How chocolate evolved from ancient drink to sweet treat

In 1828, Dutch chemist Coenraad van Houten developed a cocoa press that separated cocoa butter from roasted cacao, making cocoa powder easier and cheaper to produce. That invention helped move chocolate from an elite drink to a mass-market ingredient. It also made smoother, more consistent products possible. Before the press, chocolate was harder to process at scale. After it, the bean began its industrial career, which is a fancy way of saying the chocolate aisle started becoming inevitable.