the first shipment of chocolate to europe for sale purposes was a shipment from veracruz to sevilla in 1585. it was still a drink, but the europeans added sugar to sweeten it, and took out the chili pepper. they also added vanilla, cinnamon, and other spices. sweet hot chocolate was then made, making hot chocolate a luxury item with the european royalty in the 17th century. even when the first chocolate house (a store like a coffee shop now) opened in 1657, the drink still cost a lot. a pound cost 50 to 75 pence (between 50 and 75 usd now).