Chocolate

hocolate needs little introduction. The word will immediately call to mind melted, velvety textures, complex and bittersweet flavors, and rich aromas. First discovered and cultivated by the Olmecs in Mexico, the cacao tree would eventually find its way to the Aztec people, who would roast and grind the pods into the original incarnation of chocolate. The Aztec emperor Montezuma famously drank the thick cocoa mixture, which explorers at the time described as bitter but refreshing. It continued to be consumed as a drink for many centuries after, becoming wildly popular in Europe in the 1600s. Chocolate only transformed into the confection we know today with the help of Dutchman Conrad van Houten’s invention of a superior cocoa press