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Chocolate has a history as rich as its flavor. The Aztecs were the first people to recognize the special qualities of chocolate, although xocotlatl, the chocolate drink enjoyed by the royalty of ancient Mexico bears little resemblance to the chocolate of today. Xocotlatl was the favorite recipe of Montezuma II, the last Aztec emperor, who was said to use it as an aphrodisiac. It was made from the cocoa beans of the cacao tree by drying the beans and roasting them over the fire. They were then pounded to a thick paste with water and sometimes, powdered flowers.
The steps towards producing chocolate in the form we know today began with Coenraad Van Houten in Holland who, in 1828, developed a cocoa press that improved the quality of the drink by squeezing out part of the cocoa butter. From this point on, drinking chocolate had more of the smooth consistency and pleasing flavor that it has today.
In 1876 Daniel Peter of Switzerland developed milk chocolate by adding condensed milk to chocolate liquor. Then in 1879, Rudolph Lindt, another Swiss, made a major breakthrough with 'conching', the mixing and kneading of the chocolate mass anywhere from a few hours to several days. 'Conching' is from the Greek term meaning 'sea shell' because it referred to the shape of the mixing vats. The longer a chocolate is conched the smoother it is.
Now chocolate is produced around the world and Australia is one of the leaders of great tasting chocolate making over tons a year.
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