Here's When Chocolate Mousse Was First Introduced To The US

Though it is traditionally made of five primary ingredients — chocolate, cream, sugar, butter, and eggs — chocolate mousse has been created in a variety of ways. However, the real stars of the show in a good chocolate mousse recipe are the eggs and, of course, the chocolate type. Whipped egg whites alone create the fluffy, airy texture of mousse, and according to a recipe by RecipeTinEats, the whites, combined with sugar, should be whipped until they are foamy with soft peaks.

Next, mix the cream and egg yolks together while melting your chocolate in a separate bowl before adding it to the mixture. Finish by gently folding the egg whites in, as over-mixing will result in a loss of the fluffy texture. Besides being a classic on the dessert menu of your favorite fancy restaurant or being a delicious cheesecake filling, chocolate mousse has a history as rich as its delicious, fluffy, creamy taste.

According to The Nibble, chocolate was first brought to France in the early 17th century, but it was only used as an ingredient in hot beverages at the time. The cooking technique used to produce chocolate mousse desserts was a 19th-century achievement, following a string of more savory mousse dishes. Though the popular dessert had its origins in France, the first written account of chocolate mousse is from a New York exposition in 1892.

The recipe eventually trickled down into the hands of the Boston Globe's "Housekeepers Column" in 1897. According to South Florida Reporter, the published recipe was more similar to a pudding than a mousse. Around the same time, commercial mixes for chocolate puddings were introduced to the market in the 1930s, and at the same time, chocolate mousse was also becoming more widespread, as the importance of separated egg whites was now being included in recipes, per South Florida Reporter.