subject: Belgian Chocolate And Its History Of Use - How It Came To Be [print this page] The use of chocolate throughout history, is one that has a rich past. Chocolate, is one of the most popular suites today, and is used in a variety of different products to produce a sweet or bitter taste. Belgian chocolate in general has become very popular around the world, along with Swiss chocolate, and is used on a variety of different dishes, including commercial take mixes and a variety of dough enhancer products. With so many different products available, it is easy to see why Belgian chocolate has become so popular. However, the history of Belgian chocolate is one that is a bit different from chocolate in general, starting in South America.
South America
Chocolate was first discovered in South America, when the tribes that lived in that area discovered the cacao tree had very sweet seeds. The seeds could then be used to spice up a variety of different meals, as well as to create drinks and liquids that were consumed quite heavily throughout the area shortly after it was discovered. South America is seen by many as the birthplace of chocolate with culture such as the Mayans and Aztecs consuming it regularly. It would not be many years before chocolate made its way across the ocean to Europe, where would become equally, if not more popular in a very short amount of time.
Move To Europe
Choclate made its way to Europe after explore such as Christopher Columbus learned about the usefulness of the cacao tree, as well as the seeds that it produced, and brought over samples to share with the Royal courts. Of course, the royal court took to it kindly, and cacao began to be imported into the region shortly thereafter. However, chocolate would not be seen in its current form for several dozen years. At first, much like was done in South America, the seeds were used to create sweet tasting drinks. However, over time it began to be applied to other substances such as sourdoughs to create unique pastry style treats.
Arrives In Belgium
Area By the time chocolate arrived in the Belgium area there was a wide range of different recipes that were available for it. It had been solidified, and looked more like the chocolate that we know and love today. Belgium chocolate, over the years different from normal chocolate, because Belgium had a colony in the Congo. It was found that the Congo had vast resources, including wide varieties of cacao trees, which had a slightly different, more bitter taste from the trees that were found in South America. This helped to shape what is now known as the Belgian chocolate taste, and helped the country to create one of its largest exports. Today Belgian chocolate is used in a variety of different recipes and products, and is one of the most popular styles of chocolate that is available on the market today. It is no surprise that chocolate took off so quickly throughout Europe, making its way to Belgium and other countries. Even today, chocolate is a very popular export within Belgium.
For more information, have a look at commercial cake mixes.
