Within the sheath are 30 to 40 brownish-red almond-shaped beans embedded in a sweet viscous pulp. When pollinated, the seed of the cacao tree eventually forms a kind of sheath, or ear, averaging 20" long, hanging from the tree trunk itself. The word "chocolate" comes from the Classical Nahuatl word xocolātl, of uncertain etymology, and entered the English language via the Spanish language.Īn Aztec woman generates foam by pouring chocolate from one vessel to another in the Codex TudelaĬultivation, consumption, and cultural use of cacao were extensive in Mesoamerica where the cacao tree is native. In the 20th century, chocolate was considered essential in the rations of United States soldiers during war. Today, such drinks are also known as " Chilate" and are made by locals in the south of Mexico and the north triangle of Central America (El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras).Īfter its arrival to Europe in the sixteenth century, sugar was added to it and it became popular throughout society, first among the ruling classes and then among the common people. It was believed to be an aphrodisiac and to give the drinker strength. Originally prepared only as a drink, chocolate was served as a bitter liquid, mixed with spices or corn puree. The Mexica believed that cacao seeds were the gift of Quetzalcoatl, the god of wisdom, and the seeds once had so much value that they were used as a form of currency. Fermented beverages made from chocolate date back to at least 1900 BC to 1500 BC. The history of chocolate began in Mesoamerica. "Traités nouveaux & curieux du café du thé et du chocolate", by Philippe Sylvestre Dufour, 1685.
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