Dating back into the golden old days of California’s gold rush, the Ghirardelli chocolate has been present ever since. A 31-year-old native of Rapallo, Italy, who goes by the name of Domenico "Domingo" Ghirardelli, had been a very successful owner of the confectionery business situated in Lima, Peru. However, he was enticed to travel to California because the news of fabulous gold and riches lured him so in the year 1849.

He was able to buy himself a way to sail up and down, back and forth, in the San Joaquin River.  He acquired supplies as far as San Francisco and then carried his merchandise into Stockton. By 1851, he found himself a new start.

On the 3rd of May 1851, the Great Fire of San Francisco destroyed a total of 1500 buildings. Coincidentally, a fire broke out and destroyed half the city of Stockton. In a span of one week, Domingo lost everything he had. He even tried to open up a coffee shop but it didn’t go so well.  Therefore he decided to go back to his roots as a confectioner.

Domingo was able to form a partnership with a colleague named Girard.  Together, they opened a confectionery store located at Washington and Kearny, in San Francisco. He even urged his wife to come to America. When she finally came, Domingo bought out the share of his co-proprietor and renamed the store "Mrs. Ghirardelli and Company." Eventually, this seemingly ordinary chocolate factory would become the largest in western North America.

A worker in his factory discovered something that allowed Domingo's chocolate to skyrocket into fame and prominence and gave the chocolate making in the United States a whole new face. 

In the year 1865, a worker put ground cocoa beans in a bag and left the bag to hang overnight in a warm room. By morning a pool of butter was found on the floor. The residue in the bag was found to be fat free. This residual part of the chocolate (when ground is now called cocoa powder) came to be the secret ingredient of the world famous Ghirardelli Chocolate and Cocoa.

• Author
• Recent Posts

Joanna Maligaya

Staff Writer/Content Developer at Chocolate University Online

Ever since she can remember, Joanna has always considered chocolate as the ultimate food for her soul. She believes in the saying, “9 out of 10 people love chocolate, and the 10th always lies.”

Latest posts by Joanna Maligaya (see all)

• Whipped Cream Chocolate Frosting Recipe - December 3, 2014
• Chocolate Hazelnut Cake Recipe - November 26, 2014
• Broiled Banana Chocolate Pudding Recipe - November 19, 2014