UNIT 1.

3 DESCRIPTIVE TEXT FEATURES

Instructions: Read the following text and identify the main information. Then complete the graphic
organizer below.

A Brief History of Chocolate

Chocolate has become one of the world's most cherished and celebrated foods, and for good reason.
We all know how great the taste of quality chocolate is, and how it can brighten someone's day, but
what you may not be familiar with is the fact that this wonderful food we enjoy today has been nearly
4000 years in the making! To learn more, look at this brief but fascinating history of chocolate while
you enjoy your latest order from Totally Chocolate!

2000 BC
Since its discovery by multiple peoples and cultures over time, chocolate has been made from one key
ingredient: Cocoa. It is estimated by scientists and classical historians and archaeologists that Cocoa
originated in South America's Amazon Rain forest at least 4000 years ago!
6 th Century AD
Thanks to conclusive archaeological evidence found in the ancient Mayan territories of Central and
South America, we have learned that Mayans cultivated the earliest known cocoa plantations. Unlike
the solid, sweet treat we are used to today however, the Mayans consumed cocoa in a liquid form
during religious ceremonies due to their belief that cocoa, or xocoatl as they called it (meaning 'bitter
water'), was the food of the gods.
1200s
By the 1200s, the Aztecs culture had also incorporated the thick, unsweetened beverage known as
xocoatl into their culture as a ceremonial and health elixir, as well as an aphrodisiac. The Aztecs
believed that the cocoa tree originated in paradise and revered the plant so much that they were
even known to have used cocoa beans as currency!
1492
Upon Columbus' return to Spain from the New World, he brought many strange and wondrous
substances back to show King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. Apparently however, in all the
excitement and fervor over the discovery of new lands and wealth, the little brown cocoa beans were
overlooked...but only at first.
1502
On his fourth trip to the New World, in what is now known as Nicaragua, Columbus witnessed cocoa
beans being used as currency among the indigenous population. The Italian explorer still did not see
any potential market for the bean back home however and continued his search for a route to India.
1513
Less than 15 years after Columbus' trip to Nicaragua, a man named Hernando de Oviedo y Valdez
purchased a slave using cocoa as currency. It is at this time that chocolate began to catch on among
European explorers and merchants, who began referring to the ancient Mayan and Aztec drink as
Chocolatl, which was a combination of the Mayan word xocoatl and the Aztec word for warm liquid.
1519
After his conquest of most of Mexico was completed in the same year, Hernan Cortez established a
cocoa plantation. He did so after noticing the high value of the beans as currency, and although he did
not care for the drink made by the indigenous tribes, he wanted to take advantage of the potential for
wealth that a cocoa plantation would generate on Spain's behalf in the New World.
1528
Upon his return to Spain, Cortez presented cocoa beans and the recipe for chocolatl to King Charles V,
while adding sugar (an unknown substance to the Mayans and Aztecs) to the bitter beverage. While

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this did produce a more universally enjoyable drink, the Spanish decided to keep their sweetened
discovery a secret from the rest of the world for nearly 100 years!
1544
Although it was still highly secretive at this point, the cocoa industry at this time began to flourish
with the help of Dominican Friars who were assigned to learn the secrets of the bean from the
Mayans. Once they had learned all they could, and perfected their craft of processing the cocoa, the
friars began to share their discovery with the wider world, leading to cocoa being used as currency in
Europe as it once was among ancient Mayans and Aztecs.
1585
Nearly 100 years after Columbus' first voyage to the Americas, cocoa was finally shipped in bulk to
Spain to be sold on the open market. This would lead to an explosion of trading and innovation
inspired by the unique cocoa bean.
1625
Like their ancient predecessors who used the cocoa bean as currency throughout Central and South
America, the Spanish at this time had also incorporated cocoa beans into their economy as legal
tender. 200 small beans were now the equivalent of 4 cents.
1643
After her betrothal to Louis XIV of France, Spanish Princess Maria Theresa presented her future
husband with a gift of chocolate for their wedding. It didn't take long for the Sun King, Louis, to notice
the appeal of chocolate, and to appoint Sieur David Illou to begin manufacturing the sweet treat to be
sold in large quantities in France.
1662
As its popularity continued to grow more rapidly among Europeans, the Roman Catholic Church
began to take a renewed interest in chocolate. What was once known as a 'bewitching beverage' was
now being an enjoyable drink that was even excluded from fasting restrictions, meaning people
weren't required to give up chocolate while they fasted for religious holidays!
1674
In London, a popular Coffee House called At the Coffee Mill and Tobacco Roll revolutionized the way
chocolate was ingested by the masses by serving chocolate in an edible cake form. This trend would
continue as people discovered more and more ways to enjoy this new delicacy.
1677
Chocolate, having been transformed by European imagination and experimentation was returned to
the Americas at this time. By Royal Spanish Decree, Brazil was able to establish modern cocoa
plantations to mass produce the cocoa bean which would be used to make more chocolate for sale in
Europe.
1697
Belgium gets its first taste of chocolate in Brussels thanks to Heinrich Escher, the mayor of Zurich.
Having travelled all the way from Switzerland to share this delicacy, Escher would inspire an entire
nation to improve and experiment with this unique new flavor!
1755
Almost 20 years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, colonists living in what would
become the United States of America got their first tastes of chocolate. Like the Europeans before
them, this would incite the creation of an entire industry devoted to the manufacture and sale of this
irresistible new delicacy.
1765
Less than 10 years after it was introduced to the colonies, the first chocolate factory was built in New
England. This led to faster production of chocolate on a scale never seen before throughout the entire
world!

