theobroma – Food of the Gods
Cocoa or chocolate is derived from the tropical Cacao tree (theobroma Cacao) which is native to the Amazon Headwaters. It was first cultivated by the Mayan tribes in Central America around 1500 BC. The Mayans and the Aztecs believed that the cocoa tree was introduced by the god “Quetzalcoatl” – the goddess of fertility who has infused it with magical powers of aphrodisiac, anti fatigue and healing.
According to ancient chronicles, Quetzalcoatl taught the Aztecs how to roast and grind the cacao seeds, making a nourishing paste that could be dissolved in water. Spices were frequently added to the mixture named “Chocolatl” which was consumed as a bitter beverage. This chocolatl beverage was so revered that it was only consumed from golden cups.
Following the above it was most likely that the words Chocolate or Chocolatl came from the Aztec word Xocolatl meaning “bitter water”
Chocolate was introduced to Europe in the 1500’s. On August 15, 1502 Christopher Columbus on his fourth and last voyage to the Americas was the first European to come into contact with cacao when he seized a native trading vessel filled with local goods including cacao beans. Christopher Columbus brought some of these cacao beans home to show to Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain but their potential value was overlooked by the Spanish king and his court in favour of the other treasures that he had found.
It was not recognized as another Aztec treasure until 1528 when the Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortex returned with three chests of cacao beans and introduced it to King Charles the V.
The processing of cacao beans was kept secret for nearly a century by monks in Spanish monasteries and remained a profitable industry for Spain.
In 1606 Antonio Carletti, an Italian traveler introduced chocolate to the other parts of Europe.
The first recorded commercial shipment of cacao beans from the New World to the Old World was in 1585, originating in Veracruz and arriving in Serville. In Europe Cacao was still being served as a beverage but soon went through an important evolution; the replacement of chili pepper by sugar. The new sweetened chocolate beverage was a luxury few could afford and by the 17 th century it became a luxury item among the European nobility.
The first solid chocolate was created in Turin in the 18 th century
Following its Mayan and Aztec beliefs, Swedish naturalist Carolus Linnaeus (1707 – 1778) gave cacao the Latin name of theobroma – food of the gods, a fitting name for a food that is adored by millions of people around the world, in its various forms.
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