The Mayas were the first to grow cacao trees in an organized way. The cacao tree, legendary and sacred, was doubly precious to them. Cocoa beans served both as money and as an ingredient for an invigorating and nutritious drink—chocolate. Thanks to the Toltecs, then the Aztecs, cacao tree culture eventually generalized throughout Central America. When Christopher Columbus arrived on the Island of Guanaja, he was certainly the first European to taste "the drink of the gods." Starting in 1521, chocolate spread over all of Spanish America, from Cuba to Venezuela. In 1527, it arrived in Europe where its nutritious qualities were quickly recognized. Recipes were developed, and chocolate was served in different ways. Under Louis XV, the candy dish contained all sorts of chocolate-flavored sweets. At the end of the 17th century, chocolate manufacturers multiplied. French chefs developed the art and the manner of obtaining a chocolate with exceptional quality. Commercial relations with Martinique, Guadeloupe, Guyana, and Santo Domingo made it possible for them to obtain their cocoa stocks directly. Europe had discovered chocolate in all its forms by the 19th century: it became powdered in Holland, and the Swiss invented fondant and milk chocolate. Many of today's major brands were created during this period. In 1922, Monsieur Guironnet, a pastry chef living in the RhÙne valley, opened the Chocolaterie du Vivarais, the company that would become the brand VALRHONA in the early 1950s. From the very beginning, Monsieur Guironnet's philosophy was "to use the best to make the best." He searched the world over for cocoa beans which rose above the ordinary. VALRHONA continues this legacy today. The company that was once a small family affair now employs 250 people and produces 3,500 tons of chocolate each year.