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1780
Although American Colonists were the first to create a factory designed to mass produce chocolate, it
was the Spanish who first created a factory where machine-made chocolate was produced. In less
than 20 years from this point, the entire world would follow suit to keep up with demand for this
wildly popular treat.
1800
Chocolate would now be produced on an industrial scale. On the eve of the Industrial Revolution, a
man named Antoine Brutus Mercier created the first factory where chocolate could be mass
produced on a scale never witnessed before.
1830
Although the processing of chocolate had reached massive scales, it wasn't until this period that J.S.
Fry and Sons, a British chocolate maker, that chocolate began resembling the food we eat today. It
was this company that began to first produce solid chocolate like chocolate bars of present day.
1840
With the new solid format of chocolate, a huge number of chocolatiers began to pop up all over the
Western world, some of which still exist today as huge chocolate making companies. It was the
Belgian chocolate maker, Berwaerts however, that sold the first pressed chocolate tablets, pastilles,
and figurines at this time.
1912
The 20th century would mark the beginning of Belgium's status as a nation of elite innovators and
manufacturers in the chocolate world. The first praline (chocolate with soft filling) was invented in
this year by Jean Neuhaus Jr.
1925
One of the most important inventions to ever come about in the chocolate industry was created by
the Belgian chocolatier, Charles Callebaut. He revolutionized the way chocolate is stored and
transported by inventing a way to transport liquid chocolate.
Present Day Today, Belgian Chocolatiers from both Brussels and Flanders are world renowned for the
quality of the chocolate they produce each year, as well as the creativity they show while coming up
with new ways to enjoy this 4000-year-old delicacy.

UNIT 1.3 DESCRIPTIVE TEXT FEATURES L.E.I. DIANA RODRIGUEZ CHIRINOS

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A Brief History of Chocolate

2000 BC
Chocolate has Since its Upon his return
In the 1200s,
become one of discovery by to Spain, Cortez
Aztec culture
the most multiple peoples presented the
had also
appreciated and and cultures incorporated cocoa beans and
celebrated foods over time, the thick, the chocolate
in the world, chocolate has sugar-free recipe to King
and for good been made from drink known as Carlos V,
reason. a key xocoatl while adding
sugar

1662 As its
1585 cocoa was finally popularity One of the most
shipped in bulk to continued to Chocolate, having been important inventions
Spain for sale in the grow more transformed by of the chocolate
free market. This rapidly among European imagination industry was created
would lead to an Europeans, the and experimentation, by
explosion of Catholic Church returned to Belgian chocolatier
commerce and Romana the Americas right now Charles Callebaut
innovation. comenzó a tener
inspired by the unique un renovado
cocoa bean interés por el
chocolate.

In the history of chocolate, we see that it was not always as we know it today, as a
sweet bar with an exquisite flavor, we read that it has had several uses and
preparations over the years and that it has always been fascinated since it was sugar, it
was an excellent story and very interesting

UNIT 1.3 DESCRIPTIVE TEXT FEATURES L.E.I. DIANA RODRIGUEZ CHIRINOS