History of Cacao

The Mayans traded it as currency and, for a moment in time, money really did equal happiness. The central ingredient in cocoa and chocolate, cacao was in use as early as 1000 BC for its medicinal qualities and as a “food of the gods.” For over 3,000 years, cacao has been a sought after item for cultures around the world. In many ancient cultures cacao was so highly valued, that the cacao beans were used as currency.

View our interactive timeline to see how cacao and chocolate have evolved over the centuries.

600 BC || The Mayans discover the intense flavor hidden within the cacao pod and create an unsweetened chocolate drink. Cacao thrives in their climate and is a common drink enjoyed by all.

1519 || The Aztecs import cacao from the Mayans, making it an expensive delicacy enjoyed by the privileged. King Montezuma serves a spicy chocolate beverage to Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortez.

1529 || Cortez returns to Spain, taking the exotic chocolate drink with him. To ensure a regular supply of cacao, plantations are developed in tropical Spanish colonies throughout the world.

1580 || Epicureans sweeten this decadent drink with sugar and cinnamon, and the well-to-do throughout Spain enjoy it served in special chocolate pots.

1600s || The popularity of this sweet and sumptuous chocolate drink spreads across Europe among the elite. In France, access to chocolate is strictly limited to nobility.

1730 || Prices drop because of new mechanical processes, and chocolate is finally affordable to the masses. In England, people gather to drink chocolate and socialize in Chocolate Houses.

1765 || The first New World chocolate factory is built in the American colonies. Chocolate is still produced in liquid form only as “Drinking Chocolate.”

1847 || "Eating Chocolate" is invented in England. Chocolate is now available in bars and becomes a convenient confection. Only dark chocolate is available at this time.

1875 || The Swiss add milk powder to chocolate to create the first “Milk Chocolate.”

1894 || Milton Hershey begins production of cocoa and chocolate, using sweet chocolate to coat his popular caramels.

1913 || The filled chocolate bonbon truffle is created by a Swiss chocolate maker, combining succulent sweet centers of various flavors with a hard chocolate shell.

1941 || Chocolate becomes a trade item and peace offering by American troops in World War II when Hershey provides “D-Ration” chocolate bars for distribution to American troops overseas.

2006 || HERSHEY’S introduces a Full Cacao Website Experience, inspiring a rebirth of chocolate connoisseurship.