who invented chocolate

WHO INVENTED CHOCOLATE.

The answer to the question who invented chocolate, or rather
who discovered a use for the cocao beans from the Theobroma
Cacao tree, seems to date back around 3500 years ago to the
OLMEC civilization, the oldest known peoples in the Eastern area
of Mexico.

The Olmecs (1500-400 BC) were almost certainly the first
humans to consume chocolate, originally in the form of a drink, crushing
the cocoa beans, mixing them with water and added spices, chillies and
herbs. Over time, the Mayans (600 BC) and Aztecs (400 AD) developed
successful methods for cultivating cocoa as well. The cocoa bean was
used as a monetary unit and as a measuring unit, 400 beans equalling a
Zontli and 8000 equalling a Xiquipilli. During their wars with the Aztecs
and the Mayans, the Chimimeken people’s preferred method of levying
taxes in conquered regions was in the form of cocoa beans.

For these civilizations, cocoa was a symbol of abundance. It
was used in religious rituals dedicated to Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec
god responsible for bringing the cocoa tree to man, to Chak ek
Chuah, the Mayan patron saint of cocoa and as an offering at the
funerals of noblemen. It was also important as a currency and has been
used as such, in certain parts of South America, right up to the beginning
of the 20th century.

Cocoa production advanced as people migrated throughout
Meso-America but consumption of the drink remained a privilege for the
upper classes and for soldiers during battle. By this time, the re-
invigorating and fortifying virtues of cocoa were becoming widely
recognized and embraced. Montezuma, the Aztec king, was reputed to
drink 50 cups of chocolate drink every day, especially as a prelude to
visiting his harem! Cortez extolled the virtues of chocolate, in a letter to
Charles V of Spain, saying "... it enable soldiers to march all day without
food.." Very useful for marching through jungle with limited food
resources.

If the question of "who invented chocolate" were to be slightly
changed to "who first found a use for and cultivated the cocao tree, the
answer must surely be the Olmecs of Mexico, but the cocoa &
chocolate making process has been refined and improved much since
then by many successive civilisations, especially in Central America and
in Spain. Though the Spaniards, remarkably, did manage to keep the
secrets of chocolate to themselves for 100 years, once the genie was
out of the box, the Spaniards couldn't put the cork back in! Now,
chocolate & the myriad of related products are a normal part of
everyone's daily experience, enjoyed by millions of people all over the
world. Bon appetite!

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