The Maya
The first people who discovered cocoa were the Classic Period Maya (250-900 C.E.) The Maya in Mesoamerica took the tree from the rainforest and grew it in their own backyards, where they harvested, fermented, roasted, and grounded the seeds into a paste. They used the cocoa to make it into a drink. They mixed the cocoa with water, chile peppers, cornmeal, and other ingredients that made a frothy, spicy chocolate drink.
The first people who discovered cocoa were the Classic Period Maya (250-900 C.E.) The Maya in Mesoamerica took the tree from the rainforest and grew it in their own backyards, where they harvested, fermented, roasted, and grounded the seeds into a paste. They used the cocoa to make it into a drink. They mixed the cocoa with water, chile peppers, cornmeal, and other ingredients that made a frothy, spicy chocolate drink.
The Aztecs
In 1400, the Aztec empire took over a little part of Mesoamerica. They traded with the Mayas and other people for cocoa and sometimes made people to pay in cocoa seed—a form of Aztec money.
In 1400, the Aztec empire took over a little part of Mesoamerica. They traded with the Mayas and other people for cocoa and sometimes made people to pay in cocoa seed—a form of Aztec money.
Religious Role
For the Maya and the Aztecs, the chocolate drink also played a religious role in their life and religious events. The Maya drank chocolate at least on occasions. They counted the drink as a beverage for royalty. In religious events the priest would present the cocoa seeds as offerings to god and served chocolate drinks when there were sacred events.
For the Maya and the Aztecs, the chocolate drink also played a religious role in their life and religious events. The Maya drank chocolate at least on occasions. They counted the drink as a beverage for royalty. In religious events the priest would present the cocoa seeds as offerings to god and served chocolate drinks when there were sacred events.
When Europe first saw chocolate, was during the conquest of Mexico in 1521. After the Spanish saw the value of the cocoa, and how the aztecs drank it, they started shipping the cocoa seeds back home. it was a drink and a symbol for Europe's upper classes for the next 300 years. When the Spanish bought home the cocoa, they changed the drink by adding cinnom and other spices and began sweetening it with sugar. They kept that a secret for 100 years before Europe found out that they were missing the sweetened cocoa drink. Then the sweetened cocoa became popular over the continent. Because cocoa and sugar was very expensive, only the rich people can afford it that's why in France only the people from the Royal Court can afford to buy and drink this chocolate.
Like the Maya and the Aztecs, Europeans made their own serving plates and cups for chocolate that represented symbols wealth and power. Cocoa and sugar needed a lot of land and workers, and to keep up with the demand for chocolate, the Spanish and other European nations had a lot of space for growing these plants.
For many centuries, chocolate stayed the same and was only sipped by the rich people. Later there were new inventions and ingrediants that made the chocolates taste and texture better. Inventions like the cocoa press and conching machine made it easy to make smooth, creamy, and solid chocolate for eating. People grew cocoa in all kinds of climates all around the world using the techniques they used in the olden days like in Mesoamerica. Cocoa is still harvested fermented, dried, cleaned and roasted by hand.
