Chocolate that continues to fascinate people all over the world. Did you know how the history started from BC? This article is delivered in "chocolate". From "the history of chocolate" to "the characteristics of chocolate in each country". According to the season, we also deliver the topic of "Chocolate sweets that you want to eat at hot."

There are many people who know that chocolate is "cacao". The formal scientific name of this plant is "Theobroma cacao". "Theobroma" means "food for God". Nowadays chocolate is loved by a wide audience from children to adults, but it was a very valuable food in ancient civilization.

In Mesoamerica (now Mexico to northern Costa Rica), where many ancient civilizations flourished, cacao was already spoken out around 1900 BC. In the Olmec civilization that flourished from around 1500 BC, there was even the word "kakao" that is the prototype of cacao!

Imagination spreads like "What was the ancient chocolate ?!" In fact, the old chocolate was not as sweet and solid as it is now. Humanity has long consumed chocolate as a liquid, yet as bitter.

マヤ文明の時代（4〜9世紀）には、ユカタン半島でカカオの栽培が行なわれていたそう。マヤ族にとってカカオは、神への捧げものとして儀式で使用するほど神聖なもの。カカオそのものを貨幣として使ったり、カカオからつくられた飲料を上流階級の結婚式などで飲む習慣があったことからも、いかに大切にされていたかがわかります。

Even in the 14th century, the era of the Aztec Empire, cacao is still a very valuable item. In addition to offerings, it is said that it was used carefully to mix medicines and medicines, and to make a yearly contribution.

The word "chocolate" is also found in the Aztec era. The cacao drink that the Aztecs were drinking was called "Shoakutoru".

"Shoakutoru" means "bitter water". The method is to roast and smash cocoa beans, add water and cornmeal to make them sticky, and flavor them with spices such as vanilla and chili peppers and fragrant flowers. It was sweetened with honey and sap, but basically it was a bitter and exciting drink, as the name "bitter water" means.

Cacao was transmitted to Europe in the early 16th century. Around this time, Spain conquered the aforementioned Aztec empire. A Spanish who met cacao brought it home.

After having landed in Europe in Spain, cacao has continued to spread as a bitter and upscale drink among royalty and upper class. By the time the general class people are also willing to be present, it has turned into a hot drink that is sweetened with sugar. At the same time, it spreads throughout Europe.

So when did it become solid chocolate? Where were the chocolate sweets full of variation born? In order to answer a number of questions, here we pick up European countries that come to mind when it comes to chocolate. Let's look at the relationship with chocolate of each country & characteristics of chocolate.

According to prevailing theory, solid chocolate production was successful in 1847 in the United Kingdom.

Milk chocolate was born in Switzerland in 1875, almost 30 years after that. Inventing a method of removing water from milk led to the birth of milk chocolate.

It is the Swiss who invented the process "conching" which is indispensable for the production of chocolate, and that it is better to melt the chocolate by adding cocoa butter to the chocolate being produced. Conching is the process of mixing chocolate for a long time to enhance the flavor.

スイスチョコレートといえば、今でもミルキーな味わいとなめらかさがウリとなっていますよね。

Belgian chocolate culture flourished in 1885 when the King of Belgium ruled Congo in Africa as a private property.

Such Belgium is still strongly committed to the raw material of chocolate. Chocolate made in this country is full of cocoa butter! The deep flavor and silky texture of cacao, which is a feature of Belgian chocolate, is the product of making chocolate that has been cultivated over a long history and the choice of raw materials without compromise.

ベルギーでは製菓などの原料用チョコレートの製造も盛んですが、スイーツならば、上の写真のような小さく美しい「プラリネ」が有名です。

Everyone, do you understand "ganache"? Ganache is a chocolate cream made by mixing chocolate with fresh cream, butter, milk, and sometimes Western liquor. It is an integral part of various chocolate sweets such as raw chocolate and truffle chocolate. According to one theory, this was born in the early 20th century France.

そうそう、チョコレートケーキのなかに、とろ〜りソース状のチョコレートが詰まった「フォンダン・ショコラ」も、ガナッシュを使ったスイーツなんですよ。ガナッシュのおかげで、チョコレートスイーツの幅は爆発的に広がったといっても過言ではないかもしれません。

We have taken chocolates from all over Europe together with the history of chocolates, did you find any sweets that tickle your "I ate!" In the chilly season, I miss sweets after all. If you eat hot chocolate, how about the "Fondan Chocolat" introduced earlier?

Fondant Chocolat seems to have three ways of eating and cooling as it is, depending on the store that it sells and offers, but what is still overwhelmingly hot is what to eat! By warming up, the flavor and sweetness of chocolate are further enhanced, and the melted sauce is full of mouth ....

Such luxury sweet time is this autumn and winterekinakaWell, I can enjoy it for 150 yen. that is"【Sweets】Zeitakuna nomu Fondant Chocolat"! JR East'sekinakaIt is in"acure"Drinking snacks" drinks lined up in the vending machines of

As a raw material, we use Belgian chocolate made with quality. Open a bottle with the image of fondant chocolate & cacao and drink one bit,ekinakaI feel at home in a luxury chocolate table.

"Oh, if you want to eat fondant chocolate right now," or if you drink "fondant chocolate, what does that mean?"acureAt the vending machine【Sweets】Zeitakuna nomu Fondant ChocolatPlease look for]. surely,"ekinakaThe gap time will change to a sweet time with a sense of euphoric happiness.

References: "CHOCOLATE History of chocolate, types of cocoa beans, how to taste and their recipes" (TokyoBooks)

1) "CHOCOLATE History of chocolate, types of cocoa beans, how to taste and their recipes" (TokyoBooks)
2) "VISIT FLANDERS" siteBelgian praline page

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