The first European to see cacao was Christopher Columbus on his fourth and final voyage to the Americas. A large dugout was seen near an island off the coast of Honduras it was the largest native vessel ever seen by the crew. Described as being as long as a galley it was filled with trade goods including cacao beans.

Seizing the vessel and its goods, the skipper was retained as a guide to Columbus. Ferdinand Columbus his son, later wrote about this meeting, he was impressed by the value these natives placed on the cacao beans. He observed that when the beans were brought on board, if one dropped the natives would pick it up as if something of great value had been lost. They did not realize that what they were seeing was the local money, in parts of Central America, as recently as the last century; some areas still use cacao beans as currency.

Even though Columbus took the cacao beans back to Europe, their value was not known by the Spanish King and his court. When the Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortez brought back three chests of cacao beans twenty years later they were recognized as a treasure.

Because cacao seeds are only viable for a short period of time, it was difficult for the cacao tree to make the move it needed to spread out of its native lands. The cacao tree is also very difficult to grow; it grows best when shaded by larger trees. The cacao trees are pollinated only by midges, which are small gnats, and the well manicured areas on most plantations do not allow for the midge to grow.

Midges are found in the rot of the forest floors in dead animals, leaves and other waste.

Melting Chocolate:

Over 50% of the candy market is some type of chocolate, making it the most popular treat sold in the United States today. It isnt always easy to get chocolate to melt and set the right way when we are at home. It may burn, seize and occasionally it ust doesnt want to get hard like it is expected to do.

Heating chocolate is easy to do, the hard part is keeping it from burning, which happens if it is heated over 200 degrees Fahrenheit, this is quite easy to do over an open flame! Chocolate has a very complex flavor that changes and develops as it melts. The melting point of chocolate is slightly lower than the human body temperature, which means that the texture and flavor change as it melts in your mouth.

It is best to use a microwave only when you are melting less than a pound of chocolate, cut the chocolate into small pieces or use chips. Melt in short bursts about 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between each session. When the pieces are warm but hold their shape, (they will also be a little shiny and mushy) when you begin to stir. Continue to stir and allow the heat inside them to complete the melting process.

Done correctly with a high quality chocolate you can get melted chocolate that will harden just like you want it to, so stop heating just as it starts to melt.Using a double boiler allows you to melt larger amounts of chocolate, select a heat proof bowl to fit the top of your pan, put about inch water in the pot and put the bowl on top, dont let the bowl touch the water.

Put the bowl aside and bring the water to a boil, depending on the amount you are melting you can either take the pan off the burner, or turn it down to a simmer. Be careful not to allow any steam into the chocolate or it can seize, seizing is getting water in the chocolate this will cause it to be lumpy. Simply remove the bowl if it gets too hot, and put it back to increase the heat again.