How Chocolate Came to Arizona

How Chocolate Came to Arizona: A Sweet Southwest Story

Chocolate is a beloved treat today, but its journey to Arizona is a fascinating story of exploration, culture, and survival. Long before modern dessert shops, chocolate was a rare and valuable commodity in the desert Southwest.

Chocolate Arrives in the Southwest

Chocolate originated in Mesoamerica, cultivated by the Maya and Aztec civilizations as a bitter drink used for ceremony, medicine, and trade. When Spanish missionaries and soldiers traveled north into the Southwest in the 1600s and 1700s, they brought chocolate with them, one of their few luxuries. Unlike the creamy chocolate we enjoy today, it was traditionally mixed with water and sometimes sweetened with honey.

Chocolate was more accessible than other imported luxuries like tea, which traveled for months from Asia. Spanish missionaries relied on it as both sustenance and hospitality. Father Phillip Segesser, one of the earliest priests at San Xavier Mission in Tucson, even wrote to his Swiss relatives about the presumptuous expectation of serving chocolate to every visitor. Provision orders from the time listed ordinary chocolate and fine chocolate, the latter costing twice as much, a small luxury for the desert frontier.

During the 1781 Yuma Uprising near modern-day Yuma, Franciscan priest Fray Francisco Garces reportedly requested to finish his chocolate before facing punishment from the Quechans, highlighting how deeply chocolate was woven into daily life, even in moments of extreme danger.

Chocolate in Territorial Arizona

By the 1800s, chocolate made its way into trade posts, mining camps, and frontier towns. Miners, soldiers, and settlers enjoyed it as hot chocolate during cool desert nights or as a high-energy treat during long workdays.

Chocolate Today in Fountain Hills

Chocolate’s legacy continues right here in Fountain Hills at Chocofin Chocolatier, the go-to spot for one-of-a-kind handcrafted artisan chocolates, gourmet pastries, and premium ice creams. Louis and Denise Mirabella, the artisans behind Chocofin, have built a devoted following across the Valley, the U.S., and Canada, creating distinctive sweets that honor both tradition and creativity.

Chocofin Chocolatier 13404 N. La Montana Fountain Hills, AZ 85268 480-836-7444.

Whether you’re craving a classic chocolate treat or an inventive dessert, Chocofin reflects the enduring love for chocolate that started centuries ago in the Southwest. It’s a modern reminder of how chocolate has traveled, from ancient Mesoamerican cacao, through Spanish missionaries, to today’s artisan shops in Arizona.