Dresden: The true story of the world's first milk chocolate!

Dresden: The true story of the world's first milk chocolate!

Dresden has a very special place in Germany's chocolate history. The world's first milk chocolate was invented here - 36 years before Switzerland brought its version onto the market. The Swiss Daniel Peter is usually celebrated as the inventor of milk chocolate, but a discovery in 2011 by researchers from the Dresden scientific association WIMAD e. V. proves that the roots of this sweet treat lie in the Saxon capital. T Online reports that an advertisement from May 22, 1839 in the “Dresdner Anzeiger” had the promising title “Chocolate with donkey milk,” which recognized the Dresden chocolate company Jordan & Timaeus as a pioneer of milk chocolate.

The protagonists of this sweet story are Gottfried Heinrich Christoph Jordan, born on May 9, 1791 in Hasserode, and his business partner August Friedrich Timaeus, who was born in 1794 and lived until 1875. Together they founded Germany's first chocolate factory in Dresden in 1823, the “Jordan Timaeus Chocolate and Chicory Factory”. Their production range began with coffee substitutes and pasta and expanded to include chocolate from 1830 onwards. The company grew and quickly made a name for itself; It became the largest company in Dresden with over 200 employees and a supplier to the Saxon and Austrian royal courts.

Recipe and production

The milk chocolate from 1839 was an exciting mixture of 60% cocoa, 30% sugar and 10% donkey milk. A little different than today's milk chocolate: the cocoa mass was ground more coarsely, which made the taste bitter and darker. The use of liquid donkey milk also meant that the products were less durable and sometimes had a gray cast on the surface. Even in this early phase, experimenting with chocolate paid off MDR notes.

The sales figures speak for themselves: the chocolate was offered in bars and bars, with one pound being available for 1 thaler. This represented an attractive price for the people of Dresden and ensured that the chocolate was very popular for both cooking and snacking.

A legacy for posterity

However, Jordan & Timaeus' rise ended when Timaeus retired from the business in 1853. Jordan continued the business until his death in 1860, after which his widow took over the factory. Interestingly, the manufacturer's villa at Alaunstrasse 71b in Dresden-Neustadt has been preserved to this day, while most of the factory site was demolished in 1934. Streets in the area bear the names of the two inventors, who to this day connect us with their sweet legacy.

The discovery that the first milk chocolate actually came from Dresden not only represents a significant advance in chocolate history, but is also a reason for joy for all chocolate lovers and history buffs. The beginnings of this delicious delicacy go back a long time and are a charming homage to the innovative strength of Dresden's entrepreneurs. Chocolate has a long and sweet history here in Saxony.