  |
 In the United States of America, the production of chocolate proceeded at a faster pace than anywhere else in the world. It was in pre-revolutionary New England - 1765, to be exact - that the first chocolate factory was established in this country.  Mass production of cocoa became possible with the introduction of a perfected steam engine, which mechanized the cocoa grinding process. By 1730, cocoa had dropped in price from three dollars or more per pound to within financial reach of all.     
The Ivory Coast in West Africa is the largest producer of cocoa beans. |
The story of chocolate, as far back as we know it, begins more than 2000 years
ago in equatorial Central America where the Mayan Indians held cocoa beans in high regard. Images of cocoa pods were
carved into the walls of their elaborate stone temples, and Mayan writings refer to cacao as "food of the gods." It
was the Mayans who first created a beverage from crushed cocoa beans which was enjoyed by royalty and shared at
sacred ceremonies. 
