50-plus pieces, original chocolate to modern favs. Card w/historic image and story of each as a guide.

A Chocolate Walk Through History…

Enjoy a delicious walk through chocolate history, from the ancients to modern day.  Your walk starts with cacao nibs straight from the tree, used for virility and power by the ancient Olmecs, Mayas, and Aztecs. Some were fermented as nibs, others whole with its edible shell. Then, move forward to nonpareils, with 18th century dragees on top.  A smoother, more familiar version of the original, enjoyed in homes of the well-to-do and eventually at movie theaters, candy stores, and card games.

Chocolate in the 1800s

The Wilbur Buds came on the scene in the mid-1800s. Dark buds came first and the milk followed. Made with Daniel Peter’s chocolate, the first milk chocolate (1875) made with help from Peters’ neighbor, Henri Nestle. Malted Milk, a favorite of explorers, the military, and athletes, originated in the 1880s and got a chocolate shell around the 1930s. The sumptuous truffle made a splash in the mid-1800s and became more and more stylized ever since.

1900s – Chocolate for All!

In 1912, the chocolate bar appeared in England, no nuts or fillers. Chocolate bars took off in 1917 with “combination” candy bars enjoyed by WWI soldiers. Plenty more followed in the 1920s-1930s. The turn-of-century brought peppermint patties and peanut butter cups, ours are handmade with original recipes. Don’t forget chocolate covered fruit and nuts aka bridge mix (early 1900s) popular with bridge players who could snack with one hand and hold cards with the other. Soon, chocolate came in endless sizes with endless fillings, even mini-chocolates.

Contents may vary depending on availability.