You can find chocolate’s origins if you trace back to the bitter drink used by the early inhabitants of the Mesoamerica region. From 250-900 AD (or the Classic Period, as it is known), the indigenous people of Mesoamerica used this drink in their social and religious ceremonies. Beans grew in the rainforests around the Mayan cities. 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. In order to complete the spicy chocolate drink, water, chili peppers, cornmeal, and a variety of other substances were added to the paste.
The Aztecs then adopted the cocoa when they started to dominate Mesoamerica, using the beans as a type of currency. Soon chocolate became an integrated part of the Aztecs lives as well. 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 also originally believed that cocoa beans would serve as an aphrodisiac. 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. The desire to use the beans as a type of currency was something that took root for Westerners only once several trips had been taken to America.
The new name for what the Mayans had called “xocoatl” was the Aztec “chocolatl,” which means “warm liquid”. By 1519, however, Hernando Cortex Begin had a cocoa tree plantation, the very first. Spicy chocolate found it’s way to Spain – for whom the plantation was created – and to Charles V, the king, in 1928. Through the addition of sugar to the beans, Hernando furthered an even greater appreciation of the treat in his homeland. It was not long before Hernando and others began combining the bean with items such as nutmeg, vanilla, cloves, and cinnamon.
Neither other countries nor the working class were permitted access to the drink originally, as it was reserved for the nobility. Spain made one tragic flaw, however, in letting their monks cultivate their beans, because those monks gave the outside world access. 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. And while chocolate may or may not be an aphrodisiac, research has shown that dark cocoa has beneficial qualities that are healthy for the body.