The Surprising History of Chocolate

In this video, we take a look at the origins of chocolate, cocoa, and cacao, and explore how it was made, how it spread, and how it was used throughout history.
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[@CHASEDPIE]

Just woke up, still have not left the bathtub. Open my phone and sees a new fire of learning video. This is gonna be a good day

[@tanjoy0205]

Clearly the sweetest video this season .

[@nickolasvickors54]

Are you sleeping in the bathtub? 😮

[@CHASEDPIE]

@@nickolasvickors54 My gecko usually sleeps in the sink. And because geckos can see in the dark, he can watch over me when I sleep

[@jesusramirezromo2037]

@@nickolasvickors54 Its a reference to Fire of Learning's community posts

[@piipiipoopoo520]

What! You sleep in a bathtub? Why don’t you sleep in a bed?

[@EfrLuviano]

I am Mexican, we are actually taught a decent amount of this in school, nice to see people being interested in this

[@sherrelly8845]

The Egyptian Diety Anubis Is An Ancient Mexican Breed Of Dog Called The XOLO The Headdress Of The Egyptian Goddess Is Made From A Female Turkey=Hen. Guess what? a. Turkeys Are Native To Ancient Americas Commorant Bittern Osprey Coney Bear Kite Dove Raven Sparrow Hummingbird Quails Raven Lions (That Actually Dwell In Dens Of Mountains Unlike African Lions That Dwell And Sleep Outside) Cankerworm Ram Lamb Sheep Goats Etc.Etc.Etc Forbidden Fruit AKA Poisonous Machineel Apple Tree That Kills From Eating And Touching AKA The Most Poisonous Tree On Earth Is Native To Florida Central South America Caribbean 1. Gopherwood Native Only To Blountstown Florida 2. Strawberries 3. Blueberries 4. Hyssop 5. Hazelnut Chestnut Poplar 6. All Beans=Pulse Are Native To South America 7. American Pine Which Only Produce Turpentine AKA BALM OF GILEAD a. Which The Middle East Just Recently Planted In Their Land 8. The Twelve Stones Upon Aaron's Breastplate All Come From The Americas 1. Green Emerald=South America 2. Red Beryl=Found Only In America 3. Blue Sapphire=Montana 4. Black Agate=Volcanic Rocks 5. Red Pink White-Agate 6. Opal 7. Onyx 8. Citrine Quartz 9. Red Ruby 10. Turquoise 11. Purple Amethyst 12. To Be Cont'd

[@TylerSolvestri]

Spaniards made it a candy tho.

[@EfrLuviano]

@@TylerSolvestri well it was an important part of many religious beliefs

[@sherrelly8845]

@@TylerSolvestri No!!! They Stole The Recipe Just Like Everything Else

[@TylerSolvestri]

@@sherrelly8845 Stupid take in a history channel. Ironic tbh

[@the.real.omar.707]

Chocolate! My favourite fruit! Thank you Fire of Learning for shedding more light on this rare unpopular fruit!

[@maksphoto78]

Chocolate is not a fruit!

[@the.real.omar.707]

@@maksphoto78 Prove me wrong 🤗

[@easportsaxb8057]

@@maksphoto78 maybe not processed eating chocolate, but cacao pods and beans most definitely are

[@denifnaf5874]

Cocain is technicaly a plant So it's edible

[@zapermax9102]

technically it came from a fruit which inside it is the seed. the seed that would turn into chocolate

[@alonzoson1]

I just finished making a cup of hot cocoa, perfect timing.

[@higginswalsan]

I believe white chocolate counts as chocolate due to cocoa butter (at least to my knowledge) not being a common food additive outside of chocolate products

[@MySpaceDxC_Suffo_AtTheGates]

Correct.

[@lisapop5219]

White chocolate on eggs with mustard? I can't imagine how that concoction gets discovered 😂

[@properjob2311]

I am going to have to try now

[@techdistractions]

Let me know how you go. I might give it a bash too

[@stacyk123]

Starving (possibly drunk) college kid.

