Historically speaking
The
cocoa bean originates in the Amazon Basin and tropical areas of South
and Central America and was first cultivated there over 2000 years ago.
Columbus is credited with first bringing cocoa beans to Europe from Central
America.
In the early 1500's Hernando Cortez, a Spanish explorer, discovered that Aztec Indians in Mexico were using cocoa beans to prepare a 'royal' drink called 'chocolatl', meaning 'warm liquid'. This drink was very bitter so the Spaniards got into the habit of adding cane sugar to sweeten the taste. They also experimented with adding spices such as vanilla and cinnamon. It was discovered that the drink had a better flavour when it was served hot rather than cold. Spain subsequently planted cacao in its overseas colonies and eventually the product became popular throughout Europe.
In 1828 Coenraad van Houten, a Dutchman, invented the cocoa press which could squeeze out part of the cocoa butter (the fat that occurs naturally in cocoa beans) and separate it from the cocoa powder. The powder made a smoother and better tasting drink. The butter, when combined with more cocoa powder and sugar, made the first solid bars of chocolate.
Cadbury's invested in the machine and is credited with producing the first chocolate bar in 1842 and made chocolate an affordable treat. What had been an exclusive pastime for the upper classes became a mass market product in the form of bars and boxes. In 1875 Daniel Peters, a Swiss man, added Henri Nestles condensed milk to chocolate and the two men are accredited with the invention of milk chocolate.