I am with him on this. How did it take so long!? OMG I am terrified at the thought... I can't imagine living without chocolate as it is today! Chocolate is my 5th food group! I would have starved!! : )
Actually I've read about a story that Forest Mars did took the idea for M&M's from similar form "chocolate rounds" (those weren't covered with candy on top) he found on a trip to Spain during their Civil War (1936-39). The "melts in your mouth, not in your hand" was a consideration to sell as part of military rations (Hershey's was the other mayor seller of chocolates to the US Department of War with a "tropical bar" that resisted melting during WWII). Also, for many years Mars arranged with Hershey's that the latter would provide the chocolate for Mars' products, arrangement that lasted until the 1960's.
The big three UK chocolate companies, Cadbury, Fry and Rowntree, were founded by Quakers who wanted to improve the lives, and reduce the drinking of, their workers. I live near the Cadbury works, which is surrounded by the Bournville suburb of Birmingham. At the time of building it was outside Birmingham, and would have been an idyllic semi-rural retreat for the workers who loved in the company-provided housing, and used the company provided swimming and sports facilities. It's now owned by Mondelez, and workers are no longer treated in the same way.
Mondelez certainly screwed the Cadbury's workers in New Zealand. They bought the company, promised to keep the factory open, then they stripped it of every last profit cent they could before declaring it uneconomic to keep running or update - conveniently forgetting that they'd stripped it of cash in the first place. Mondelez are complete scum.
@@chrisv9186 Yup. Reduced the actual chocolate content and upped the sugar content. It's the American way! Reduce quality & costs, increase profits, declare it "better".
Keep in mind that the greatest obstacle to chocolate *candy* was the sugar itself. Cane sugar was expensive, had to be refined from molasses, and molasses came from tropical areas. Beet sugar only became available in industrial volumes after 1830s.
Henry Bessemer developed the modern way to extract sugar from cane. Although he's more famous for his Bessemer steel making process. He also invented the lead pencil too. So he basically came up with the modern era.
Always amazing content! Comparing how Hershey treated his employees compared to other “industrialist” would be interesting as well! They were a customer of mine in a prior part of my career, and I had the opportunity to work with them on a project in Ghana 10 years ago…it changed my life!
My Great-grandfather, John Middleton, was a master confectioner with Whittaker's Chocolates, a popular New Zealand manufacturer. During the First World War, with chocolate being rationed for inclusion in ration pack (as bars) of soldiers. The story is told through the family that John suggested adding Peanuts to bulk up the limited supply, and sell them as a now New Zealand staple, the Peanut Slab. Funnily enough, my uncle, Keith Middleton, would be considered one of the worlds leading authorities of peanut plants and their diseases, and assisted the USDA solidify a local crop of peanuts in the USA. Ironically, John and Keith would never meet because John had left Keith's Grandmother in England, travelled the world and resettled in New Zealand. (Two of Johns 3 children, his sons, would travel to Australia under the Assisted Migration scheme but would still never meet.)
How long did you have to sit there and talk about chocolate with an open bar of chocolate staring at you from the desk? You've got more self control than I.
How do you know he was dealing with just one bar? He could have taken off a single photogenic corner of 50 bars...and done 200 takes, my friend. These "entertainers" are sneaky people.
"While no sane person should require an excuse to eat chocolate, nonetheless, we continue to think them up!" LOL!!! That's a great line, and absolutely true! No one has ever thought to ask why we insist on defending our desire for, and enjoyment of, chocolate by making excuses and citing scientific claims. Great history lesson, as always, THG!
The most important episode you've ever done. Food of the Gods is a misnomer as there are no gods worthy of being associated with chocolate. Hershey's process is worth an episode of its own. A note on the healthiness of chocolate: If there are benefits, it would be best ascribed to high percentage products that have little adulteration. In other works, very dark chocolate
@@dirtcop11 Sugar for my Honey. This is only the third time in 21 years of marriage that I have celebrated Valentines Day. I cooked a beautiful dinner.
Happy Valentine's Day, History Guy! Chocolate has often been a tool of diplomacy and healing. Checkout the stories of GIs sharing their chocolate during wartime and the story of Gail Halvorsen, a. k. a. "The Chocolate Flyer."
@@c.w.johnsonjr6374 funny story he told on PBS. Seems a boy had written letters asking him to drop candy near his house and even included a map. Flying low and fast to land he couldn't find the spot, so the boy sent another letter,,,how did you win the war when you can't even drop candy with a map lol.
Reminds me of one of my favourite up front cartoons; back home after the war, Willie is surrounded by children. He says "Via! Allez! Raus! How th' hell do ya say it in English?" 😸
As a Canadian I always found it interesting that if one was brought up eating the British Smarties, M&M's didn't make the cut. When I send care packages to friends who have moved to the US, Smarties made with chocolate is always welcomed the most. Happy Valentine's day Mr.+ Mrs. THG. and viewers alike.
