The Only Fully British Chocolate Bar To Exist Was Eaten By Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth II was famously known for her strict dietary etiquette. She adhered to many of the same dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily and refused to eat certain ingredients like garlic and onions, per Newsweek. Granted, she enjoyed a glass of champagne and afternoon tea daily but her diet was surprisingly simple and healthy. Of course, being a queen doesn't mean she wasn't human, so of course, the royal was quite keen on chocolate. There were two types of chocolate cake that she adored, and she sometimes tucked into a chocolate mousse spiked with Scotch.

Her home country of England is home to some very famous and delicious chocolatiers, including Cadbury (which is no longer 100% made in Britain), Buchanan's, and Montezuma's, per Make It British. However, none of these companies can claim that their ingredients are fully domestic. Cacao beans, the product that makes chocolate, is simply not grown in the country. Instead, they are shipped from other parts of the world to England so factories and chocolatiers can create bars, candies, and other treats. 

In 1932, per Bustle, British candy company Rowntree's experimented in growing a cacao fruit tree and were successful, growing enough beans to create one small candy bar. Guess who got to eat it?

In 1862, the candy company Rowntree's was founded by Henry Rowntree in York, England. The company did and continues to specialize in fruity confections, although they are currently owned by Nestle, who excels in many delicious chocolates, according to their website. Bustle reports that in 1932, some Rowntree factory workers who had been experimenting with growing pineapple plants in a hothouse decided to give growing a cacao tree a go. Because of the warm, humid temperatures the trees thrive in, the hothouse (which is basically a heated greenhouse) location was necessary. Cocoa & Heart says a mature cacao tree produces about 20 cacao pods, which contain the seeds necessary for making chocolate. The Rowntree's experimental tree was a success. However, it produced only one cacao pod that had just enough seeds to make a tiny chocolate bar.

What does one do with such a rare and exclusive treat? Well, in York, apparently you give it to the King's daughter, Elizabeth, who at the time was titled Princess Elizabeth of York, per The Takeout. She, perhaps, consumed the rarest bit of chocolate the world has ever seen, it being the only 100% British chocolate ever in existence. 

Perhaps this is where her affinity for chocolate initially came from? Any way you look at it, she was one lucky little girl.