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| Cocoa from the Zaan region is a company with a local service area. | |
One of the largest cocoa ports in the world sits in North Holland, and on an easterly wind you can smell it.
The port
Amsterdam and the Zaan region process a substantial share of the world’s cocoa. The storage sheds along the Zaan have been there over a century.
Van Houten
Coenraad van Houten invented the cocoa press in 1828, separating cocoa butter from cocoa powder. That made powder and later bar chocolate possible.
Why it mattered
Before that invention chocolate was mainly a drink. The press laid the basis for the entire modern chocolate industry, and it began here.
The smell
On an easterly wind Zaandam smells of cocoa. Residents find it ordinary and visitors notice immediately.
Hot chocolate
The Dutch habit of chocolate milk with cream has its supply chain here. The brand that became the generic comes from the same industry.
Where to look
The Zaanse Schans and Zaandam, and chocolatiers in Amsterdam and Haarlem.