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Cocoa and Chocolate

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Basic Food Chemistry

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Abstract

Cacao originated in the Americas, probably in the jungles of the Orinoco and Amazon valleys. Cultivated by the Aztecs of Mexico and by the Mayas of Central America, cacao was being used by them at the time of the discovery of America by Columbus and the conquest of Mexico by Cortés. Columbus brought some cacao beans back to Europe. A beverage called chocolatl made from these beans was consumed in large amounts by the Emperor Montezuma. The basic concoction comprised cakes made from the fluid mass of ground chocolate, to which corn and spices as well as vanilla were added. Parts of the cakes were beaten with water and the other ingredients were added resulting in a final product that had the approximate consistency of honey. The Spaniards were said to have been attracted to it only when it was sweetened.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Cornell University, Geneva, New York, USA

    Frank A. Lee Ph.D. (Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus)

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  1. Frank A. Lee Ph.D.
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© 1983 The AVI Publishing Company, Inc.

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Lee, F.A. (1983). Cocoa and Chocolate. In: Basic Food Chemistry. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-7376-6_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-7376-6_19

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-011-7378-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-7376-6

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