Sleepy History - Chocolate

Episode Date: January 12, 2025

Chocolate—a treat beloved around the world, with a history as rich as its flavor. From ancient civilizations that prized cacao as a sacred gift to its transformation into the sweet delight we know today, chocolate's journey is one of discovery, culture, and indulgence. Tonight, savor the story of chocolate as we explore its origins, legends, and evolution, guiding you into a peaceful and deliciously sweet slumber.Narrated by: Simon MattacksWritten by: Alexandra TurneyAbout Sleepy History Delve into history's most intriguing stories, people, places, events, and mysteries, delivered in a supremely calming atmosphere. If you struggle to fall asleep and you have a curious mind, Sleepy History is the perfect bedtime companion. Our stories will gently grasp your attention, pulling your mind away from any racing thoughts, making room for the soothing music and calming narration to guide you into a peaceful sleep. Sleepy History is a production of Slumber Studios. To learn more, visit www.slumberstudios.com.

This is Sleepy History. Sleepy History is a production of Slumber Studios. To listen ad-free, get access to bonus episodes, and support the ongoing production of this show, Check out our premium feed. This is The Sleepy History of Chocolate, narrated by Simon Mattocks, written by Alexandra Turney. When we're craving something sweet, there's nothing quite like chocolate. A Hershey's bar, a bit of Cadbury dairy milk, or a square of lint or milker. For many of us, chocolate is the ultimate comfort food. But have you ever considered where it comes from?

How a bean from a small tree in the Amazon rainforest spread all over the globe and came to dominate the dessert market? In tonight's story, we'll discover the surprising history of chocolate, starting from its origins in Maya and Aztec civilizations and learning how it became the star of sweets that it is today. So just relax and let your mind drift as we explore the sleepy history of chocolate. The story begins about 5,000 years ago in the Amazon rainforest. Ecuador, to be precise. This is where we find the earliest evidence of cultivation of the cacao tree.

Growing on this small tree are clusters of pods. Break one open and you'll find up to 60 seeds inside. These seeds are known as cacao beans and they're the key ingredient used to make chocolate. Around the year 3300 BCE, people living in Ecuador were starting to discover the unique properties of the cacao tree. We know this thanks to residue and DNA found on ceramics from the area, which reveal traces of the cacao tree. What we don't know is exactly how people consumed the cacao tree's fruit. From around 1900 BCE, however, there's evidence that some communities in Mexico were making cacao drinks. The beverage seems to have been associated with elite society and important gatherings. So, for centuries, cacao was consumed by people in Mesoamerica, a region that includes parts of Mexico and Central America. But cacao is one thing and chocolate is another. Cacao beans are just the raw material.

In order to be turned into chocolate, the beans need to be fermented, then dried and roasted. This is what the Maya did, starting from around 600 BCE. And that's why they're generally given credit for inventing chocolate. The Maya civilization thrived for hundreds of years. It covered a vast region. And the Maya loved cacao beans. They regarded the tree as sacred, a divine gift from the feathered serpent deity Kukulkan. There are also many references to cacao in the Popol Vuh, a text that includes the creation myth. Apparently, cacao was one of the ingredients used to make human beings.

The Maya must have felt that cacao was in their blood, so it's no wonder they found a way to make good use of the beans. Chocolate beverages were highly valued in their culture and used in all kinds of ceremonies, from religious rituals to weddings and funerals. The Maya also believed that chocolate had medicinal properties, which, as we'll soon see, is a recurring theme in this story. As we trace the early history of chocolate, a picture is starting to emerge. We can understand how this food, or rather drink, came to be valued. Not only was it believed to be healthy, but it also had a long tradition of ritual uses and divine associations. However, there's an important factor we haven't explored yet.

Taste. It's the delicious taste of chocolate after all that makes it so popular today. We can assume that the Maya enjoyed the taste of chocolate too, at least to some extent. But the chocolate they consumed was something very different to the modern treat. Most experts believe that the Maya drank chocolate for its invigorating effects, rather than its flavor. They processed cacao beans to make a sort of paste, frothy beverage flavored with vanilla or even chili. That was chocolate in the early days. Before we move on to the next era of chocolate history, it's worth noting that the Maya

also found another use for cacao beans. Like many other early civilizations, they bartered instead of using coins. Intriguingly, artworks suggest that the Maya sometimes used cacao beans as currency. that the Maya sometimes used cacao beans as currency. And the next major civilization in this part of the world would also value cacao. The Aztecs dominated central Mexico from the 14th to the 16th century. Most likely, they were introduced to chocolate by the Maya. The drink played a similarly important role in Aztec culture

