Van Houten: Revolutionizing Chocolate Production and Culture

The history of Van Houten is a cornerstone in the evolution of chocolate production, blending innovation with tradition to shape the modern chocolate industry. Founded in 1815 in Amsterdam by Coenraad Johannes van Houten, the Dutch chocolate company revolutionized the world of cocoa with groundbreaking techniques and inventions that remain relevant today.

Van Houten’s most transformative contribution came in 1828 with the invention of the cocoa press. This ingenious device separated cocoa butter from cocoa solids, yielding a defatted cocoa powder that was far easier to mix with liquids like water or milk. Prior to this, cocoa was consumed as a grainy and often bitter beverage, accessible primarily to the wealthy. By making cocoa smoother, more versatile, and affordable, Van Houten democratized chocolate consumption, setting the stage for mass production and the eventual development of solid chocolate bars. The cocoa press is widely regarded as the foundation of the modern chocolate industry.

Equally transformative was Van Houten’s introduction of the “Dutching” process, a method that treats cocoa with alkaline salts to neutralize its natural acidity. This process not only enhances the cocoa’s flavor, making it milder and richer, but also improves its color, resulting in the deep, dark hue prized in baking and confectionery today. Dutch-processed cocoa remains a staple in global kitchens, underscoring Van Houten’s enduring impact on culinary culture.

These innovations elevated chocolate from a luxury good to a staple enjoyed across the socioeconomic spectrum. By the mid-19th century, Van Houten’s advancements had inspired other chocolate pioneers, such as Daniel Peter, who created milk chocolate, and Rodolphe Lindt, who developed conching to refine chocolate’s texture. The ripple effects of Van Houten’s work extended well beyond Europe, shaping the global chocolate industry.

Today, Van Houten’s legacy lives on as its name continues to be associated with high-quality cocoa products. The company’s pioneering spirit has not only influenced chocolate production techniques but also cemented chocolate’s role in culture, commerce, and cuisine worldwide. From artisanal truffles to industrial-scale production, the innovations introduced by Coenraad van Houten remain integral to how we produce and enjoy chocolate.

In summary, Van Houten’s history is a testament to the power of ingenuity, transforming chocolate from an elite indulgence into a universal delight that connects people across cultures and generations.
Van Houten: Revolutionizing Chocolate Production and Culture

Chocolate as a Drink

Chocolate as a Drink
The first known cocoa plantations were established by the Maya in the lowlands of south Yucatan about 600 AD.

Cocoa trees were being grown by Aztecs of Mexico and the Incas of Peru when the Europeans discovered central America.

The bean were highly prized and used as money as well as to produce a drink known as chocolatl.

The beans were roasted in earthenware pots and crushed between stones, sometimes using decorated heated tables ad mill stones.

They could then be kneaded into cakes, which could be mixed with cold water to make a drink.

Vanilla, spices or honey were often added and the drink whipped to make it frothy. The Aztec Emperor Montezeuma was said to have drink 50 jars of this beverage per day.

Christopher Columbus bought back some coca beans to Europe as a curiosity, but it was only after the Spaniard conquered Mexico that Don Cortez introduced the drink to Spain in the 1520s.

Here sugar was added to overcome some of the bitter, astringent flavors, but the drinks remained virtually unknown in the rest of Europe for almost a hundred years, coming to Italy in 1606 and France in 1627.

It was very expensive and being a drink for the aristocracy, its spread was often connected to connections between powerful families.

For example the Spanish princess, Anna of Austria, introduced it to her husband King Louis XIII of France and the French court in about 1615. Here Cardinal Richelieu enjoyed it both as a drink to aid his digestion.

Its flavors was not liked by every one and one pope in fact declared that it could be drunk during fast, because it taste was so bad.

The first chocolate drinking houses were established in London in 1657 and it was mentioned in Pepys’s Diary of 1664 where he wrote that ‘jocolatte’ was ‘very good’.

In 1727 milk was added to the drink. This invention is generally attributed to Nicholas Sanders.

During the 18th century White’s Chocolate House became the fashionable place for young Londoners, while politicians of the day went to the Cocoa Tree Chocolate House.

One problem with the chocolate drink was that it was very fatty. Over half of the cocoa bean is made up of cocoa butter. This was melt in hot water making the cocoa particles hard to disperse as well as looking unpleasant because of fat coming to the surface.

The Dutch, however, found a way of improving the drink by removing part of this fat. In 1828 Van Houten developed the cocoa press.

This was quite remarkable, as his entire factory was manually operated at the time. The cocoa bean cotyledons (known as cocoa nibs) were pressed to produce a hard ‘cake’ with about half the fat removed.

This was milled into a powder, which could be used to produce a much less fatty drink. In order to make this powder disperse better in the hot water or milk, the Dutch treated the cocoa beans during the roasting process with an alkali liquid.

This has subsequently become known as the Dutching process. By changing the type of alkalizing agent, it also became possible to adjust the color of the cocoa powder.
Chocolate as a Drink