How the ancient Aztecs taught the world to eat chocolate: From elite treats to treats for the general public

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

The passionate love of mankind for chocolate goes back millennia. Produced from the seeds of tropical cocoa trees native to the rainforests of Central and South America, chocolate has long been considered "food of the gods." A little later - a delicacy for the elite. Most people think of a bar or candy when they say "chocolate". But for about 90 percent of its long history, chocolate has been a revered but bitter beverage, not a sweet, edible treat. A fascinating story of an exquisite delicacy from the table of the gods to the buffet in every home, beyond.

For most of its history, chocolate has always been a bitter drink. The origins of the beginning of its use go back to the ancient Maya, and even earlier - to the ancient Olmecs of southern Mexico. The word chocolate evokes in the minds of a modern person alluring images of sweet sweets and juicy truffles, but today's chocolate bears little resemblance to the chocolate of the past, which had nothing to do with the concept of "sweet" at all.

Where is the homeland of chocolate?

The earliest evidence of the use of chocolate was found by archaeologists in Ecuador. A ceramic bowl with traces of cocoa was found there. The dishes belonged to the ancient Mayo-Chinchipe culture. Its age is estimated at almost six thousand years.

Chocolate played a very important role in the culture and life of Mesoamerican civilizations. The cocoa beans were roasted and ground to a paste. Then vanilla, chili and other spices were added to this paste and mixed with water. The result was a bitter spicy drink with a lush aromatic foam.

The ancient Mayans rewarded chocolate with healing and mystical properties. This is not surprising, as it provides energy and is a powerful aphrodisiac. Cocoa fruits were considered by the Mesoamerican peoples as a gift from the gods. The magic drink was used by the priests in sacred rituals. Despite the divinity of chocolate and its special place in the Mayan culture, it was widely available. The elite drank chocolate drinks, while the commoners were content with chopped beans. They prepared a cold dish from them that resembled porridge.

When the Aztecs spread throughout Mesoamerica in the 1400s, they also appreciated cocoa. It was impossible to grow it in the highlands of central Mexico. Therefore, the Aztecs bought cocoa beans from the Mayans. The fruits were used as currency.

Cocoa beans are worth their weight in gold

The Aztecs took the role of chocolate to a whole new level. They, like the Maya, revered cocoa as a gift from the gods, but in their society chocolate was the highest privilege. In the culture of this people, cocoa beans were of much greater value than gold. The drink was available only to the upper class. The plebeians could occasionally enjoy it only at some very important celebration. There is historical evidence that the ruler of the Aztecs, Montezuma II, drank 50 cups of chocolate a day from a golden cup. So he strove to increase his libido. In addition, the leader saved some of the cocoa beans for his warriors to make them invincible.

How is chocolate made

Chocolate is made from the fruit of the cocoa tree. They grow in Central and South America. The fruits are actually pods. Each of them contains about 40 cocoa beans. They are dried and then fried.

Olmecs, who, according to historical information, were the first to use cocoa fruits, prepared a ceremonial drink from them. Unfortunately, this culture did not have any written evidence of this. Experts disagree on exactly how they used the cocoa. Whether the cocoa beans were ground or only the pulp of the cocoa pod was taken.

Drink of kings

There are many conflicting versions of how chocolate got to Europe. They all agree on only one thing: first, cocoa was brought to Spain. Someone claims that Christopher Columbus hijacked a merchant ship with cocoa beans during a trip to America and brought them to his homeland. Others are sure that it was Hernán Cortez who got acquainted with the amazing drink at the court of Montezuma. There is a third theory that the cacao fruit was presented to Philip II of Spain by monks in 1544, along with several representatives of the Maya.

It doesn't matter how it happened, but from now on Europe learned about chocolate. By the end of the 16th century, it became a favorite delicacy of the Spanish aristocrats. Spain even started importing it. It was around this time that other European countries also became interested in cocoa. Soon, a real chocolate craze spread across the continent. The colonialists created huge chocolate plantations that employed thousands of slaves. The demand increased endlessly.

European chefs were not satisfied with the traditional Aztec chocolate drink recipe. They began making their own hot chocolate with cane sugar, cinnamon, and other common spices and flavors. Coffee houses for the rich began to appear in various European countries, where they could enjoy the trendy drink. Aristocrats considered him a kind of magic elixir. It was the drink of the elite. Demand continued to grow. The Mesoamerican peoples were mowed down by European diseases and there was simply no one to work on the plantations. Then they began to bring African slaves there.

Chocolate remained a privilege of the upper class for a long time until Cohenrad Johannes and Kasparus van Houten invented the cocoa press in 1828. This made a real revolution in the methods of its production. The press squeezed out fatty oil from the fried fruit. There remained a dry cake, which was then crushed into powder. The dry mixture could be mixed with water or milk, other ingredients added. It could be consumed in liquid form, or it could be poured into molds for hardening. As a result, the first tiles began to be obtained. This marked the beginning of a new era in the use and production of chocolate.

Transformation into a popular treat

The first chocolate bar to go on sale in 1847 was created by the British chocolate company JS Fry & Sons. The product, created on the basis of cocoa butter, cocoa powder and sugar, has taken its place on the store shelves. Competitors from Cadbury's stepped on their heels. In the early 1850s, they created the first box of Valentine's Day chocolates, a chocolate Easter egg. In 1854, the chocolatiers of this company received a royal warrant for the supply of chocolate to Queen Victoria.

One of the most tangible leaps forward in chocolate production has been made in Switzerland. A chocolatier named Daniel Peter added powdered milk to chocolate, invented a couple of years earlier by his friend Henri Nestlé. This creates milk chocolate. The couple then founded the notorious Nestlé company. In 1879, a Swiss, Rodolphe Lindt, invented a machine that mixed chocolate, saturating it with air bubbles. This procedure gave the product a delicate texture, smoothness, velvety and a magnificent, incomparable taste of creamy chocolate.

In the United States, Milton Hershey became the pioneer of the conveyor belt production of chocolate. For this, he sold his caramel company and bought farmland in Pennsylvania with the money. There he built a factory and cow farms. The animals grazed on local pastures and provided milk for the Hershey company. The businessman bought sugar in Cuba. Production did not stand still. Chocolate bars appeared, which became wildly popular. After the 1920s, chocolate companies began popping up like mushrooms after rain.

So, after more than five thousand years, chocolate has become the largest and most profitable business. Cocoa trees are now grown not only in America, but also in Africa. At the moment, it is Africa that is a supplier for almost 70% of all world production. Now the production of a variety of chocolate confectionery products is in the nature of mass production. The demand is huge.

Chocolate these days

Much of today's chocolate is no longer an exquisite delicacy for tall gentlemen. Anyone can indulge in a treat like a bar, candy, bar or chocolate chip cookie. There are also chocolate drinks for every taste and budget. Cocoa is used in various desserts and baked goods. There are also hand-made creations of elite chocolatiers.

Since today's chocolate contains too much sugar, it is no longer healthy. Of course, there are varieties that are healthy to consume. These include dark chocolate. Nutrition gurus are inventing new recipes for healthy cocoa-based sweets every day. So, for those who follow a healthy lifestyle, there is a wide range of chocolate-based delicacies.

Modern chocolate production is not a cheap pleasure. Farms are expensive and troublesome to maintain. In order to remain competitive in this market, farmers often turn to slave or low-wage labor. Children are often exploited. Because of this, large chocolate manufacturers had to rethink their ways of obtaining cocoa beans. There is a high price to pay for the production of a beloved treat to be ethical and sustainable. But so far this does not affect the availability of the general population.

If you liked the article, read on how the poor slave enriched Europe or the history of vanilla.