Chocolats Valrhona - History of chocolate
THE ORIGIN OF CHOCOLATE
The Mayas were the first people to cultivate cocoa rationally. The cocoa tree, this sacred, legendary tree, was doubly precious: its beans were used as a form of currency and as the ritual ingredient for a tonic and nutritious beverage: chocolate.The Toltecs, followed by the Aztecs, initiated cocoa culture, helping it to become widespread throughout Central America.
THE SPANIARDS DISCOVER CHOCOLATE
When Christopher Columbus landed on the island of Guanaja in 1502, he was most certainly the first European to taste the “elixir of the gods”. From 1521 onwards, chocolate became widely established throughout Spanish America, from Cuba to Venezuela. Although known in Spain from 1527, chocolate was predominantly only popular in convents and monasteries where the Vatican permitted its usage during long fasting periods. It became, very quickly however, extensively appreciated for its nourishing qualities: recipes would become more refined over time and chocolate could be enjoyed in a variety of different tastes and textures.
CHOCOLATE INVADES EUROPE
In France and throughout Europe, chocolate was now totally in vogue, giving rise to the most intense passions and opinions. Sometimes it was idolized, at other times diabolized.The Marquise de Sevigne praised its nutritive, digestive and fortifying qualities, and then went on to vilify it for being the cause of her palpitations and abnormal values.But chocolate really owed its success to its alleged aphrodisiacal powers...Rumour had it that you could die of pure pleasure and chocolate drinkers were soon accused of being totally debauched.
THE CHOCOLATE REVOLUTION
By the end of the 17th century, chocolate factories had proliferated. French pastry chefs had acquired the art and manner of making chocolate of unique, exceptional quality. The country’s trading links with Martinique, Guadeloupe, Guyana and Saint Domingue, thus, provided the opportunity of direct cocoa supplies.In the 19th century, Europe discovered chocolate “as-never-before”: powder in Holland; melting, milky bars in Switzerland.Between the 19th and 20th centuries, industrialization, the lowering of taxes and the development of transport opened the doors to a chocolate revolution.
QUALITY CHOCOLATE GALORE!
The 20th century was a majestic explosion of unique gourmet pleasures: bite-sized filled delicacies, chocolate bars, chocolate bonbons, ganaches, and coffee-time chocolate squares.The major chocolate factories were created during this period.In 1922, Mr Guironnet, a pastry chef from the Rhone Valley, founded the Vivarais Chocolate Factory, which would go on to be the source of the VALRHONA brand in the 1950s. From the onset, Mr Guironnet fulfilled his philosophy “use the best to make the best”.