It’s delectable, sweet, crave-worthy, and tastes great when filled with marshmallow but how much do you know about your favorite sweet treat? Boyer Candy is proud to present the Brief but Delicious History of Chocolate. We apologize in advance if this post makes you unbelievably hungry.

• Cocoa was discovered by the Mayans more than 2000 years ago.
• Theobroma Cocoa, the cocoa tree’s scientific name, is Greek for “Food of the Gods.” The world chocolate is said to have derived from the word Xocolat, the Mayan word for “bitter water.”
• Cocoa beans we’re used as currency by both the Mayans and the Aztecs.
• In 1523, Don Cortez was offered cocoa beans from the Aztecs. He kept the beans secret from the public, and served them only to the wealthy with Spanish nobility.
• Christopher Columbus was the first European to discover cocoa beans on his 4^th voyage to America in 1502.
• In 1615, Anne of Austria, the first wife of French King Louis XIII, declared chocolate the drink of the French Court.
• In 1667, the first chocolate shop was opened in London.
• In 1828, C J Van Houten invented the cocoa press, which helped extract cocoa oil and turn the residue into cocoa powder. Chocolate milk lovers rejoiced everywhere.
• In 1682, William Penn settled in the colony of Pennsylvania. It was here that the Quakers turned cocoa into a commodity and made it an affordable option to the masses as a substitute for alcohol.
• In 1765, the first processing house for chocolate in America was opened.
• Milk chocolate was invented in 1875 by Daniel Peter of Dorchester, Massachusetts.
• In 1879, cocoa butter was introduced into chocolate to form the chocolate bar we know and love today.
• During World War I, chocolate was shipped to troops in the battlefield in 20 to 40 pound blocks. When the war ended, soldiers back home created a greater demand for the sweet treat they grew so fond out.
• In 1936, the Boyer Brothers saw chocolate as an opportunity to create a business. It was during this time that the Boyer Brothers created the very first cup candy in their mother’s kitchen. This marks the invention of the Mallo Cup you know and love today.
• In 2014, Boyer Candy is still producing the delicious Mallo Cup as well as other delicious treats for your enjoyment and taste buds. Boyer still proudly manufactures their chocolaty treats in the United States in their Altoona, Pennsylvania factory.