Read About Rich History of Chocolates

July 10, 2008

Originally chocolate was a bitter beverage, created by the ancient people of Mesoamerica. The drink had both social and more formal religious aspects to it, and dated back as far as the Classic Period, known as the time period between 250-900 AD. Though the Mayans built beautiful cities, they were typically built around the edge of the rainforest, giving them easy access to harvesting the bean. The terms for the cocoa tree and chocolate were “Cacahuaquchtl” and “xocoatl”, the latter of which means “bitter water” in English. A paste was formed from the beans which were fermented and roasted. Along with the paste, water, chili peppers, cornmeal and other substances were added to get the all important spicy beverage.

Once the Aztecs began taking over Mesoamerica, cocoa became very important, as it was used as a type of currency. In short order, chocolate became an absolutely important part of the Aztec lifestyle. With the Aztecs, the drink was reserved for only royalty, but with the Aztecs, that privilege was extended to priests, honored merchants, and decorated soldiers along with rulers.

The Aztecs believed that power and wisdom came from eating the fruit or beans. The long coveted aphrodisiac powers of the cocoa beans was something many people believed in as well. In 1492, Columbus brought cocoa beans back from his trip, but they didn’t attract much attention at that point. After several returning trips to the Americas, the Europeans began to realize that the beans could indeed be used as a type of currency.

Dumping the name of “xocoatl,” the Aztecs began calling their drink “chocolatl,” whose English equivalent is “warm liquid”. In the year 1519, Hernando Cortex Begin stared up the first plantation of cocoa trees. 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. With the deliciousness of the treat no longer in question, Hernando added to the bean’s legacy when he began combining it with chocolate. It was not long before Hernando and others began combining the bean with items such as nutmeg, vanilla, cloves, and cinnamon.

The Spanish nobility alone were granted access to the indulgence of this drink, and neither its lower class citizens nor other countries were allowed access. Once the Spanish monks began to cultivate the beans, however, the rest of the world was given the opportunity to enjoy them. The popularity of chocolate rapidly spread throughout Europe, with many people enjoying its taste, or the ability to use it as a currency.

Undoubtedly, the great love for chocolate continued to spread over the world through the centuries, making it a quite popular dessert today. Although the original sacred brew does not hold the same status as it once did as a religious drink or for royalty only, it has over time, improved in taste. The best news is that dark chocolate has been found to have several healthy benefits, which is great, whether or not it is ever proved to be an aphrodisiac.

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