Mayans believed that the cacao tree was given to man as a present from the gods and used in many forms of food, drink, rituals and even a currency. However, the most important use of the Cacao Bean in Mayan Culture was for the creation of what they liked to call Chocolatl. Consumed very differently than how it is today Chocolatl was a thick frothy drink created by the mixing of roasted cacao beans, water, and spices served cold. The Maya “developed a body of skills and knowledge that they would transmit to other peoples, including the Aztecs” (Presilla, 11) making an chocolate beverage epidemic for cultures to come. Chocolate beverages became the drink of choice not only to the Aztec Empire but the Spanish and Europeans.
In the Aztec Empire the consumption of a chocolate beverage (Chocolatl) was regarded as a luxury. A luxury because “cacao was one of the most extraordinarily valuable items traded on the mainland, The large and powerful class of Aztec merchants engaged in long-distance trade bartered for cacao” because the region in which the Aztec Empire occupied was not fruitful for the production of cacao. The Aztec Empires consumption of the beverage was the first change to the basic, simple preparation the Mayans used. The Chocolatl of the Aztec Empire was regarded as “finely ground, soft, foamy, reddish, bitter with chilli water, aromatic flowers, vanilla and a wild bee honey.” (ChocolateHotChocolate) This new development of a more sophisticated version of the Mayan Chocolatl is not surprising due the advancement of the Aztec Empire. Aztecs maintained an extremely successful city as well as one which was affluent in culture. The new take on a chocolate beverage was necessary in order to show the sophistication of their city and culture. It was after the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire that the popularity of chocolate and its use as a beverage would be realized.
Many individuals, like Christopher Columbus, had previously discovered cacao beans but they were not able to see their uses. It was the introduction of the chocolate beverage that Montezuma made to Don Cortes that would change the way future cultures would look at cacao beans.
After the Spanish concurred the Aztecs, Don Cortes took the cacao beans and the equipment used in the production of chocolatl back to Spain. This is when “chocolate and cacao soon became economic pillars of Spanish enterprise, and by degrees, people in Spain adopted the habit of drinking chocolate.” (Presilla, 24) Spain viewed chocolate as a modern beverage that would be consumed by the wealthy. Like the Aztecs the Spanish went a step further in order to direct the taste more to the liking of the individuals consuming it. So the “monks in monasteries known for their pharmaceutical skills were chosen to process the beans and perfect the drink to Spanish tastes. Cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar were added and the chilli pepper was omitted and it was discovered that chocolate tasted even better served hot.” (ChocolateHotChocolate) The knowledge of this beverage and use of cacao beans was kept from Europe for nearly another century because limited quantities of cacao were available making it one of Spain’s most kept secret.
Once it reached Europe, chocolate was the first introduction of caffeine (surprisingly coming before both tea and coffee). The Europeans regarded this tasty product as a “recreational drug” which could be used for medical benefit. Europeans saw far beyond the just the taste previous cultures enjoyed. Chocolate, the cacao bean to be exact, “contains numerous astonishing elements, such as theobromine- a stimulant, phenyl ethylamine- “the love chemical”, serotonin- depression-preventing, tryptophan- relaxing and pain-relieving and nature’s endorphin: anandamine which produces “chocolate high”. Cocoa beans also contain vitamin A, B, E and C as well as several important minerals.” (Gibran, Kahlil) It was then that Europe began to open Chocolate Houses as a place for individuals to both enjoy the taste of this delicious beverage but also they were used as a place to discuss politics, cure aliments and it was far less expensive than the cost of tea or coffee.
The power of cacao and the beverage developed by the Mayan Empire over 4,000 years ago is truly incredible. The Mayan people found a use for the cacao bean that individuals, such as Christopher Columbus, could not see. It has changed throughout empires and cultures but still holds the same principals from the very beginning. Chocolate as a beverage has become an everyday commodity and the drink once favored by nobility is now enjoyed by all individuals. The Mayan Empire in regards to chocolatl was able to influence future empires and the world as we see it today regarding chocolate.
Work Cited:
Presilla, Maricel E. The New Taste of Chocolate: A Cultural and Natural History of Cacao with Recipes. Berkeley: Ten Speed, 2001. Print.
Gibran, Kahlil. Forest Generation: Cacao-Symbol of fertility and life. Web. http://www.forestgeneration.com/cacao.html
Chocolate – The Food of the Gods. History of Chocolate. http://www.chocolatehotchocolate.com/history-chocolate/
Chocolate Class 