Chocolate, Nectar of The Gods

Chocolate was a staple in the new world long before the conquistadors first arrived and found Montezuma consuming up to 50 servings a day of this remarkable drink. It was served in golden goblets to the newcomers. The bitter taste did not impress the Spanish, though they soon sweetened it with sugar cane. This was much more to their taste. It was soon a hit amoung the royalty of Spain, so it was successfully cultivated in many colonies of the Spanish Empire. The secret of cocoa cultivation was kept for more than a hundred. This made for a very profitable business for the Spanish and their empire. Soon the rest europe found out how to successfully cultivate chocolate and its popularity began to spread wildly.

In the early 1600s chocolate houses began to spring up all over England,. With the advent of the industrial revolution the process of grinding the chocolate which allowed the price of chocolate to drop enough to become affordable to almost everyone. The new grinding and pressing techniques also allowed for a large variety of new chocolate products to be developed. Cocoa butter was made from the oils squeezed form the chocolate and milk was added to give us the first milk chocolate

Chocolate flavirings and frgarnces can be found in just about every product imaginable today. From toothpaste to lip gloss, chocolate has become a universal favorite flavor, available in many products and combinations. Although initially enjoyed as drink, it took many different paths and has now made a full cicle as to it becoming a favorite flavor in many of the coffee houses on street corners all over the world.

Another surprising favorite for chocolate is in handmade soap. A quick googling of the words chocolate and handmade soap will bring 972,000 results. Chocolate soap is a best seller for many handmade soapmakers. The universal appeal crooses all boundries, even to bath and body market. Coffee and chocolate seem to make a most natural partnership. The other flavor most closely associated with chocolate is vanilla. Any ice cream lover would attest to the remarkable taste of these two amazing flavors that were originally brought to us from the new world.