and was often consumed in rituals. For the Aztecs, the cacao plant was a gift from the feathered serpent deity Quetzalcoatl. Perhaps it was because of this belief that chocolate was so highly prized. Also, cacao was relatively difficult to obtain, as the tree was not native to Aztec territory. That made it all the more valuable. In fact, chocolate was something of a status symbol for the Aztecs,

being drunk almost exclusively by the elite. An exception was sometimes made for warriors, however. Given the stimulating nature of chocolate, it made sense to give it to soldiers in need of a pick-me-up. Chocolate is known to have energy boosting and mood altering qualities. But the Aztecs took it further. They may have even believed cacao to be a kind of hallucinogenic drug. In some rituals, chocolate was consumed together with psilocybin mushrooms. Here's a description of an Aztec ceremony in the 16th century, as recounted by a Spanish

priest. At the very first, mushrooms had been served. They ate no more food. They only drank chocolate during the night. And they ate the mushrooms with honey. When the mushrooms took effect on them, then they danced. Then they wept.

But some, while still in command of their senses, entered and sat there by the house on their seats. They did no more but only sat there, nodding. And when the effects of the mushrooms had left them, they consulted amongst themselves and told one another what they had seen in their visions. Hallucinogens aside, the Aztecs seemed to have consumed their chocolate in a variety of ways. The beverage could be hot or cold and mixed with all kinds of ingredients, from vanilla to chili and even agave wine.

On the whole, we can see many similarities between Maya and Aztec chocolate. Both civilizations valued it highly and consumed it in liquid form. Another interesting similarity is that the Aztecs also used cacao beans as currency. One might use beans to buy food or pay taxes. Some people even made counterfeits, fake cacao beans made of wax or avocado pits. For many years it was only the Aztecs and others in that part of the world who knew of chocolate's existence. But then, from the late 15th century onwards, Europeans began to make their way to the Americas, explorers and conquistadors alike.

Men like Christopher Columbus and Hernán Cortés would change the course of history forever in ways beyond the scope of our story. However, one consequence of these two worlds meeting was the exchange of new foods. For the first time, Europeans got to eat tomatoes and potatoes. And of course, chocolate was another discovery. When the Spanish encountered the Aztecs, they couldn't help but be intrigued by this strange, bitter concoction, which the indigenous people seemed so fond of. Still, chocolate was clearly something of an acquired taste, and not all Europeans were convinced.

The Italian adventurer Girolumo Benzoni, who visited Central America in the mid-16th century, described his first impressions of chocolate. It seemed more like a drink for pigs than a drink for humanity, but then, as there was a shortage of wine, so as not to be always drinking water, I did like the others. The taste is somewhat bitter. It satisfies and refreshes the body, but does not inebriate. And it is the best and most expensive merchandise, according to the Indians of that country.

Indeed, European visitors were quick to recognize the value of chocolate. Spanish colonizers encouraged the cultivation of cacao, as well as cultural beliefs about the importance of the bean. One surprising consequence of this can still be seen today in a cathedral in Mexico City. There's a statue known as El Señor del Cacao, the Lord of Cacao. To this day, devotees come to pay their respects and leave chocolate offerings. This tradition originated in the 16th century. Indigenous people who converted to Catholicism would leave offerings of cacao by statues.

But while some beans were donated, the majority were processed and turned into chocolate on an ever larger scale. Over time the Spanish population living in the Americas developed a taste for chocolate. This led to a couple of important changes. Firstly, chocolate was no longer for high society only. It was still seen as valuable, but it could now be consumed by anyone regardless of rank. Secondly, the flavor of chocolate began to change in order to suit European tastes. Unlike the Aztecs, the Spanish preferred their chocolate warm and sweet.

At some point, chocolate crossed the ocean. Hernán Cortés, the Spanish conquistador, is said to have brought chocolate back to his homeland in the early 16th century. However, the evidence is lacking. What we do know is that the first recorded shipment of cacao to Europe was in 1585. And from this point on, chocolate seems to have gradually become popular in Spain. It makes sense that the European history of chocolate starts here, given the link between Spain and the Americas. And while we're on the subject, let's look at the origins of the word.

