The story of chocolate began in the New World with the Mayans, who drank a dark brew called cacahuaquchtl. Later, the Aztecs consumed chacahoua and used the cocoa bean for currency. In 1523, they offered cocoa beans to Cortez, who introduced chocolate to the Old World, where it swiftly became a favorite food among the rich and noble of Europe.

From the beginning, turning raw, bitter cocoa beans into what one 17th century writer called "the only true food of the gods" has been a fine art, a delicate mixture of alchemy and science. Centuries ago it was discovered that by fermenting and roasting the beans, an almost otherworldly flavor could be created.

In 1875, after years of trying, a 31-year-old candy maker in Vevey named Daniel Peter figured out how to combine milk and cocoa powder. The result — milk chocolate.

Peter, a friend and neighbor of Henri Nestlé, started a company that would quickly become the world's leading maker of chocolate. For three decades the company called Peter, Cailler, Kohler relied on Nestlé for milk and marketing expertise. In 1929, the almost inevitable merger took place as Nestlé acquired Peter, Cailler, Kohler.