The Imperiia ProjectMain MenuResearch Dashboardsmaps, visualizations, and moreVeles: The Data CatalogOngoing ProjectsThe MapMaker PodcastEvery story starts somewhere.Teach with MapsGalleriesKelly O'Neilldc20b45f1d74122ba0d654d19961d826c5a557f5The Imperiia Project // Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University
How about a sprinkling of historical context?
12025-03-10T23:04:32-04:00Kelly O'Neilldc20b45f1d74122ba0d654d19961d826c5a557f5945Sweet Things pageplain2025-03-18T17:01:51-04:00Kelly O'Neilldc20b45f1d74122ba0d654d19961d826c5a557f5
The Finer Things
Chocolate was introduced to Europe by the Spaniards in the 1500s, and remained an aristocratic delicacy until about 1828, when the invention of the cocoa press made cocoa powder production much more affordable. Since then, European confectioners came up with ever more sophisticated techniques and technologies that dazzled the young and old alike. The timeline below highlights a few of the confectionary visionaries and their innovations.
Growth of the Chocolate Industry in Russia
Cocoa beans were first imported in 1829 via Saint Petersburg. By 1800 local confectioners had were producing enough chocolate to push European imports (more or less) out of the market.
Chocolate is as political as it delicious.
Consider the history of the Roshen Confectionery Corporation, which ranks in the top 25% of most global indexes of confectionery producers each year. Its ability to operate, let alone export, has proven inseparable from Ukrainian-Russian relations.