By Tim Lambert
Early Chocolate
Chocolate is made from the fruit of the cocoa tree, which is native to Central America. It grows large, round fruits containing seeds or beans, which are used to make chocolate. However, for centuries, people drank chocolate rather than ate it. People in Central America drank chocolate as early as 1,500 BC. Much later, the Mayans and the Aztecs drank chocolate. The Aztecs called it xocolatl, from which are word chocolate is derived.
After the Spanish conquered Central America, they brought cocoa beans back to Europe. The beans were roasted and ground and used to make a drink with hot water. The Spanish added sugar to make it taste sweeter, and they stirred it with a wooden stick to make it foamy.
At first, chocolate was drunk only in Spain, but in the 17th century, chocolate spread from Spain to the rest of Europe. In London, a chocolate house where you could buy a drink of chocolate opened in 1657. In the late 17th century, people began to mix chocolate drinks with milk to make them taste better. The first chocolate factory in America opened in 1765. Then, in 1795, Joseph Fry began using a steam engine to grind cocoa beans. That allowed the mass production of chocolate.
In the early 19th century, chocolate Easter eggs were made in France and Germany, and from the 1870s, they were made in England. Meanwhile, in 1847, Fry made the first chocolate bar. However, at first, there was only dark chocolate. It was not until 1875 that a Swiss named Daniel Peter invented milk chocolate.
Meanwhile, the first box of chocolates was made in 1849. In 1861, for the first time, a box of chocolates was made in a heart shape for St Valentine’s Day. In 1899, Queen Victoria decided to send chocolate in a tin case to her soldiers fighting in the Boer War in South Africa to wish them a Happy New Year in 1900.
Modern Chocolate
However, chocolate remained a luxury until the 20th century. Then, many new varieties of chocolate bars were introduced in Britain. First came Flake (1920), Fruit and Nut (1921), Milky Way (1923), and Crunchie (1929). Then came Snickers (1930), Mars Bar (1932), Whole Nut (1933), Aero and Kit Kat (1935), Maltesers (1936), and Smarties (1937). Later came Bounty (1951), Picnic (1958), Galaxy (1960), Topic (1962), Toffee Crisp (1963), Twix (1967), followed by Yorkie, Double Decker, and Lion Bar (1976), and Wispa (1983).
Furthermore, new boxes of chocolates were introduced in Britain. Milk Tray dates from 1915. Terry’s Chocolate Orange and All Gold were introduced in 1932. Black Magic came in 1933, and Dairy Box and Quality Street were first sold in 1936. Cadbury’s Roses dates from 1938, and After Eight was introduced in 1962. Meanwhile, Ruth Wakefield invented chocolate chip cookies in 1938.
In 2018, Mexicans made the world’s largest cup of hot chocolate, which contained 4,817 litres.
A Timeline of Chocolate
1,500 BC The people of Central America begin to drink chocolate
1500 AD The Aztecs drink chocolate
1500s The Spanish bring chocolate to Spain. Later chocolate drinking spreads to other parts of Europe.
1657 A chocolate house opens in England where you can buy a drink of chocolate
1765 The first chocolate factory in America opens
1795 Steam engines are used to grind cocoa beans making chocolate cheaper
1847 The first chocolate bar is made
1849 The first box of chocolates is made
1875 Milk chocolate is invented
1899 Queen Victoria sends every one of her soldiers fighting in the Boer War a chocolate bar
1905 Dairy Milk is introduced
1908 Toblerone goes on sale
1910 Walnut Whip goes on sale
1915 Milk Tray goes on sale
1920 Flake goes on sale
1921 Fruit and Nut goes on sale
1923 Milky Way goes on sale in the USA
1929 Crunchie goes on sale
1930 Snickers and Freddo go on sale
1932 Mars Bar goes on sale. So does Terry’s Chocolate Orange and All Gold.
1933 Whole Nut goes on sale. So does Black Magic.
1935 Aero and Kit Kat are introduced
1936 Maltesers and Blue Riband go on sale. Dairy Box and Quality Street also go on sale.
1937 Smarties, Rolo and Milky Bar go on sale
1938 Cadbury’s Roses go on sale. Ruth Wakefield invents chocolate chip cookies
1951 Bounty goes on sale
1957 Munchies go on sale
1958 Picnic goes on sale
1959 Caramac goes on sale
1960 Galaxy goes on sale
1962 Topic goes on sale. After Eight goes on sale.
1963 Toffee Crisp goes on sale
1967 Twix goes on sale
1971 Yorkie, Double Decker and Lion Bar go on sale
1983 Wispa goes on sale
Last Revised 2026