Changes

The arrival of Spanish conquistadors, specifically Hernando Cortés, brought Europeans in contact with chocolate, who initially did not like the taste of the drink as it was bitter. Chocolate, at this time, did not include sugar so it was usually quite bitter. By the 1590s, chocolate was now mixed with honey, vanilla, and sugar, giving it a much sweeter taste and it became more favorable With the conquest of the West Indies, and beginning of the establishment of sugarcane plantations, soon the production of sugar combined with chocolate revolutionized European tastes. Soon, chocolate, still consumed as a drink, became associated with upper class tastes and the nobility in general by the early 17th century. Interestingly, the some members of the church had initially potentially considered chocolate drinks as sinful, where some even drank it to divert themselves from long services. However, this changed as the elite and noblemen supported its consumption. The 17th century was also a time for experimentation with chocolate, including the first known attempt to coat almonds with chocolate.<ref>For more on the early history of chocolate consumption in Europe, see: Grivetti, L., & Shapiro, H.-Y. (Eds.). (2009). <i>Chocolate: history, culture, and heritage.</i> Hoboken, N.J: Wiley.</ref>

By the 18th century, with the introduction of industrialization in the UK, the first chocolate factories were being created that used hydraulic machinery. The 1730s also began to break the Spanish monopoly, mostly in Central and South America, of cocoa, where it was soon spread to other parts of the Americas and Africa. In the colonies in the United States in 1765, in the state of Massachusetts, the first chocolate factory was built (Figure 2). <ref>For more on the industrialization of chocolate, see: La Boone, J. A. (2006). <i>Around the world of food: adventures in culinary history.</i> New York: iUniverse, Inc, pg. 83. </ref>