You can find chocolate's origins if you trace back to the bitter drink used by the early inhabitants of the Mesoamerica region. The origins began in the Classic Period (250-900 AD) and was something that was definitely considered part of every major religious or social aspect of their lives. Beans grew in the rainforests around the Mayan cities. The cocoa tree was called "Cacahuaquchtl" and the chocolate was called "xocoatl", which means "bitter water" when translated. In order to prepare their drinks, they first fermented and then roasted the beans to form a paste. Water, chili peppers, cornmeal, and various other spices were added to the paste in order to create the spicy chocolate beverage. The Aztecs did begin to adopt cocoa as a type of currency once they became the dominant people in Mesoamerica, as well. Due to this integration, chocolate became an integrated part of the Aztec culture. 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. One of the beliefs of the Aztecs was that power and wisdom came from eating fruit or beans. Originally, many people believed that cocoa beans had a high variety of aphrodisiac qualities, too. The Europeans, on the other hand, were not immediately impressed with Christopher Columbus' offering of cocoa beans when he brought them back from his trip to the Americas. It was through repeated trips to the New World that the Europeans finally discovered that the beans had a usage as currency. The new name for what the Mayans had called "xocoatl" was the Aztec "chocolatl," which means "warm liquid". In the year 1519, Hernando Cortex Begin stared up the first plantation of cocoa trees. Spicy chocolate found it's way to Spain - for whom the plantation was created - and to Charles V, the king, in 1928. The new food gained a delicacy status that was further encouraged once Hernando began adding sugar to the beans through experimentation. In time, experimentation led to combining the item with nutmeg, vanilla, cloves, and cinnamon, along with sugar. However, only Spanish nobility were allowed to indulge in the drink and did not share their knowledge with people from other countries. It eventually gained access to the rest of the world through Spanish monks who were cultivating the beans. Whether as a currency or a delicacy, chocolate spread quickly over Europe. The growth of chocolate throughout the world continued for centuries, and many people continue to love it as a delicacy today. Over time, it has dropped the religious and royalty purposes, and has experienced growth in the taste department. Continual research is conflicted on the question of chocolate being an aphrodisiac, but research does agree that a certain amount of dark cocoa is good for you. |
