Human’s chocolate obsession began long ago. Nearly 4,000 years ago, pre-Olmec tribes in Central America first harvested cacao seeds and began growing and farming cacao trees. These people used chocolate mainly as a drink ingredient, and instead of sweetening it, they mixed in chili powder and other strong spices.
More recently, the Aztecs and Mayans believed that chocolate was a god-ordained discovery and a divine gift to mankind. They used cacao seeds over the years to:
- Heal: These early tribes used chocolate as a curative.
- Get drunk: These groups quickly discovered that chocolate was great for mixing into fermented beverages.
- Worship: The Olmecs used chocolate for religious purposes.
- Trade: The Aztecs and Mayans used cacao seeds as currency.
- Get in the mood: The Aztecs consumed chocolate both as an after-dinner treat and as an aphrodisiac.
Chocolate took its first step to being made how it’s enjoyed today when Europeans landed in the Americas. They sampled the native drinks and discovered that chocolate was more palatable for them when mixed with honey or sugar.
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