[@hunterkiller1984]

Like an omlette mixed with yoghurt and jam.

[@Morfeusm]

@@hunterkiller1984 well it goes well in cakes so why not lol

[@connormarvell4038]

Just finished work for a new Fire of Learning video to walk home to. Living the dream

[@cebonvieuxjack]

Fun fact : every french soldier in WW1 had their own personal can of powdered chocolate to make themselves a chocolat chaud in the trenches.

[@VedJoshi..]

ah yes the classic hot chocolate with a hint of mustard gas

[@tommyss4l]

There's a shop in Sicily which has been around since the Spanish ruled the island and still makes chocolate the same way from then, which may be the only way we can taste what Aztec chocolate would be like.

[@joanmihali8281]

Where exactly is that?

[@tommyss4l]

@@joanmihali8281 it's in Modica i believe. You, me, and Sicily did a video on it I think

[@spaghettiking7312]

Finally! The time is here! I always knew this day would come!

[@jaynorris3722]

Chocolate melted on peanut butter toast for dinner. Thank you for the new information.

[@aviation_and_things]

"White chocolate with scrambled eggs and mustard is quite good" This guy is a menace to society

[@kimmuckenfuss2284]

Thanks so much for this video! I'd been curious in the past about chocolate & its' origins, & knew a lot of what you mentioned, but I was not clear at all about the Dutch versions & the alkalizing, etc. You've definitely cleared that up for me!

[@BaronVonQuiply]

In 2005 I had acquired some leaves of a tree with extreme tannin levels. I was using 12 spoons of sugar to combat the bitterness of the tea made with it. Looking for a better solution, I recalled how Chocolatl was prepared with chili peppers as sugar was not available, and so I added cinnamon to the tea reasoning that it was in the same general "hot" family. Not only did it work, but the tannin bitterness is mostly in the aftertaste and cinnamon hits in the aftertaste as well so it was a double attack on bitter.

[@lucaslamb9021]

Great video watched the whole thing

[@of8699]

My favorite KZbin channel! Keep up the good work sir

[@micoolkidfilms3270]

Thank god for uploading I’ve been suffering from fire of learning withdrawal

[@imaniwork6439]

Thank you for the excellent work on the history of cocoa, looking forward for the history of tea, please do The History of Tobacco.

[@veleouria]

Your uploads are my sunshine

[@fahqu9234]

Thank you Justin!

[@mathieuleader8601]

very insightful

[@MillhouseSpeaks]

Fascinating

[@Silverphoenix36912]

Holy hell did you say white chocolate with mustard and scrambled eggs sounds like a monstrosity I'm going to have to try, thanks man, i hope i don't die

[@StepBaum]

Great vid again :)

[@AutistCat]

Best history channel 😌😏

[@Mrvictory61]

Very interesting 😊

[@egaglemaster6348]

Love it

[@zacharyrussell9618]

I just realized this helps make since of the passage in 'A Tale of Two Cities' where 'Monseigneur takes his Chocolate.' There is no reference to him 'eating' chocolate, I recall being confused when I first read it.

[@Morfeusm]

I was just wondering what my favorite capybara doing! Another great video!

[@romecottrell6444]

I love 💕 chocolate 🍫 , but I watched how much I can eat . Have a good day everyone ❤😀🙏.

[@TheBuilder]

My day is complete

[@louvendran7273]

Thanks!

[@Fireoflearning]

Thank you!

[@DefaultFlame]

I remember the first time I bought an expensive, imported Hershey bar. I only finished it because it was so expensive as an import. It tasted like cheap store brand chocolate. Never again.

[@sa_exploder]

Why was it so expensive and why’d you have to import it? I always thought Hersheys was ubiquitous everywhere, like Coca Cola. And yes, it’s not great IMO. Although, I do like Mr. Goodbars for some reason.

