Sweet History: Early 1800s … Chocolate Becomes An Industry

Chocolate could never remain as it was; it had to move on, shared en masse. That's what all good creations do, least of all, chocolate creations. And were chocolate creators innovatively inventive!

It must be remembered that in the 1800s there wasn't much utilities available, mostly manpower.

Chocolates were mostly handmade. But that didn't stop a man called Casparus van Houten who, in 1815, set up a small cocoa mill in his house in Amsterdam kept in motion by laborers running around in circles. Now, that's what I call: thinking outside the box.

Medicine's always a bitter pill to swallow. No one likes taking them. But thanks to Jean-Antoine Brutus Menier, I think of medicine as one of the chocolate creations I would gladly take in any day. He's the Frenchman behind chocolate-covered medicine which he started in 1816. He's also credited as building the first chocolate factory.

In 1830, JS Fry & Sons of England invented “Eating chocolate,” a bitter and brittle forerunner to the modern candy bar. And by 1847, they produced “Chocolat Delicieux a Manger,” thought to be the first tasty chocolate bar for eating. When, in 1824, John Cadbury opened a grocery store in Birmingham, England selling tea, coffee, and drinking chocolate from his own grounded cacao beans, surely he had no inkling that it would rise up to be one of the chocolate empires – through its mergers and acquisitions of like chocolate manufacturers such as Fry – that it is today? (Yes, Cadbury is one of my favorites, with its quality and original chocolate creations like the Dairy Milk bar – how can one forget: A glass an half of full cream milk in every half pound? – Fruit and Nut, Flake, Cream-filled eggs, Crunchie and Roses?)

Innovations did not end there. The first chocolate press to extract cocoa butter from chocolate was invented in 1828 Dutchman Coenraad van Houten. Cocoa powder soon followed after. And Dutch chocolate was not far behind. The basis of modern chocolate was born, making mixing, making, and working with chocolate easier and more manageable.

And am I thankful that these inventions and innovations were done very much before I was born. Now I can truly just enjoy the fruits of their labor, I must say. The attractiveness of modern chocolate creations is everywhere around us. And it helps that chocolates are one of the most loved and popular gifts of all time. Indeed, chocolate seems to be always a suitable gift appreciated by all ages and for every occasion. And of course, many people simply buy themselves a chocolate for a treat.

Now, what about you? What innovative chocolate creations and inventions are you thankful for?

Love everything chocolate? Check out Flowers & Gift Basket Ideas … edible gifts, edible bouquets and not-so-edible flowers, chocolate creations and more ....