Chocolate is a Spanish loanword, so the English name comes to us from the Spanish chocolate. And the Spanish word in turn may derive from an Aztec language, the Nahuatl word, Chocolatl. The exact etymology is still up for debate. However, the English word chocolate made its first appearance in 1604 in a translation of a Spanish book. But the word chocolate and the substance itself would not become widespread in the English speaking world until a little later. So, Spain was the European country where chocolate first took off. Given the high cost of transportation, it was a luxury good,

consumed mainly by the aristocracy. good, consumed mainly by the aristocracy. Monks and missionaries were also partial to chocolate, which led to an unusual theological debate. Was it acceptable to drink chocolate while fasting? It was so rich and decadent. But fortunately, the drink was approved by a cardinal. He declared that liquid does not break the fast. In 17th century Spain, people drank chocolate not just for the taste or the effects, which were said to include aphrodisiac properties,

but also because drinking chocolate was the thing to do. It was just a matter of time before this elite exotic drink spread across Europe, helped by trendsetters like Anne of Austria. Despite her name, Anne was Spanish, and when she married King Louis XIII of France, she introduced chocolate to the court of Versailles. port of Versailles. Chocolate drinking quickly caught on in France, Italy, and Portugal. By the mid-17th century, it was also popular in England, where chocolate houses opened

up. Around this time, the English were also discovering the delights of tea and coffee. These beverages were available in coffee houses. Over a cup of tea or coffee, people would discuss business, politics, and intellectual matters. Chocolate houses, on the other hand, were places of leisure, accessible only to wealthy male patrons. Men would gather to drink chocolate from little dishes and to play cards and gamble.

These establishments were often rowdy and decadent. One chocolate house was described as the most fashionable hell in London. We can only imagine what that might mean. Unlike the Spanish, who usually made their chocolate with water, the English preferred creamier beverages, adding milk or egg yolks to the mix. However, it seems the English considered their European neighbors to be the chocolate experts. The first Earl of Sandwich, a former ambassador to Spain, compiled notes on how chocolate was prepared there. The notes include a recipe for an iced chocolate drink.

Apparently, in Spain this drink is much used in the heat of summer but is also considered unwholesome. The notes continue, one is obliged, for better security, to drink hot chocolate in one quarter of an hour after. This exotic substance was proving to be remarkably versatile. It could be a warm, indulgent treat, or a refreshing drink on a hot summer's day. It was mood-boosting, energizing, and potentially even a hangover cure, as it was said to soothe the stomach. One morning, the English diarist Samuel Pepys was suffering from a sad head and imbecilic stomach. To feel better, he drank some chocolate.

The supposed health benefits of chocolate were widely known. Here are just a few of these benefits from a 17th century treatise. Apparently, chocolate preserves health and makes, such as drink it often, fat and corpulent, fair and amiable. It vehemently incites to venous and causes conception in women. It is an excellent help to digestion. It cures consumptions and the cough of the lungs, the new disease or plague of the guts and other fluxes.

The green sickness, jaundice and all manner of inflammations. And the list goes on. and the list goes on. By the 18th century, chocolate was still seen as something special, favored by the elite across Europe. In a single month, Anne, Queen of Great Britain, spent £50 or £5,000 in today's money to indulge her chocolate cravings. However, the drink was gradually starting to become more affordable. It wasn't just a royalty and aristocracy. And then, in the 19th century century another important change took place. Chocolate became a food. We owe this exciting development to a Dutchman, the chemist Koenred van Houten. In 1828, he came up with a new way to treat cacao beans using alkaline salts.

This created cocoa, a powdered chocolate that could be easily mixed with water. Touch processing, as it came to be known, had significant consequences. Chocolate became easier to mass produce and so more affordable. Also, this type of processing paved the way for the creation of solid chocolate. Until the 19th century, chocolate was almost always a liquid. Although there are records of chocolate puddings and biscuits from the 18th century, on the whole, chocolate was a drink. Now, however, the world was about to discover how delicious it could be in solid form, as a bar, for example.

Throughout Europe, businessmen were becoming excited about the commercial potential of chocolate. about the commercial potential of chocolate. The British confectionery company Cadbury was founded in 1824. Soon it would be producing chocolate bars, boxes of chocolates and Easter eggs. But while Cadbury is one of the best-known brands, the first company in England to produce chocolate was actually Fry's. It had been making chocolate since 1761. And then, in 1847, Fry's produced the very first solid chocolate bar. As we've mentioned, solid chocolate had been made before.

But this was the first time that a company had created chocolate in bar form, which could then be mass-produced. After Fry's launched the chocolate bar, Cadbury quickly followed suit with its own creations. And the rival companies had more in common than just their products. Both Fry's and Cadbury were founded by Quakers. Quakers are members of a Christian group that believe in peace and equality. Joseph Fry and John Cadbury, the founders of their respective companies, were both Quakers. Quakers abstained from alcohol, tobacco, and drugs. They wanted to live what they saw as an

ethical life. For this reason, men like Fry and Cadbury went into the business of tea, coffee, and chocolate. They could make money while living in alignment with their principles. Their Quaker beliefs also had an impact on how they ran their businesses. For instance, in 1893, George Cadbury, the owner of the company at the time, planned new accommodation for workers. This estate of more than 300 houses was designed to provide comfortable, spacious living spaces for the workers, with plenty of greenery. Cadbury also gave workers half the day off on Saturdays, something that was rare at the time.

