The Mayan and the Chocolate Factory

Today, chocolate is a delicious, sweet, and popular treat that is favored by many people around the globe. But where did chocolate come from?

Chocolate was first made by the Mesoamericans. The Mayans in Mesoamerica took cacao trees from rainforests and grew them in their own backyards. They then harvested the cacao fruit from the trees, and used the beans/seeds inside of the fruit. The cacao beans were then fermented, roasted, and ground into paste. The Mayans mixed the paste with water, chili peppers, cornmeal, and other ingredients all together to make a spicy, bitter chocolate drink! Today, chocolate is a sweet treat that can be consumed by drinking it or eating it, but the Mesoamericans only drank it as a beverage. The drink was also spicy and bitter, very unlike today, because the Mesoamericans did not have access to sugar in their region. However, the Spanish shipped cacao into Europe from Mesoamerica, and chocolate was later sweetened with sugar, cinnamon, and other spices, much later to be enjoyed by people all over the world.

Chocolate had a significant role in the Mayans' religious and social lives. It was used for royal and religious events. For example, priests presented cacao seeds as offerings to the gods. Also, chocolate drinks were served during sacred ceremonies of the Mesoamericans. The Latin name for the cacao tree was "Theobroma cacao", meaning "food of the gods". Cacao was believed to have magical or even divine properties. Chocolate was greatly prized by the Mesoamericans, and nowadays, it is a yummy treat that everyone loves!

cacao beans/seeds

cacao tree

modern chocolate treats (yum)

Bianca T.

Michelle C.

Janice L.