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The secrets of the chocolate maker at Colonial Williamsburg
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Grinding cocoa beans. Photo/Colonial Williamsburg
Chocolate began as a hot drink, usually served with breakfast almost everywhere in the 18th century. Williamsburg researchers say that the first recorded mention of chocolate in Williamsburg dates to the beginning of the 18th century when James Blair, President of the College of William and Mary, is noted as serving hot chocolate to visitors.
Chocolate is native to Mexico and the Americas where it has been known for several thousand years as a ceremonial drink, rather bitter, with flavors of vanilla and chili pepper added. There is some evidence that it was fermented into an alcoholic drink.
With the Spanish conquest, Europe was introduced to the taste of chocolate and it was an instant hit, with a chocolate house open in London by 1657. It was considered to have valuable health benefits, so it was also available in apothecary shops, which brings it full circle to the recent research touting the health benefits of dark chocolate.
Colonial Williamsburg is part of the Colonial Chocolate Society, along with other living history museums and representatives from Mars Incorporated, University of California-Davis. The society is involved in the research, interpretation and presentation of historical chocolate making. The result has been the Mars American Heritage line of chocolate products such as an authentic chocolate drink mix, chocolate sticks, and chocolate bars which are available for purchase in Williamsburg and other locations.
This American Heritage Chocolate is as close as possible to the chocolate available for the colonists to eat and drink, and for the army as rations. Apparently the chocolate provided to G.I.s in the World Wars of the Twentieth Century was in line with the historical tradition of providing chocolate to the troops.
Jim Gay of Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Foodways will be working in the Governor’s Palace Kitchen with colonial style kitchen utensils to demonstrate the processes used to turn raw cocoa beans into chocolate.
A Colonial Williamsburg admission pass or a Good Neighbor card provide access to this program,"Secrets of the Chocolate Maker", which will be available from 10 a.m. to 3:45 p.m on Tuesdays, Nov. 3 and Dec. 1.
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