Written and photographed by Samantha Demangate
Ah, delicious, delectable chocolate. Smothered with almonds, accompanied by fruit, or just by itself, chocolate is the bread and butter of the dessert world. When you think of chocolate, you probably think of a sweet treat, in the form of a bar, truffle or even ice cream. But what about a bitter, fermented and spicy drink? Chocolate has made a massive transformation over the centuries. Today, we will look at the origins of chocolate in Mesoamerica and then the chocolate of today. Vamanos!
The Beginnings of Chocolate
Chocolate is famous worldwide, but the current day chocolate bar exists thanks to the cacao beans of Mesoamerica. Traced back to 1900 BCE, Mesoamericans harvested, prepared and consumed cacao beans. The beans were dried, ground, mixed with water and fashioned into a drink. Hot chocolate anyone? Not quite!
The ground beans were then combined with a variety of ingredients, from chili peppers to maize (cornmeal). The drink was served frothing, mixed until the top foamed. The drink was generally cold, though it is believed that at times, it was heated. Most distinctly, the chocolate drink was certainly not sweet.
The Olmecs, Mayans and Aztecs had their own unique relationships with cacao. Religious beliefs led the three to utilize cacao beans and craft recipes in different ways and for different reasons. Let’s take a look at their believed practices.
The Chocolate of the Olmecs
There is little written historical record of the Olmecs and their use of cacao. That said, cacao harvest was traced back to the Olmecs dating back to 1900 BCE. According to the World History Encyclopedia, the Olmecs drank the beverage from special crafted jars called tecomates. You can find more Mesoamerican chocolate history here: World History Encyclopedia
The Chocolate of the Mayans
The Maya believed that cacao was provided to them by the god Kukulan. The Maya valued their world, nature and animals around them and in turn, thanked their gods with many offerings. Of course, the holy chocolate beverage was included. Their traditional fermented chocolate drink was prepared as an offering for their gods and was handled with care. The Maya priests often cut themselves using cactus spines, and mixed their blood into the chocolate liquid in preparation for the offering. It is also believed that at times, their tongues and earlobes were pierced for the use of blood in the mix.
Later, Annatto, would be used to replace and honor the blood mixed into their chocolate drinks. Annatto is a red spice that is harvested from the seeds of the Achiote tree.
In addition, the Maya used cacao beans as currency, trading them for any needed items. Cacao seeds held a high value, as their harvest and processing was difficult. The Maya even used cacao in marriage practices, often trading crops of cacao as a dowry. Read more about cacao bean trade and overall history here: Smithsonian Magazine
The Chocolate of the Aztecs
The origin of the word “chocolate” is thought to come from the Aztecs, specifically the Classical Nahuatl word xocolatl. In similar fashion to the Maya, the Aztecs prepared chocolate as a frothy beverage. It was generally served and consumed during religious rituals and important events.
For the Aztec, it was a particularly elite drink and was generally reserved for the high classes. The drink was wildly popular for ceremonies. That said, it was common to obtain cacao drinks for the sick, and was used to treat fevers, colds and stomach pain.
Cacao beans were often used as currency amongst the Mayan and the Aztecs, the Mayan using it first. Though the earliest use of cacao in Mesoamerica is traced to the Olmecs, it is believed that the Mayans were the first to use it as currency.
The Spanish Transformation of Cacao
The arrival of the Spanish in 1519 is what really drastically changed chocolate. Bringing cacao pods back to Europe, the Spanish began toying with the ingredient, adding sugar, honey and at times, vanilla. Sipping chocolate rapidly became popular, and was soon a sign of the rich. Being an elite delicacy, chocolate was a difficult thing for commoners to get their hands on.
Cacao underwent various transformations in the 1800s. From being mixed with powdered milk to being formed into a bar, the Mesoamerican tradition became unrecognizable. Once the 20th century came around, chocolate was available to nearly everyone, its status symbol diminishing.
The harvesting practices behind cacao became (and still are, in some areas) highly questionable as the crops in Latin America and Africa were operated inhumanly. The increase in demand for cacao and colonialism is responsible for this.
Today chocolate is critical worldwide, and in present day Mexico, it is served in many forms. From sipping chocolate to truffles to mole, chocolate in Mexico has come full circle. Our current day delicious treat would be nowhere without the chocolate of Mesoamerica.
For an overall history of chocolate, check out this TedTalk video on YouTube here: The History of Chocolate
To read about Mole Negro in detail, check out this article about Mimi Lopez and her legendary cuisine: The Art of Oaxacan Cuisine with Mimi Lopez
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