American Chocolate Week – March 21, 2027

History of American Chocolate Week

Chocolate is made from beans of the cacao tree which is found mainly in remote areas of West Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America. Cacao beans, however, are bitter and must be fermented to develop the flavor. After this, the beans are dried, cleaned, and roasted. The shell is removed to produce cocoa nibs, which are then ground to cocoa mass, from which chocolate can take on many avatars.

But we must travel back 4,000 years to ancient Mesoamerica, present-day Mexico, to trace the roots of chocolate. The Olmec, one of the earliest civilizations in Latin America, were the first to cultivate the cacao plant and turn it into chocolate. Many years later, the Mayans turned chocolate into a brew made of roasted and ground cacao seeds mixed with chilies, water, and cornmeal. They created a thick foamy beverage called ‘xocolatl,’ meaning bitter water. This drink was so heavenly that the Mayans considered chocolate to be the drink of the gods. Legend even states that Aztec God Quetzalcoatl brought cocoa to earth and was banished from paradise for giving it to man.

Chocolate arrived in Europe in the 1500s and has grown in popularity ever since. It was considered an aristocratic indulgence as its high price point meant that only the wealthy could afford it back then. In the UK, it wasn’t until the 19th century that lower import duties meant chocolate could finally become more affordable.

Today, chocolate can be found in every part of the world with each culture having its own twist on the confection. But that’s not all, around 40 to 50 million people depend on cocoa for their livelihoods, with chocolate farmers producing 3.8 million tons of cocoa beans per year.