History of

chocolate
The history of chocolate begins
in Mesoamerica. Chocolate, the fermented,
roasted, and ground beans of the Theobroma
cacao, can be traced to the Mokaya and other
pre-Olmec people. The Aztecs believed
that cacaoseeds were the gift of Quetzalcoatl,
the God of wisdom, and the seeds had so
much value they were used as a form of
currency. Originally prepared only as a drink,
chocolate was served as a bitter, frothy liquid,
mixed with spices, wine or corn puree. It was
believed to have aphrodisiacpowers and to
give the drinker strength. After its arrival in
the sixteenth century, sugar was added to it
and it became popular through Europe, first
among the ruling classes and then among the
common people. In the 20th century,
chocolate was considered a staple, essential
in the rations of United States soldiers at war.

History of chocolate in
Europe:

Christopher Columbus encountered the cacao

bean on his fourth mission to the Americas on
August 15, 1502, when he and his crew seized
a large native canoe that proved to contain
among other goods for trade cacao beans.