[@DefaultFlame]

@@sa_exploder I live in Sweden. While things like coke are as ubiquitous as it is everywhere on the planet, things less suitable for our palatte has to be custom imported in small batches by large stores since there isn't demand, so the import costs skyrocket. Like Marshmallows Fluff (tasty but too sweet to be used for anything but confectionairy), Pop Tarts (dry, tasteless, overly sweet), root beer (good), cream soda (great, three thumbs up), Betty Crocker's Buttercream frostings (good but way, way, way too rich), etc. Hershey's just tastes like the bottom shelf cheapest generic chocolate you can find here, except it doesn't melt as easily in the mouth. Now, if we're talking barbecue sauces, or barbecues in particular, the US is King. Let's just say that we import a lot more Baby Ray's than we do Marshmallow Fluff. Damnit, now I'm hungry.

[@Fireberries]

@@sa_exploder Idk about OP but In England, Hershey bars are not like the American bars. They are produced here, and taste different. I love Hershey bars, but I also realise that they taste nothing like the American ones, which are reportedly "bitter and taste like puke". The ones I've had are less milkey than our typical chocolate (Cadbury's for example), and more in line with dark chocolate with only a slight bitterness to them, but thats par of the course of dark chocolate and I happen to like dark chocolate. As for the puke taste, I've never had anything like it I also believe Cadbury's chocolate tastes different in America than it does England. I'd be interested in tasting an American-produced Hershey's to see if this puke taste is real... but I also don't want to spend that amount of money on something that apparently tastes like puke, so [shrugs]

[@ReverendMeat51]

@@Fireberries "Taste like puke"? That's ridiculous.

[@Fireberries]

@@ReverendMeat51 I've heard multiple people say this over multiple different social medias and spanning over multiple years. I'm not saying it does (as I've not tried it), only that it's clearly a conclusion a lot of people have reached Edit: typo Second edit: After searching about this, I have found that the chocolate is made with something called "butyric acid" which is also found in puke. If you search "hershey's chocolate puke" you will find people claiming it to taste like so, and this is allegedly the reason why

[@DarthWillSmith]

13:55 Do you do this shit just to make sure we're paying attention?

[@realmonologue]

I’m interested in the history of the coconut or the olive, if that’s possible

[@skybluskyblueify]

Are there any books on the history of cacao/chocolate you recommend? BTW I loved the book you recommended for the history of potatoes.

[@0ThrowawayAccount0]

We cannot get enough of this man's voice. My girlfriend and I always rail each other out with his videos in the background.

[@sweis12]

Wierd flex but I dig it .

[@andykobra]

like your videos about food history but are you going to continue history of nations series?

[@edyann]

I'm in Mexico! It's ours! :)

[@seanrommel7535]

Im spainish, it’s now mine . Enjoy my smallpox as a gift

[@manuelruiz258]

Brother you need to do a history of Austria someday 🙏🙏🙏

[@s.deegan3740]

Can't believe you didn't mention M&Ms and the Spanish American war. I love your channel though and I subscribed.

[@Mote.]

Yay. I love chocolate

[@harukatakahashi8822]

Fire of learning :3 hehe

[@tinovanderzwanphonocave544]

living next to our local museum/botanical gardens we kids would sneak over the gates without paying although often the back gate would just be open in the 1980s. in the secondary greenhouse, there was the cacao tree and of course, as an unknowing 8-year-old old I stole one of its pods twice! it's great! sour sweet nice but not chocolaty 8 year old me didn't know the seeds were the thing here but, I did taste them and they were reminiscent of chocolate but awfully bitter!

[@tinovanderzwanphonocave544]

cacao coffee was the first iteration of this drink it was bitter but palatable like coffee milk and sugar were soon introduced making the hot chocolate we know today.

[@lucaslamb9021]

Aint no way eggs mustard and white choclate go together but I also was a peanut butter and scrambled eggs hater till I tried it

[@Fireoflearning]

I wasn't aware anyone else had tried peanut butter and eggs. It actually isn't that bad

[@loganlogon3720]

Chunky or smooth? Also off topic here but Laserblast!😆

[@e.robert717]

Watching this while eating chocolate with nuts, made my snack more enjoyable.

