Monticello and the History of Chocolate

As I strolled around the grounds, I was transported.

I envisioned the quintessential moments of history that took place amidst this acreage and I could almost hear the chatting by the Colonial women who strolled the gardens around the pond.

The deep Virginia sun scorched down as they meandered, but their fine hats dipped over their faces protecting them from the glare.

Preparations were well under way for the arrival of Madison and Monroe,

or was it Lafayette and Lewis; all visitors to Thomas Jefferson’s grand home.

Iconic Monticello – Jefferson’s autobiographical masterpiece which took over 40 years for his vision to become his reality.

It’s amazing to think of all the United States history revealed on these grounds; so much so that everyday our pocketbooks hold a reminder of Monticello on the back of the nickel.

As I walked the same cobblestone path of which thousands had gone before, its impact was not lost on me. 

At this very desk, Jefferson read works from John Locke and George Mason which influenced his drafting of the Declaration of Independence.

Can you envision the words penned here while he literally burned the midnight oil?

But that’s not all I learned as I spent last weekend visiting Monticello. I had the unique experience of diving into the history of chocolate.

You heard right.

History and Chocolate, two of my favorite things, blended into one weekend, all courtesy of a partnership with American Heritage Chocolate.

AMERICAN HERITAGE CHOCOLATE was created by Mars Chocolate North America to help educate us about the history of our nation through the engaging story of one of our most beloved foods—Chocolate!

Over the next few weekends, I have the privilege of learning more of its history, as well as visiting some more historic landmarks and sharing it with you. Trust me, it’s SO fascinating!!

Did you know chocolate has been a part of our culture in the Americas for over 3,500 years? Its rich history is intertwined in the stories of our founding fathers, and ultimately, the history of our country.

Chocolate even inspired our historic leader, Thomas Jefferson, to explore his love of food, inadvertently becoming one of the first foodies of America. We always hear the phrase, “As American as Apple Pie,” but historically, that’s not quite correct.

It’s chocolate that should take that limelight.

In 1519, Cortez discovered that the Aztecs used the cacao (or cocoa) bean as currency. (They were no dummies.) The earliest record we have of chocolate dates back to 1641 when a ship containing chocolate sank off the coast of Florida. I may be no oceanographer, but I’m pretty sure that’s where the Smiling Fish got their name. 😉

For 3500 years, chocolate has been consumed as a drink, but if you are thinking of the typical hot cocoa in powdered form, think again. The true hot chocolate came from taking the cocoa been pictured above and just applying heat and pressure.

Do you see that picture? The Chocolate History Ambassador from Mars chocolate, who was demonstrating the process, literally put cracked cocoa beans on that stone and began rubbing. The friction began melting the cocoa butter immediately giving us that rich chocolate you see. For authentic hot chocolate,  they’d add water and serve. We are talking just a shot glass full though. It’s deliciously rich. I so wish this screen was scratch and sniff because the aroma was AMAZING!

All this was taking place inside American Heritage’s Chocolate Tent during Monticello’s Harvest Festival and as you can imagine, even amidst a rainy day, the chocolate tent was the happening place to be.

I’m mesmerized in learning more about this aspect of our culture that I really knew nothing about. Well, I shouldn’t say that. I know a lot about today’s chocolate and my consumption of it, but not about the rich heritage that is tied to historical chocolate like that used during Colonial times.

It took American Heritage Chocolate over one year of research and testing before they drilled down to an authentic chocolate recipe of what they believed would have been used on a regular basis during the 18th century. It’s unique ingredients contains nine different spices and I can’t even begin to tell you the depth of flavors that it gives to baked goods.

All proceeds go towards their 150 historic partners nationwide to help support their mission of education.

Isn’t that just wonderful?

Tomorrow my family heads to Mount Vernon to learn some more and I invite you to follow along as I share behind the scene peeks into Washington’s home place on my instagram account , twitter and facebook page.  I’ll be using the hashtag #chocolatehistory

(Just a few more pictures of Monticello.)

Whenever I spend time diving into our nation’s history, I’m convinced that I was born in the wrong century. Living on our homestead, my desire is to live off the land more, grow our own crops, etc. etc.

In May, I typically plant a large garden because it seems so glamorous and earthy.

By July, the heat’s pounding in full force, my garden is overrun by weeds and my laziness hits. I realize that my love of modern conveniences has definitely taken over my dream of living off the land.

The same reality is true as I wander Monticello’s kitchen.

This beautiful dough bowl is more than just a Pottery Barn display.

It represents toil and sacrifice. Labor and perseverance.

And while Thomas Jefferson didn’t spend much time in that kitchen, he was a firm believer in dedication and hard work. There is no such thing as “luck.”

For two weekends, I have the privilege of learning from a true Chocolate Historian. He’s been in research and development for 28 years with Mars Chocolate and I can’t wait to share some of his stories with you.

Won’t you join us?

My daughter and I spent hours learning about Monticello and researching the history of chocolate at American Chocolate’s site. Click on over and view their interactive timeline. It’s fascinating and definitely one of our more fun school days. 🙂

What are some of your favorite chocolate treats?

Have you had the opportunity to visit some of our nation’s wonderful historical landmarks?

This blog post is part of a sponsored SocialMoms and American Heritage blogging program. All thoughts, daydreams, opinions and ideas expressed here on history and chocolate are gladly my own.