A Short, Sweet History Of Chocolate

No one knows exactly when and how the delights of chocolate were first discovered.

- Jerry Miller

Some scientists believe that the Olmec people of southern Mexico were the first to plant cacao “farms.” That might have been as long as 3,000 years ago. Others believe that the Maya first enjoyed this bitter treat about 1,000 years later. What is certain is that the ancient people of Mexico and Central America loved to drink a beverage made from cacao.

The Maya used cacao as part of their religious ceremonies. Rich people also drank a cacao beverage from special fancy cups. Later, the Aztecs learned about cacao from the Maya. Because they couldn’t grow it themselves, they exchanged other goods with the Maya to get their cacao. Among the Aztecs, cacao beans became very valuable. They were used for money and for trade as well as for drink.

Because cacao drinks were made from these valuable beans, usually only rich Aztecs could afford them. This included royalty, rich merchants, and sometimes warriors. At lavish wedding parties and special banquets, guests had cacao drinks instead of champagne. It was like drinking $10 bills!