Chocolate is a product from a tropical rainforest plant called a cacao. The chocolate comes from roasting the seeds (called beans) taken from inside the giant cacao pods.

Chocolate was first discovered in Central America, possibly by the Maya people. But they used it as a drink, not as we use it today. It was brought over to Europe by the Spanish when they colonised this part of the world.

Drinking chocolate and bar chocolate

Drinking chocolate is made from cocoa powder - just like bar chocolate - with added sugar and often some flavourings. Today it is added to hot milk. It can also be made by melting chocolate bars.

The Maya had a more bitter chocolate drink than we are used to because they did not roast the beans in the same way as we do today. They also drank it cold.

They ground cacao beans into a paste and mixed it with water, cornmeal and chili peppers. So it was bitter and spicy.

When the Spanish arrived, this drink with vanilla added, was used by Aztecs and called "chocolatl". At this time no one knew about sugar and they hadn't thought of adding honey.

When it was first sent back in Spanish ships to Europe it very expensive. People drank it if they were rich, often just to prove they were rich. But it was not a taste that Europeans liked. But soon after this sugar began to arrive, and this turned cold bitter chocolate into sweet chocolate drink. In the late 17th century, Hans Sloane added milk, and so drinking chocolate was developed.

By the 19th century a cocoa powder (now often just called coco powder) processing machine had been invented, getting rid of the greasy cocoa butter and leaving chocolate as a powder. It was important for drinking chocolate, and it was also important for bar chocolate because, a before this time, none could make the chocolate solid. By remixing cocoa powder and small amounts of cocoa butter, a solid bar could be made.

Chocolate powder is high in antioxidants, which is good for us, but unfortunately it is also high in fat. So cocoa powder used in a hot milk drink may have some benefits without the disadvantages of the fat in bar chocolate.

How chocolate is drunk depends on where you live in the world. In North America it is very sweet and topped with marshmallows, whipped cream, or a piece of solid chocolate. In Europe it is often served with less sugar and often as a breakfast drink on the continental mainland, but an evening drink in the United Kingdom. In a cafe it is often sprinkled with some cocoa powder.