Chocolate has come a very long way since it first appeared in its solid form in Europe in the 1800s. Today, artists can manipulate and mold this sweet and delicious confection to create works of art or cleverly designed treats.

Before European confectioners even thought of giving chocolate a solid form, civilizations in Mesoamerica had already been cultivating the bean and consuming a spicy and bitter drink from it for thousands of years. This drink became popular in Europe as well before the solid chocolate that we know today was conceived in 1847.