In 1615, the Spanish princess, Anna of Austria popularized chocolate in France when she married King Louis XIII. She introduced chocolate drinks to her husband and the French court. Anna even brought her own maid Molina to France, a beautiful girl who prepared the queen’s cocoa drink.
However, it was Louis XV a century later who was thought to have been most fond of the drink. The king sometimes even made his hot chocolate himself in the kitchens of his Private Apartments.
Louis XV’s mistresses, including Mme Du Barry, were equally fond of this exotic beverage which was particularly appreciated for its aphrodisiac virtues. During the same period, the first chocolate-making machines were invented, and several specialist workshops were set up in Paris.
Chocolate became a badge of status and a fashionable drink of the aristocracy in Paris, and from there it spread to the upper echelons of European society. Known for its fortifying, aphrodisiac and energizing virtues, hot chocolate consumption increased over the course of the centuries until it became popularized during the Industrial Revolution.
Its flavor was not liked by everyone and one pope in fact declared that it could be drunk during fast, because it taste was so bad.
Hot chocolate in France
