The Influence of Empires
Last Updated    1/2/2008     12/27/2007

Empires in the Americas helped make European nations richer and stronger.
New foods were also introduced to Europe.
Avocados, lima Beans, peanuts, pineapples, tomatoes, and turkeys.
Farmers in Spain, Portugal, and Italy grew corn.
Farmers in Germany and Ireland grew potatoes.
Corn and potatoes were nourishing and easy to grow.
Fewer people died of famine.
Europe's population increased.

Cocoa
History
1500-400BC, Olmecs grow cocoa beans as a domestic crop.
250-900 AD, Cocoa may have been introduced into Central America by the Maya.
600 AD, Mayan have cocoa plantations.
Only the royalty and nobles could drink chocolate.
It was cultivated in Mexico by the Toltecs and later the Aztecs.
1300s, Aztecs were the first to tax cocoa.
The Aztecs called it "xocalatl" meaning warm or bitter liquid
Cocoa beans were used as currency.
1502, Columbus encounters a canoe of cocoa beans.
1519, Cortez recorded cocoa usage by Montezuma
1544, Dominican friars took Mayans to Spain to see the king.
The Mayan brought gifts of cocoa ready to drink.
Spain and Portugal did not export it to the rest of Europe for 100 years.
Chocolate was introduced to Europe by the Spaniards.
1657, people in London, Paris, and other cities opened chocolate cafes.
1674, eating solid chocolate was introduced.
1700s, the Dutch controlled the trade in cocoa beans.
1765, chocolate introduced to United States.
John Hanan and James Baker make first chocolate mill.
1780, Bakers Chocolate made.
1847, first chocolate bar.
1868, first box of chocolates.


Chocolate was made by roasting cocoa beans  and pounding them into a paste.
The paste was mixed with water, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon.
It was then shaken until it bubbled.

Bibliography
Greenblatt, Miriam, and Lemmo, Peter. Human Heritage A World History. Columbus, Ohio: McGraw-Hill, 2001.

"The Culture of the Cocoa Bean." About.com Inventors. 2 Jan. 2008. http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blchocolate.htm.