Cortes Brings the Spanish Chocolate: Recipe Rejected

How did cocoa cross the Atlantic? Cortes brought the Spanish chocolate from the New World. He returned with the recipe for an invigorating drink fit for a king. But not the Spanish king. It was rejected, initially.

It was too bitter until cane sugar, another posh import, was added. This pleased the king's palate and hot chocolate became popular at court. It stayed the nobility's secret for nearly a century.

But knowlege of such a delicious energy drink couldn't be contained forever. It spread to Europe. There its popularity, ensured by the Spanish addition of sugar, would drive innovation and eventually make it affordable. Muchos gracias, Espana!

Christopher Columbus' Greatest Blunder

On 8-15-1502, Christopher Columbus made his greatest discovery. Cacao beans. He came across a native trading canoe. The occupants were nuts about the nuts they carried, taking great pains not to lose a single one.

He was amazed and mystified by their actions. Apparently, he never tasted chocolate or realized the beans were money. The language barrier got in his way.

He took some cacao beans back to Spain but the court was not impressed. Poor Chris missed his chance to become really famous. Had he given them a taste he could have been known as the man who introduced chocolate to the rest of the world.

Instead, it would be up to Cortes to do it.

Cortes Captures Chocolate

A few years after Columbus' blunder, the Aztec introduced the Spanish to chocolate. In 1519, Cortes and his conquistadors, searching for gold, paid a visit to Montezuma. They were welcomed with gifts of cacao and invited to sample his precious frothy chocolate drink.

Cortes was impressed by the value the Aztec placed on cacao. They used it as money and an invigorating drink. He noted that the drink could supply enough energy for a man to walk a full day without food.

In 1521, Cortes conquered the Aztec Empire. He demanded their cocoa and other valuables. He'd found brown gold. Not what he had expected, but he figured he could make some cash from it. He planned to grow wealthy by growing cocoa.

So in 1528 Cortes, after establishing several cacao plantations, took some of the valuable beans back to Spain. But unlike poor Chris, he brought the recipe and tools to make chocolate.

Spanish Chocolate Conversion

The king found Cortes' brew too bitter but saw value in it. He charged the monks with refining and safeguarding the recipe. So they began experimenting, adding cinnamon, black pepper, and other flavors popular in Spain. But their most inspired addition was sugar, an expensive import.

With these changes the conversion to Spanish chocolate was complete. They even invented a new tool, the molinillo, to whip the chocolate easier.

The sweet new drink, served warm, became very popular with the court. It would remain a treat for the elite for many years because it was expensive.

Supplied by its cacoa plantations Spain enjoyed its chocolate secret for nearly a century before it spread to Europe.




Spanish chocolate altered the course of chocolate history. By adding sugar they ignited a cacao craze so intense it still burns today. Ouch!




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