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　　For nearly a century, the only Europeans who knew how to make chocolate powder were Spanish monks, who kept their source a closely guarded secret. Nobody else had discovered a use for cocoa beans, so the Spanish monopoly guaranteed rich profits. Chocolate became a luxury only the aristocracy could afford.

　　In 1579, a group of English pirates boarded a Spanish vessel that they thought was a treasure ship. When they found it contained only bags of“dried sheep droppings,”they burned the ship in anger. Had they recognized the value of what they’d found, they would surely have spilled the beans about the secret source of chocolate: cocoa beans.

　　After the cat was finally let out of the bag in the early 1600s, chocolate houses began opening all over Europe. There, people would meet to chat and consume hot chocolate. By 1730, better production techniques meant chocolate was no longer just a royal treat. Finally, even the common man could afford to satisfy his sweet tooth.