Hi Valerie. I have tried a few brands of American chocolate and found it really awful with a sickly after-taste, British chocolate beats American chocolate hands down, but I suppose you get used to the chocolate that is made in whatever country you live in, but I would like to know from Americans who have tried a few brands of British chocolate how the two compare.?
M&M’s are the most foul things on earth. Mainly because they contain American chocolate which is horrid. Smarties (as an Australian) are in another league.
@@seandobson499 I’d say it might be down to the milk. As an Australian I always found British chocolate more creamier, less bitter and sweet but not overly
@@andyrob3259 I am sure that might be part of it, but I think that is only part of the reason why most popular brands of British chocolate taste much better than similar American brands, by the way, how does Australian chocolate compare to British chocolate.?
Around Halloween time I get a number of Reeses peanut butter cups, but some don't survive to make it into kids baskets. Nothing better than a Reeses frozen with a chug of milk. Butterfingers are darn good too.
I treat myself several times a week to my "special" hot chocolate recipe: 2 rounded tspns. of Hershey's chocolate powder, mixed into hot (near boiling) milk w/ 1 TBSP of Nutella and a dash of cinamon w/ sugar and salt added to personal preference/taste. Go on, give it a try and if you hate it . . . there's obviously something wrong w/ you. lol A very Happy Sweets Day to all.
My "chocolate" drink recipe. 1 slightly compacted, level tsp of ALDI or Trader Joe's cocoa powder + 1 tsp of slightly compacted, level tsp carob powder in 1 1/3 cups of boiling hot water. Add 10 drops almond extract + 1/2 tsp imitation vanilla extract + 5 drops NOW (brand) liquid stevia extract for sweetening and a splash of skim milk to lighten and cool. Notice that this is a fairly sweet drink with no sugar. I make it a few times per day.
Why did "Valentine's Day" drop the "Saint"? When I was a kid in the 1950s, it was "Saint Valentine's Day" celebrated on February 14 - the saint's feast day. The "Saint Valentine's Day Massacre" was a famous shootout in gangland Chicago, not the "Valentine's Day Massacre". Why don't we say "Patrick's Day" instead of "Saint Patrick's Day"?
I can attest to chocolate's calming effects for me personally. Having it handy has saved the lives of my irritating co-workers countless times! I have never enjoyed an episode so much! Thank you for this! ❤❤❤❤
According to a park ranger I spoke with at Mesa Verde, traces of cacao were found in pottery vessels there, and at other sites like Chaco (not Chocolate!) Canyon, indicating a robust trade network between Maya regions and the cultures of the American Southwest around the 13th century. A tradition in today's US military is to make "Ranger Pudding" - the hot cocoa mix and peanut butter in MREs is mixed together for a sticky sweet treat. M&Ms still feature prominently in modern MREs, too.
I have a tattoo of CHOC,the rain God that you mentioned on my inner right forearm. He's been there since the early 1990s. I saw him on one of those bowls at a museum in Mexico City ,and sketched him out on a piece of paper while the security guard watched me and tried to offer suggestions. Best vacation ever.
THG the Mars company is a great one to do a video on. They also invented the vending machine paper money/bill acceptor (separate company called MEI). Now their main customers are casinos more than vending. An employee told me Forrest and his brother would travel in a motor home to their factories for "surprise" inspections. The people at MEI could smell chocolate coming from the Mars section of the building.
One piece of trivia I like was Mars was approached by the producers of the movie ET for backing and product placement in the movie. Mars turned them down so they approached Reese to use their version of M&Ms, Reeves Pieces. Because of the popularity of the movie and Reeses Pieces in the movie, sales of Reeses Pieces Akyrocketed overnight.
I find it amazing that we have chocolate at all when one considers the very complicated and unintuitive processes required to turn the bean into the chocolate we all know and love.
I have always been amazed that when Hersey was building a factory and a town in an area of PA known for dairy farms, he still didn't have a recipe for milk chocolate. He wanted to use local milk from farms instead of the pricey condensed milk. It took a chemist hired by Hersey to make it work. The result was a chocolate with a tang to it that people either love or hate. I don't eat chocolate that often, but I generally like most types.
I find the differences of chocolate around the world fascinating. The selection of Cadbury bars in England and Australia is truly mind-numbing; White Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, different percents of Dark Chocolate, mixed with fruits, peppermint, caramel, coconuts... and much more. And then there are the same chocolates that taste different; I remember giving, as a well earned treat, my young students in Oregon Kit-Kat bars from the local grocery store and Kit-Kat bars from England, and they were surprised at the taste difference. As always thank you so very much for the video.
