The delicious origins of the sweet chocolate we know are linked to a bitter drink first created by early Mesoamerican residents. Evidence suggests that this drink was a highly important part of their social and religious culture, going back as far as 250-900 AD, or the Classic Period. The Mayans frequently picked the beans from the rainforests around their city. They called the cocoa tree “Cacahuaquchtl” and the chocolate “xocoatl”, translated it means “bitter water”. The beans were fermented and then roasted to form a paste. By adding water, chili peppers, cornmeal and other substances, they created a spicy chocolate drink.
Once the Aztecs began taking over Mesoamerica, cocoa became very important, as it was used as a type of currency. Eventually, chocolate became an integral part of the Aztec way of life. Mayans only allowed the drink to be consumed by their rulers, while the Aztecs extended that drinking privilege to rulers, priests, honored merchants, and the most decorated of soldiers.
Through fruits and beans, Aztecs believed that they would gain much power and wisdom. They were the first to believe that cocoa beans had aphrodisiac qualities. When Christopher Columbus came back to Europe from his trip to the Americas, he came with cocoa beans, but it was a discovery that was met with little fanfare at first. It was through repeated trips to the New World that the Europeans finally discovered that the beans had a usage as currency.
“Warm liquid” or “chocolatl” had long since replaced the Mayan “xocoatl”. It was in 1519 that the first cocoa tree plantation came about, through Hernando Cortex Begin’s plantation. In 1528 the Spanish king Charles V had his first taste of the spicy chocolate, which is fitting since that first plantation was claimed in the name of Spain. Soon it became a delicacy and was enhanced further when Hernando started experimenting by blending the beans with sugar. Soon, other variations, such as nutmeg, vanilla, cloves, and cinnamon all became common.
It was only the Spanish nobility that were allowed to drink the beverage, however, and they did not share that knowledge with other countries. The Spanish monks – who were cultivating the beans – eventually spared the secret with the rest of the world. Whether as a currency or a delicacy, chocolate spread quickly over Europe.
Ever since, chocolate spread throughout the decades and centuries, to become the treasured sweet it is today. The item – which is far from being a treat only enjoyed by royalty, nobility, or the clergy – is now enjoyed by many and has greatly improved in the taste department. It is still debatable whether chocolate is an aphrodisiac – however recent research does prove that the dark cocoa does have beneficial qualities which are healthy for the body.
