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
1894 Milton Hershey creates his first candy bar. He also makes baking chocolate, cocoa, and chocolate coatings for caramels.
1894 Otto J. Scholenleber starts the Ambrosia Chocolate Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Later he switches to making bulk chocolate for large companies such as Hostess, Pillsbury, and Nabisco.
1896 Leo Hirschfield makes the first Tootsie Roll. He names it after his daughter.
1897 People in England ate a record 36 million pounds of chocolate. Europeans ate 100 millions pounds and the people from the United States ate 26 million pounds of chocolate.
1899 Rodolphe Lindt sold his secret formula for making fondant chocolate to David Sprüngli for 1.5 million Swiss francs. He forms a new partnership and the company becomes Lindt & Sprüngli.
1899 Jean Tobler begins a chocolate company in Bern.
Chocolate in the 1900's
1900 Milton S. Hershey introduces the Milk Chocolate Bar. He also begins the production of Sweethearts. These are vanilla sweet chocolate candy with a heart imprinted on the base. They will be discontinued in 1931.
1903 Milton Hershey builds a chocolate factory and a town for his workers near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
1904 The Cadbury Company develops a dairy milk chocolate.
1906 The town of Derry Church, Pennsylvania changes its name to Hershey to honor Milton S. Hershey.
1907 On July 1, 1907 the first Hershey Kisses are made.
1908 Theodore Tobler develops the unique triangular nougat filled chocolate candy bar called Toblerone.
1908 The Hershey Chocolate Company makes the first milk chocolate bar with almonds.
1909 The Hershey Chocolate Company starts making Silvertops. This is a version of the Hershey's Kisses that are sold individually. They are discontinued in 1931.
1911 Frank and Ethel Mars build a candy company in Tacoma, Washington. Later it become Mars, Inc.
1912 Jean Neuhaus, Jr. invents the first chocolate covered praline. He fills the empty chocolate shell with pralines invented by his father.
1912 The Whitman Company produces the boxed assortments called Whitman's Samplers. This is the first company to include a drawing showing the locations of the different chocolates in the box.
1914 L. S. Heath & Sons, Inc. makes the first Heath Bar in Robinson, Illinois.
1919 The Fry family merges with the Cadbury Brothers.
1921 The Hershey Food Corporation begins to wrap the Kisses by machine and add the flag to the wrapping.1921 The Mounds candy bar is invented by Peter Paul Halijian. He sells it under the name Peter Paul Mounds.
1922 H. B. Reese makes the first Reese's peanut butter cup using Hershey's milk chocolate.
1923 Frank Mars creates the first Milky Way candy bar. This candy has a nougat center.
1923 Hershey Foods Corporation registers the name Hershey's Kisses as a trademark.
1925 The Hershey Chocolate Company makes the first Mr. Goodbar.
1927 Baker's Chocolate Company is bought by General Foods Corporation. They move the company to Delaware.
1927 The Hershey Chocolate Company is renamed Hershey Chocolate Corporation.
1928 L. S. Heath & Sons, Inc. develops the toffee candy bar called the Heath Bar. This candy bar can be bought on the home-delivered dairy order form.
1929 Frank Mars opens the Chicago candy plant.
1929 Peter, Cailler, and Kohler merge with Nestlé ending 30 years of rivalry between the two companies.
1930 Frank Mars makes the first Snickers candy bar.1938 The Hershey Chocolate Corporation makes the Krackel bar.
1939 Blommer Chocolate Company begins manufacturing in Chicago, Illinois. It will become the largest commercial chocolate manufacturer in the United States.
1939 Hershey makes the Hershey's Miniatures chocolate bars.
1941 Forrest Mars returns to the United States from England. He goes into business with Bruce Murrie, who is the one of the president of the Hershey Chocolate Company. They call their new company M & M Ltd. Together they make the first M & M's.
1947 Peter Paul makes the first Almond Joy.
1950 Sam Altshuler starts the Annabelle Candy Company, Inc. He names his company for his daughter and makes the first Rocky Road candy bar.
1962 Hershey's Kisses are wrapped in colors other than silver for the first time.
1963 Hershey Chocolate Company buy H. B. Reese Candy Company, Inc. for $23.5 million.
1966 The Campbell Soup Company buys the Godiva Chocolatier, Inc. of Belgium.
1969 The Cadbury chocolate business merges with the Schweppes soft drinks to form Cadbury Schweppes.
1970 The Tobler company merges with the Suchard to become the largest chocolate company.
1970 Because the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are so popular the company has to double its size.
1973 The Cadbury Company opens Chocolate World theme park in Bournville, England.
1973 The Hershey Foods Corporation opens its theme park, Hershey's Chocolate World.
1973 Hershey Foods begins putting nutritional information on their labels.
1976 Hershey Chocolate Company adds chopped peanuts to the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups to make Reese's Crunchy.
1977 Hershey Foods makes the first Golden Almond chocolate bar.
1980 An employee of the Schare-Tobler tries to sell secret chocolate recipes to Saudi Arabia, China, and Russia. Luckily he was unsuccessful.
1988 Nestlé buys the British chocolate and candy manufactures Rowntree. This makes Nestlé the world's largest chocolate manufacturer.
1988 Hershey Chocolate Company is renamed Hershey Chocolate U.S.A. The company buys Peter Paul.
1989 Hershey Chocolate U.S.A. makes the Symphony milk chocolate bar with almonds and toffee chips.
1990 Hershey sends 144,000 of their heat-resistant candy bars to soldiers in the Gulf War, Desert Storm.
1991 The recipe for Reese's Peanut Butter Cup is changed to add three times the amount of peanuts.
1993 The first Hershey's Hugs and mini Hershey's Kisses wrapped in white chocolate are sold.
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