So conditions in England seem to have been fairly comfortable. In West Africa, however, which is where many of the cacao plantations were, things were very different. In 1909, Fry's and Cadbury boycotted cacao beans from Portuguese-run plantations in West Africa after learning about the poor working conditions. This brings us to the unsavory side of chocolate history. Over the years many plantation workers were enslaved or otherwise exploited. It began in Spanish colonies in Central America, where indigenous people were forced to work. And the exploitation continued throughout the centuries,

with colonial powers such as Portugal, France, England, and the Netherlands. Even today, conditions on cacao plantations are often less than ideal. That's why it's often recommended to buy chocolate that's made from fair trade certified cocoa. Ethical chocolate, in other words. Historically, cocoa hasn't been the only contentious ingredient. As we've seen, chocolate has been made with a variety of unusual additives over the years, from agave wine to egg yolks. And in the 19th century, chocolate makers sometimes added questionable ingredients to

their products in an effort to cut costs. For instance, cocoa butter was substituted with animal fats. And for a period, even Cadbury was guilty of adulteration, using starch in their chocolate. However, by 1866, the company was using a new manufacturing technique, which allowed them to make unadulterated chocolate easily. Cadbury made a point of this in their advertising. The slogan was, Absolutely pure, therefore best. This emphasis on purity explains in part why Cadbury became so popular.

The public was becoming more aware of the issue of adulteration and wanted higher quality food. Also, quite simply, Cadbury chocolate tasted better than many of their competitors' products. That leads us to another controversial ingredient, butyric acid. It's commonly believed that milk chocolate produced by Hershey's, one of the leading brands in the US, contains butyric acid. This pungent compound is also found in butter, parmesan cheese, and vomit. The presence of butyric acid might explain the tangy taste of a Hershey's bar.

Outside the US, it's often considered somewhat unappetizing. However, the distinctive taste of Hershey's has a good story behind it. The company was founded in 1894 and soon perfected a technique of making milk chocolate. Through a process known as lipolysis, the shelf life of milk chocolate increased. It could be stored for longer and also became more affordable. By the Second World War, Hershey was a popular brand in America. Bars of chocolate were even given to soldiers in the US Army as part of their rations.

These bars were known as ration D. As the name suggests, this chocolate was not designed to be delicious. Apparently, it was intended to taste a little better than a boiled potato. That was all. What mattered was that the chocolate was cheap, lightweight, durable and energizing. Unsurprisingly, the Ration D chocolate bar wasn't particularly popular. It had a bitter taste and was so hard that the official guidance was to eat it slowly, nibbling at the bar over the course of 30 minutes. From 1943, US soldiers were given a new, more appetizing snack,

Hershey's Tropical Chocolate Bar. It was still meant to be practical, and less likely to melt. Hershey's Tropical Chocolate Bar. It was still meant to be practical and less likely to melt, but it also had a better flavor. This product was more successful, and by the end of the war 380 million bars had been produced for the military. Even before the war, Hershey's had been a household name. But by 1945, millions of soldiers had developed a taste for this particular kind of chocolate and the tang of butyric acid.

Exposure can influence food preferences. Maybe that's part of the reason why Hershey's became one of the biggest chocolate brands in the US. As for the question of the best chocolate, that's a matter of personal taste. Over the past couple of centuries, mass production has made chocolate so much more accessible. But although it's now an affordable treat, many of us are willing to splash out on something a bit more high quality. Gourmet Belgian chocolate, for example, a box of decadent pralines or truffles.

Chocolate is a signifier of luxury and romance. Just think of the chocolate on the hotel pillow, or the heart-shaped box on Valentine's Day. Of course, chocolate is delicious in any form, at any price. But perhaps this idea of luxury is worth reflecting on as we come to the end of our chocolate history. Chocolate has always been seen as something special. A gift from the gods in Maya and Aztec civilizations. A status symbol for Europeans in the 17th century. And then, eventually, a treat for everyone. Because of chocolate's availability, we might forget just how special it is, and what a journey it's made.

From a tree in the Amazon rainforest to shops all over the world. Divine or otherwise, chocolate truly is a gift. Something to be savoured. You You You You You You You You You You You You You You You You You You You you