Monday, July 16, 2012

Chocolate Candy and Quakers

By Allyson Westcot


For many years, chocolate was only commonly known as a beverage In Central and South America, it was a spicy, hot beverage brewed from cacao beans. And in Europe, it was known as a sweet drink that the elect of society indulged in as a luxury. It wasn't until the nineteenth century that a technique to make a solid candy out of the cacao beans was found.

An off-shoot of the Puritans of the English Civil War, the Quakers are a pacifist religious community. Their sentiments strongly support a strong working ethic and as the Quakers became involved in the food industry, their achievement escalated.

When the method of making solid chocolate was developed by an English chocolate maker, it had been a smart business move for one or two Quaker corporations to start manufacturing chocolate. Now, the names Fry, Cadbury, and Rowntree are some of the best known names in the chocolate industry. These three Quaker companies practically had a monopoly on the chocolate business for quite some time.

Their success and work made chocolate available to a bigger ranger of people. Where once it was a treat only enjoyed by the higher class and royalty, its larger distribution caused it to become accessible to everyday folks all around the Western world.

Chocolate may not have the far-reaching appeal and the world appreciation it has today if it were not for the enterprising ventures of the Quaker corporations in the chocolate industry. Now every country and culture enjoys a delicious piece of chocolate and folks from across the world can buy candy bars or candy by the piece and savor the delight.

So the next time you are in the mood for gourmet chocolates, remember that solid chocolate did not always exist and we've got the Quakers to thank for its wide-reaching popularity and success today.




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