[@undeadruscher3118]

Fire

[@sizanogreen9900]

*in certain locations, i.e. almost everywhere it is grown? Besides that great video:)

[@47d75]

47D Can you reupload the history of holidays video? I was looking for it recently and couldn't find it. Or are you working on an updated version?

[@Fireoflearning]

Kind of working on an updated version. I realized the history of the holidays are just too much of a mess for that video which runs through them more quickly than I would like. I plan to spend a fair amount of time talking about holidays next year.

[@Tintin824]

Just woke up to see this and instead of breakfast I wanna scarf down dark chocolate morsels. When all my teeth fall out it'll be due to the heroic efforts of Fire of Learning

[@venabre]

The omelette recipe made me remember who the writer of these videos is

[@loganpaschedag8829]

Do a video on grapes! 🍇

[@FelixGalvanArt]

I grew up drinking Xocolatl sugarless and bitter as the norm. many people don't know that the word, chocolate, itself, came from the language, Nahuatl. Ironically, as many people would find it odd to drink bitter-tasting hot chocolate, we can already see this happening with coffee as many people drink their coffee bitter with no sugar or milk.

[@silvershadchan4085]

@Fire of Learning could you please make a video about The Surprising History of Coffee

[@Fireoflearning]

Hello, I have made one on coffee

[@CreativeWarrior-]

I shall have to try your Eggs LaViolette: scrambled eggs with white chocolate and mustard!

[@Fireoflearning]

Cracking up at this

[@AND-od5jt]

8:24 Anything made of... that means they used caocao as currency (not chocolate -- whichs name implies [lait/latte], that there is milk[powder] added), right? 11:33 He founded the "Van Houten" caocao company (or was that his son?), didn't he? Thanks for the informative video -- you earned a sub 👏

[@thelvadam2884]

Chocolate, my beloved!

[@LoveLove-gw2td]

Xocolatl, as it is correctly spelled in Nahuatl, is an original of the Mayans and Aztecs. It was a gift to Cortez the Espanol, who then voyaged it back to.Spain, where many desserts are mixed with Leche.

[@jtgd]

Yay

[@EllaDCat]

12:45 *chokes on chocolate sandwich*

[@L8yMeg314]

So that scene in Ever After where the prince gives Marguerite a piece of a chocolate bar in 16th century France is probably inaccurate? Lol

[@avanticurecanti9998]

How do you feel about combining chocolate and peanuts?

[@Fireoflearning]

It's good, although I'd have to keep it away from Peanut, my pet capybara

[@avanticurecanti9998]

@@Fireoflearning What about covering Peanut with chocolate?

[@Fireoflearning]

@@avanticurecanti9998 HA. HOO. HE. I chuckled at the notion of it.

[@SkyFly19853]

I heard they would create a Chocolate cartel similar to Opec... 🤔😏

[@gustavpedersen660]

I love chocolate

[@zzzarkka]

I’m going to pick up some chocolate on the way to work. 😂 🍫

[@loganlogon3720]

13:55 How the heck did that come about? 😳 Do you liquefy the white chocolate or grate it on top?

[@Fireoflearning]

Whatever your heart desires

[@themis1444]

he's gotta be trolling lol, I had to pause the video after he said that

[@loganlogon3720]

@@Fireoflearning Well since your in a sharing mood I'll give you one too. Glazed donuts with salsa, it's to die for.😄

[@yaantsudnbesdai972]

Fə-PINOCCHIO-ascinating video, "Fire of Learning".............. Fə-PINOCCHIO-ascinating video........

[@raykidd6693]

Hype

[@jackspedicy2711]

fire of learning on his way to say "it was beliefd to also have medicinal properties" for the 67th time (hes talking about grass)

[@marcielynn4886]

The whole pods right?

