As we approach the end of January, we know that the next big, sweet opportunity in life will arrive on February 14th. Valentine’s Day is a big, important day for all age groups. Children enjoy the valentine card exchange, teenagers look forward to special recognition from their boy or girlfriends, and older couples anticipate special events and gifts on Valentine’s Day as well. Across the generations, one of the most popular aspects of Valentine’s Day is candy, specifically chocolates.

Ever wonder how chocolate became such a world-wide favorite? It began with the cocoa bean, an agricultural product grown in Central America. Cocoa is mentioned in history as far back as 4,000 B.C. However, it was not until the 1500’s A.D. that it started gaining the reputation as a potion for love.

In 1519 Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez reported that Montezuma, the Aztec emperor of Mexico drank only Chocolate from a golden goblet and consumed about 50 jars per day. The beverage was made of cocoa, vanilla and other spices cooked down to the consistency of honey and consumed cold.

However, Cortez was not the first explorer to discover cocoa. Another famous explorer brought Cocoa to Spain in 1502. Any guess who that would have been? Here’s a hint. A quarter century earlier he “sailed the ocean blue.”

Image from Metro Creative Graphics      [Click on image for larger version]