Cocoa

A Brief History of Cocoa

Making chocolate is a science. Back in the Aztec times they used cocoa as a fortifying and aphrodisiac drink often at special occasions. They also used the beans as currency. By the mid 15th century the Spanish discovered cocoa and realised that it was even better if you added sugar. During the 17th century, in Europe, drinking chocolate was an expensive luxury that only the upper classes and clergy could afford, it was even more luxurious than tea or coffee. Spices were often added. In the 18th century cocoa was pressed and two ingredients emerged cocoa butter and cocoa powder. Cocoa mass is the beans and butter in a semi liquid form, this is the base used to make chocolate bars. The Coco House UK uses the 100% pure ORGANIC cocoa powder as their main hot chocolate ingredient.

Below is a short video about where chocolate comes from and how it is basically made. The pods growing on trees, the beans (looking like baby alien eggs), the fermenting, the drying, the roasting, the pummelling...... the entire extraordinary way in which it is made.