In 1519, armed conquistadors led by Hernando Cortes fought captured the ancient capital of Mexico - the city of Tenochtitlan. Ransacking the palace of Montezuma, the Spanish conquerors found in the palace storerooms of large stocks of some fruits. It turned out that the Aztecs prepare them national drink "chokoatl" - the bitter water. By the way, from the word and is the European name "chocolate". Roasted and peeled seeds of these fruits called "kakatsatl" (hence the word "cocoa"). They are cooked with water, the liquid ran the maize flour, and after cooling froth. The food consumed in the cold without sugar and honey, but with pepper and vanilla. Thus Aztecs attributed the drink divine force. And "chokoatl" really provided an unusual effect. A few cups of coffee was enough to make a man could tirelessly to make long day's journey. Coffee - Drink of the ancient Aztecs, one of the most powerful Indian tribes that lived in what is now Mexico and Guatemala. History has preserved for us the following story.
Cocoa was one of the foundations of the financial system of the Aztecs, and the rich Indians amassed it on par with gold. The value of the seeds of cacao was so great that the inhabitants of Montezuma they replaced the money. For example, the rabbit was worth 10 seeds of cocoa and a slave could be bought for 100 seeds.
Cortes and his companions this drink so much, that when he returned to Spain in 1520, he brought the fruits of cocoa to the King. Preparation of chocolate for a long time kept a profound secret, and knew him only at the royal court of Spain. Secondary cocoa imported into Europe (in Italy) from India Florentine Corlett in 1660 took many decades before the seeds of cocoa fell to France. True, there until the middle of XVII century. No one, except the queen, did not drink chocolate. In 1776 France opened a factory for processing cocoa beans. The lion-ran their debts cocoa stitches-tracks ...
Over time, the tree cocoa reached Africa, and now the main producer of cocoa beans is the Republic of Ghana, formerly Gold Coast. Economy of Nigeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, also largely dependent on this crop. In 1876 (there is evidence that this was a few years before), blacksmith Tette Kuarshi from city Mampong visited the island of Fernando Po. Returning to Ghana, he brought with him a bag of cocoa beans, planted them in their native land, and 4 years later gathered the first harvest. Enterprising blacksmith sold the seeds to their friends and neighbors. It gradually replaced the cocoa in the country all other cultures.
In 1891 the British evacuated the first batch of cocoa beans from Ghana. And after 6 years the Englishman opened Rowntree chocolate factory in York, "Rowntree & Company Limited, which was soon branched off companies in Canada, Ireland, Holland, Australia. Started a chocolate factory built in the United States, Germany and Switzerland.
In Europe the first cocoa was used as a medicine for rheumatism, diseases of the throat and stomach. Only in the middle of the XIX century was organized by the chocolate production in Russia. Much later came the modern drink cocoa, chocolate creams, chocolate slab - countless Mars, Snickers, Bounty and other "pleasure paradise" ...
Cocoa was one of the foundations of the financial system of the Aztecs, and the rich Indians amassed it on par with gold. The value of the seeds of cacao was so great that the inhabitants of Montezuma they replaced the money. For example, the rabbit was worth 10 seeds of cocoa and a slave could be bought for 100 seeds.
Cortes and his companions this drink so much, that when he returned to Spain in 1520, he brought the fruits of cocoa to the King. Preparation of chocolate for a long time kept a profound secret, and knew him only at the royal court of Spain. Secondary cocoa imported into Europe (in Italy) from India Florentine Corlett in 1660 took many decades before the seeds of cocoa fell to France. True, there until the middle of XVII century. No one, except the queen, did not drink chocolate. In 1776 France opened a factory for processing cocoa beans. The lion-ran their debts cocoa stitches-tracks ...
Over time, the tree cocoa reached Africa, and now the main producer of cocoa beans is the Republic of Ghana, formerly Gold Coast. Economy of Nigeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, also largely dependent on this crop. In 1876 (there is evidence that this was a few years before), blacksmith Tette Kuarshi from city Mampong visited the island of Fernando Po. Returning to Ghana, he brought with him a bag of cocoa beans, planted them in their native land, and 4 years later gathered the first harvest. Enterprising blacksmith sold the seeds to their friends and neighbors. It gradually replaced the cocoa in the country all other cultures.
In 1891 the British evacuated the first batch of cocoa beans from Ghana. And after 6 years the Englishman opened Rowntree chocolate factory in York, "Rowntree & Company Limited, which was soon branched off companies in Canada, Ireland, Holland, Australia. Started a chocolate factory built in the United States, Germany and Switzerland.
In Europe the first cocoa was used as a medicine for rheumatism, diseases of the throat and stomach. Only in the middle of the XIX century was organized by the chocolate production in Russia. Much later came the modern drink cocoa, chocolate creams, chocolate slab - countless Mars, Snickers, Bounty and other "pleasure paradise" ...
