The early history of drinking chocolate:

The Olmecs (1500 BCE) are believed to be the first civilization to cultivate cacao in Mesoamerica. The evidence from archaeological finds suggests they were the earliest people to consume a form of chocolate, as a liquid.

The Mayans (250–900 CE) developed the cultivation of cocoa further. Drinking chocolate (called xocolatl) was a thick, bitter beverage often mixed with water, chili peppers, and spices like annatto. It was consumed cold and used in religious rituals, feasts, and as currency.

The Aztecs (14th–16th centuries) adopted cacao from the Mayans. For the Aztecs, cacao was considered so valuable it was used as a currency. Their version of drinking chocolate was still bitter and spiced, served cold, and considered a drink for nobles, warriors, and priests. The emperor Montezuma is believed to have consumed it often.

The Spanish Conquistadors encountered cacao in the Americas and brought it back to Europe in the early 16th century. Initially, the Europeans disliked the bitter flavor, and began adding sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and milk to make it palatable to their taste buds.

Spain kept cacao a guarded secret for decades, and it was popular among the elite as a health tonic and luxury.

Drinking chocolate spread across Europe, especially in France, Italy, and England, where it became a fashionable beverage served in chocolate houses—social spaces similar to modern day coffeehouses.

The drink was still made with grated chocolate (not cocoa powder) and blended with milk or water. It remained a drink of the wealthy.

In 1828, Coenraad van Houten of the Netherlands invented a press that could separate cacao butter from cacao solids, creating cocoa powder. This led to "hot cocoa"—a lighter and more accessible drink.

Drinking chocolate made with real chocolate (not just cocoa powder) became less common, replaced by cheaper and easier cocoa-based drinks.

Here we offer both chocolate and cocoa powder to make some of the most wonderfully decadent, rich, flavorful drinking chocolate on the planet.