From Cacao to Chocolate: The History and Making of an Ancient Superfood with Modern Benefits

Happy International Chocolate Day! There are many observances throughout the year to celebrate the consumption of this popular food, with today commemorating the birthday of Milton S. Hershey, the American confectioner, philanthropist and founder of the Hershey Chocolate Company.  

Although much of the chocolate you find in the grocery store today is packed with processed sugars, non-organic dairy and other artificial and inflammatory ingredients, pure, raw chocolate has many health benefits!

Today’s post delves into the history of cacao and the process that is involved in turning this superfood into the popular sweet treat!

The History of Cacao |ka’cow| 

Native cultures throughout the world have revered the cacao tress (Theobroma cacao) and often incorporated it into sacred mythology. For example, Hawaiian and Polynesian lore assigned a feminine energy to chocolate and saw it as a life-giving and sustaining substance. Cacao has also been viewed as the Food of the Gods.

While the exact origins of the Cacao plant is uncertain, theobromine has been found on pottery shards dating back to 1650-1500 BC.

The ancient Inca, Maya and Aztec people all honored Cacao. Chocolate was incorporated into ritual and celebrations. For example, it is said that Montezuma would drink up to 50 cups of Cacao before participating in sacred rituals. Cacao was so revered that it was used to pay taxes and served as a form of money.

It is thought that Cortez brought cacao back to Spain amongst his other treasures from the New World. Chocolate continued to grow in popularity throughout the world. 

From Cacao to Chocolate

To get the chocolate which we are familiar with, cacao undergoes a multi-step process. This transforms raw cacao into delicious, creamy chocolate. 

The Making of Chocolate

The cacao tree is an evergreen which is native to the tropical regions of South America. This plant is grown in shady forest in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. One tree produces about 50-100,000 cacao blossoms which result in about one fruit per 500 flowers. Inside each cacao fruit are approximately 50 beans. It takes around 500 of these cacao beans to make one pound of chocolate!

When the fresh cocoa beans are removed from the pod, they do not taste at all like the sweet chocolate they will become. Fermentation of the cacao beans for 5-8 days brings out different flavor profiles. This process of fermentation removes the mucilage, stops germination and begins flavor development. Next, traditional methods of chocolate making rely on sun-drying of the cacao beans following by roasting or leaving the beans raw when a raw product is desired. Further processing or winnowing separates the beans from the shell, leaving nibs and cocoa butter.

Chocolate liquor (or cocoa mass) can be produced from the heated and ground nibs due to their high fat content which is liquifeid as the nib melts. This bitter liquid can then be mixed with other ingredients such as milk and sugar depending on the formulation and blended well. Further processing, if desired, can separate the fat or cocoa butter, for use in chocolate bars and beauty products. Finally, tempering and molding of the chocolate is done before it is packaged and distributed.

Stay tuned for some healthy, gluten-free cacao recipes in an upcoming post. 

What is your favorite way to enjoy chocolate and cacao? Do you “worship” chocolate?

*These are products that I use and should not be considered medical advice. AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE: Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links. Prices are exactly the same for you if your purchase through an affiliate link or a non-affiliate link. Thank you! 

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