[@spicylemon7475]

The fact that there was a business of counterfeiting speaks volumes to the importance of cocoa in their society I wonder if counterfeiting cocoa was seen as an act of blasphemy or simply a worldly crime

[@Mote.]

History of Ginger, perhaps?

[@markgarin6355]

So....I could buy chocolate....with chocolate?

[@bootortle]

Gotta love how weird English can be with words sometimes

[@alexisdiniz8215]

Hi how are you ? I want to ask a question but related to another topic, not with this video, I watched many of your history videos and something I would like to know is what world power, colonial or imperialist, apart from France and Spain, would you consider a great target for overcome that Great Britain had to face, mainly from the end of the 18th century and throughout the 19th century, to achieve global hegemony. Holland maybe, Portugal, the kingdom of Prussia-Brandenburg, etc. I would appreciate it if you could give me your perspective or opinion on it. Thank you.

[@Fireoflearning]

Interesting question. The defeat of France in the 7 years war, and then again in the Napoleonic Wars, gave Britain a great edge over other European powers that allowed it to do many things, like claim all of Australia for example, without much competition. The Dutch were in decline in the 18th century but they were definitely a power with which Britain had to contend in the 17th. Portugal wasn't generally much of a competitor to Britain because of their alliance. In the 19th century, Britain faced competition with more regional powers. The US threatened their interests in the Americas, while Russia threatened their Asian interests, the latter leading to what's called the "Great Game". Prussia did not generally threaten Britain's interests greatly, but Germany of course did.

[@alexisdiniz8215]

@@Fireoflearning thanks for your answer

[@emeraldfinder5]

Chocolate chip cookies are less than 100 years old? That explains the monstrosity known as “oatmeal raisin”

[@EresirThe1st]

Raisin cookies taste better than chocolate chip

[@edmundironside9435]

What is this "Truglade" you speak of?

[@grandwareuopeanwarfareguid1354]

You missed ruby choclate

[@zzeegermantube]

White chocolate on scrambled egg with mustard?! How the hell do you even get that idea? One of those "happy" accidents? You dropped your chocolate and mustard into the pan by accident? Although that still wouldn't explain why you were eating chocolate and mustard at the same time. 😀

[@Crimepaysaskapolitician]

I eat pieces of 100% chocolate. The bitterness is delicious to me.

[@danielovercash1093]

I can't believe you didn't use the SpongeBob "CHOCOLATE!" guy

[@locosonador8]

Thank you for the great video. Can you do the history of Mexico🇲🇽

[@creeperking0017]

hy didnt it alert me

[@fionnmaccumhaill3257]

I want to know why there is so much lead in modern chocolate?

[@DJ-bq8ng]

Was the “fundamental” in a JP voice?

[@egaglemaster6348]

Damn first

[@BaronVonQuiply]

True story: I played drug dealer sim game that let you grow cannabis, poppies, and .... cocoa. The game had you growing illegal cacao plants and I assume it was a translation issue but it's still hilarious that they used the correct graphics for cacao because they got confused over coca.

[@beepboop204]

🙂

[@arcozako1234]

You’re eating us out of house and home… Literally

[@Romanball5677]

Can you do history of Russia

[@THEAmateurSommelier]

Why do I feel like Peanut was involved with your personal white chocolate recipe of consumption?

[@uknwtheusername]

Chocolate? Oh I remember when they first invented chocolate... I HATED IT!

[@XA1985]

I love my women the way I love my coffee, with chocolate 🍫😋

[@dejanjordan]

White chocolate on eggs, my god what kind of monster are you 😳 But seriously white chocolate from Lind is the best, mmmmm...

[@iambrando8342]

Tfw your probably eating blood chocolate

[@Canitdan]

come on man my money just melted

[@markmonoton6224]

13:56 Unsubed

[@froggytimmy8643]

Common FOL W

[@invisiblejaguar1]

I didn't know that about white chocolate. Perhaps pseudo chocolate is a more appropriate name.