James Baker made chocolate for several years prior, but 1780 was the year when the first chocolate branded as “Baker’s” was introduced. This first pure, unsweetened chocolate later became known as No. 1 Premium, a cornerstone Baker’s product that has survived into the twenty-first century. In addition to the No. 1 Premium Chocolate, Baker’s sold No. 2 and No. 3 varieties as well. No. 1, originally unnamed, was later called Best Chocolate after a lesser grade of chocolate was developed. No. 2 (Common Chocolate) was introduced in 1798, followed by No. 3 (Inferior Chocolate) in 1803. No. 2 and No. 3 were of lesser quality and No. 3, prior to 1865, was mainly supplied to slaves in the southern United States and the West Indies. This chocolate, which sold at almost half the price of No. 1, contained so much ground rice that it produced a very thick and muddy chocolate drink.
Other earlier and less expensive chocolate products included cacao shells and cracked cacao beans. Cacao shells, the outer covering of the beans, created a mild-tasting and very low-cost chocolate drink. The cracked cacao, or “nibs,” was bought if individuals wanted to grind their own beans for an aromatic, full-flavored, economical drink.
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