The History of Chocolate dates back as far as 350 b.c. The Aztecs believed that cacao seeds were the gift of Quetzalcoatl, the god of wisdom, and the seeds once had so much value that they were used as a form of currency. Originally prepared only as a drink, chocolate was served as a bitter liquid, mixed with spices or corn puree. It was believed to be an aphrodisiac and to give the drinker strength.
After its arrival to Europe in the sixteenth century, sugar was added to it and it became popular throughout society, first among the ruling classes and then among the common people. In the 20th century, chocolate was considered essential in the rations of United States soldiers during war. Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés may have been the first European to encounter chocolate when he observed it in the court of Montezuma in 1519.
New processes that speed the production of chocolate emerged early in the Industrial Revolution. In 1815, Dutch chemist Coenraad van Houten introduced alkaline salts to chocolate, which reduced its bitterness. A few years thereafter, in 1828, he created a press to remove about half the natural fat (cacao butter) from chocolate liquor, which made chocolate both cheaper to produce and more consistent in quality. This innovation introduced the modern era of chocolate. Known as "Dutch cocoa", this machine-pressed chocolate was instrumental in the transformation of chocolate to its solid form when in 1847 Joseph Fry learned to make chocolate moldable by adding back melted cacao butter. Milk had sometimes been used as an addition to chocolate beverages since the mid-17th century, but in 1875 Daniel Peter invented milk chocolate by mixing a powdered milk developed by Henri Nestle with the liquor.
In 1879, the texture and taste of chocolate was further improved when Rodolphe Lindt invented the conching machine. Lindt & Sprungli AG, a Swiss-based concern with global reach, had its start in 1845 as the Sprungli family confectionery shop in Zurich that added a solid-chocolate factory the same year the process for making solid chocolate was developed and later bought Lindt's factory. Besides Nestle, several chocolate companies had their start in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Cadbury was manufacturing boxed chocolates in England by 1868. In 1893, Milton S. Hershey purchased chocolate processing equipment at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and soon began the career of Hershey's chocolates with chocolate-coated caramels.
Herman Charles Wockenfuss was born in 1875 in West Germany. He came to America in 1887 and eventually learned how to make candy. In 1915, he was able to open the Wockenfuss Candy Company, known as Wockenfuss Candies. Wockenfuss is one of the oldest candy makers in Baltimore. In 1939, Herman Lee, Herman Charles' son, graduated from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and decided to enlist in the Army. He was medically discharged due to an injury to his knee. During World War 2, he remained a civilian employee of the Army and worked at Pearl Harbor as a machinist. Herman Charles continued to operate the business until his son, Herman Lee and his wife, Marian, took over in 1945 when Herman Lee returned from World War Two. Being under Herman Lee's direction, the business continue to grow and added three more stores to its current operation on Belair Road in Gardenville, where they continued to make candies in the basement. From there, the business grew and established itself in several different locations in Maryland. Herman Lee was very creative in making the signature candies that has gained its popularity ever since. Though Herman Lee and his wife are still in the business, their son, Paul, is now the owner and president of Wockenfuss Candies. Under Paul's direction, the business continues to grow and currently, has 8 retail stores in Baltimore, Harford, Howard, and Worcester Counties. Currently four Generations of the Wockenfuss family are involved in the business.
The Maryland Chocolate Trail is hidden near 11 Chocolate locations throughout the state and you only need to find 10 to qualify for the Prize.
All About the Trail!!
About
The Passport!!
Md Chocolate Trail Passport
Bookmarked List
List of Chocolate Trail Caches!!
The Geocache
You're searching for something that is hidden to blend in with its surroundings. Once found make sure to copy down the code word and replace everything as found.