Chocolate for breakfast? You betcha. At least, that’s how it used to be. At one point in our nation’s early history, more people drank chocolate for breakfast than coffee and tea combined.

Facts like these give chocolate its rich history. And products like the new American Heritage Chocolate selection from Mars Chocolate North America aim to share this history with consumers.

“It’s a fantastic story, the story of chocolate,” Gail Broadright, director Mars properties, says. “The stories of chocolate are the stories of our ancestors.”

To help tell the story, Mars has released four new products in its American Heritage Chocolate line. They are:

• Chocolate sticks: Individually wrapped, single-serve chocolate sticks.
• Chocolate bites: Individually wrapped, bite-sized chocolates in a keepsake muslin bag.
• Chocolate blocks: Two chocolate blocks, perfect for grating, chunking, shaving or baking.
• Finely Grated Chocolate Drink: Resealable canister filled with a bag of finely grated chocolate for drinking or baking.

The new products are meant to be accessible to a large variety of customers - from home bakers to on-the-go types. Based on a recipe from the 1750s, the products are historically accurate and authentic. However, with flavors like cinnamon, chilli pepper and anise, the taste experience is different from today’s average chocolate bar.

“Mars has been making chocolate for over 100 years; we really have this thirst to know everything there is to know about chocolate,” Broadright continues.

Using a multi-disciplinary research method, Mars embarked on a journey that would lead more than 115 experts to more than 200 archives in the search for chocolatey history. The end result was the book, CHOCOLATE: History, Culture, and Heritage. With more than 45 contributors, the book was the building blocks for what would one day be American Heritage Chocolate.  

The products are sold at more than 130 historical sites in the United States, including Colonial Williamsburg, Mount Vernon, Monticello, The National Archives and the Smithsonian (a full list of retailers can be found here). Both Mars and the retailers benefit from the sale of the American Heritage line by getting more people to learn about and enjoy the history of chocolate.

“I think the key is that Mars supports the mission of education. We truly believe chocolate is an excellent way to engage people in education,” relays Broadright. “Our retailers love that they can tell their story through the lense of chocolate. We’re constantly on a journey to learn and share. It wasn’t a candy bar, it wasn’t a confection. It’s really intertwined with our ancestors.”