Can you imagine drinking your hot chocolate cold - and garnishing it with spicy chilis? Or how about paying your grocery bill with a handful of cacao beans? From ancient Central Americans to medieval Spaniards, everyone loves chocolate - but the chocolate they loved wasn’t what we enjoy today!
So close to cacao, yet so far away
The first people to enjoy chocolate may have been the ancient Olmecs, who lived in Mexico. Some Olmec pots from around 1500 BC were found with residue from cacao pods. Historians believe the Olmecs used cacao in a ceremonial drink, but it’s unclear whether they used cacao beans (which are used to make chocolate) or just the pulp from the cacao pod. Yes, you can eat cacao pod pulp - people say it tastes like a sweet tropical fruit!
Pairs well with hot cocoa
The Maya emerged about 1,000 years after the Olmecs. They enjoyed cacao beans beverages during celebrations and ceremonies, but also on regular days. This Mayan hot chocolate was made by mixing cocoa and water with other ingredients like chili peppers or honey. Since cacao was relatively inexpensive, some people drank a cacao bean beverage with every meal!
Bow down to the beans
After the Maya, the Aztecs became the ultimate cacao connoisseurs. They believed cacao beans were a gift from the gods! Cacao beans were considered more valuable than gold, and people often used them as currency. The Aztecs’ chocolate drink, xocolatl, could be served hot or cold. Its biggest fan was Montezuma II, the last ruler of the Aztec empire. He supposedly drank gallons of xocolatl every day and reserved extra cacao beans for his military!
Sweetening the deal
When Spanish conquistadors and friars arrived in Central America, they discovered cacao beans, which they quickly brought back to Spain. Cocoa soon became a popular ingredient in Europe, and cacao beans became a common import. Europeans liked the idea of cacao beans, but they thought the Aztecs’ and Mayas’ drinks were too bitter and spicy. So they created what we think of as “hot chocolate” - a warm, sweet drink made with cocoa, milk, sugar, and cinnamon!
Who done it?
In 1828, a Dutch chemist named Coenraad van Houten treated cacao beans with alkaline salts. This helped create a cocoa powder that easily mixes with water, also known as “Dutch cocoa”! Coenraad also claimed he invented the cocoa press, which removes cocoa butter from roasted cacao beans, but other sources attribute the invention to Coenraad’s father. 19 years later, Joseph Fry invented the first chocolate bar. He created a moldable chocolate paste by mixing melted cacao butter back into Coenraad’s Dutch cocoa!
Chocolate has been a tasty treat for thousands of years. But I couldn’t handle the heat of a cup of Mayan hot cocoa! What’s your favorite chocolate dessert? Click the blue button below to vote! 👓