After moving to South Central Pennsylvania in the beginning of the 1980’s with my new Bride and baby Son, my Bride was Pennsylvania Dutch from said area, I had the Great Good Fortune to be employed by Hershey Park, The Milton Hershey School ( the career of which I am most proud!) The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center of the Penn State University, ( 2nd most proud) and the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center!
All of this from a fellow who is still a Proud Marylander who always intended to go back, and after my Wife’s death I bought my second home here instead of Maryland. ( cost of living is much better) I can easily say that Hershey in one form or another has happily dominated my life! 2 of my Sisters and surviving Aunts were dismayed but I am.close to my Sona and six Grandchildren so it is all for the Best, and at only some 100 odd miles I am close to home anyway!
Right on...thanks for sharing, and Happy Valentine's Day to you both, History Guy and History Gal. Now I'm wondering about something: How do they print that practically perfect 'm' on each and every one of the M&M's candies? Mars must make about 92 and a half centillion of those yummy little bits per hour, and they all bear that practically perfect little 'm'. lol!
I recently watched a documentary on YT about Messrs. Hershey and Mars that was centered around the Industrial Revolution and the part that they played in it with their chocolate factories. Forrest Mars Jr. lived close by my hometown and has made many contributions to the development of community programs. The last one he was responsible for helping create before his death was our M&M Center which is a roller/ice skating rink. We were able to start local hocky clubs because of this and in a town the size of this one in Wyoming that is a huge boon for the kids. P.S. I love how scandalized you were about how long it took for chocolate candy to be invented...brilliantly done! 😲😲
In Japan (according to all the Anime I watch), it's the girls that give chocolate to the guys on Valentines Day. There's Obligatory Chocolate given to everyone and that special handmade chocolate for that "special guy". One month late on March 14 there is White Day when the guys return their "special chocolate" with White chocolate or other White gift.
History Guy, I have had the good fortune to live near Hershey, PA and have The Hershey Co. as a client. I’m retired now but from what, you may ask? I was a freelance photographer, but more specifically as far as Hershey was concerned, a food photographer. I did most of my work in what was know as the “tech center” but more acutely as the Hershey Kitchens. So I photographed hundreds of finished recipes that were put in print or on the Hershey web sites. Needless to say I indulged myself once in awhile by eating some of the desserts that I photographed and these desserts were made by the “experts” in the Hershey Kitchens! They were some of the best times of my career especially since I am a certifiable “chocoholic”.
This is one of my favorite episodes - so well done! I'm glad you extended to 15 minutes to get in more content. We would be willing to see you do 30-minute treatments from time to time.
As hard as it is to believe, there are people who don't enjoy chocolate, especially given the many forms in which it can be eaten or drunk. I've always felt sorry for them. richard -- One of the phrases you are least likely to hear: "That's the banjo player's Porsche."
There are in fact some folks who do not become clones of Pavlov's dogs at the mere mention of the word "chocolate". I can attest to this because I am solidly in that camp. I do not claim to not like chocolate, I simply do not become a drooling chocoholic when in the presence of the so called "food of the Gods". I do like chocolate chip cookies but would like them just as well if they were butterscotch chip cookies. I don't think any less of my friends that are enamored with the products of Hershey, Lint or Cadbury; in fact I often feed their habit with sweet gifts. I simply do not partake the their utter joy of the various chocolate confections. However, when the subject of anything that includes cinnamon comes up, I am first in line for a sample. We all all have our little indulgencies that make life just a bit more enjoyable, mine happen to be somewhat out of sync with the majority of the world. I can live with that.
In Victoria BC where I live is the first chocolate shop in Canada, Rogers Chocolate. It started as a side business of his grocery store in 1885. In 1903 he split the businesses and designed and had built the building across the street where Rogers is still in business, although have expanded to 10 stores and a large online business. My favourite is the original chocolate they started producing called Victoria Cremes. They are a large disk of semisweet dark chocolate with a cream filling (real cream) in a variety of flavours. I think I will have to pay them a visit tomorrow.
THG did mention some British contributions to chocolate, but I wanted to add that I visited York in the UK a few years ago and discovered that it used to be a center of the British chocolate trade. They have a chocolate museum, and the hotel I stayed in was converted from a former chocolate warehouse. Not only do they have some wonderful old buildings to see if you are a history buff, and the National Railway Museum, they have chocolate as part of their history. THG could easily do a few episodes on various parts of York.
My family know I love dark chocolate. At Christmas hey gave me a block of dark chocolate with 91% chocolate solids, which is a little higher than my ideal. At the rate of a square every few days, it took a little over a month to consume. I enjoyed it more in the small quantities over a longish period of time than if they'd bought a block of milk chocolate to be eaten within a few hours.
I now have learned how chocolate came to be. However, I have had the luck of going to Europe. A lot of my Dads side is German. American chocolate tastes to waxy. European chocolate is smooth and creamy. I wonder how many of the Europeans that came to the new world would approve of the taste of their chocolate today. Great upload.
