History of chocolate
Cocoa trader, Vera Cruz culture, Mexico, 300-900 AD
Did you know that the history of cocoa and chocolate goes back almost 4000 years? Or that cocoa played an important role as a currency in the Mayan and Aztec cultures?
There are few foodstuffs with such a rich and intriguing
history as cocoa and chocolate. Just like coffee, we inherited the
cocoa bean from the pre-Columbian cultures in Latin America.
When Hernando Cortés first imported cocoa to Europe, and when he learned how to make the chocolate drink with it, it caused quite a stir: divine to some, heretical to others. Even today, cocoa and chocolate still exude an aura of mystery, luxury and pleasure. A little history may help us to understand why.