Many cultures have made POLKADOT CHOCOLATE as a part of their traditions. It was believed that cocoa made stronger faith, improved health, provided strength and contributed to the romance and passion. Formerly it was only available to higher caste and royal families, now it is accessible to everyone.
It is assumed that cacao powder originates from Amazon and that is old 4000 years.Mayas call cacao tree cacahuaquchtl, which meant “tree”. The word chocolate comes from the Maya’s word xocoatl which means “bitter water”. In Maya’s culture, cocoa pods symbolize life and fertility. However, nothing was more important that that! They even painted cocoa fruits on the walls of their palaces.
People from Central America used cocoa beans as currency. For one Zontli you could get 400 cacao beans, while for one Xiquipilli you can get 8000 beans.King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel were given many unknown and wonderful things by Columbus. However, they weren’t interested in darks beans of cocoa.
The Aztecs believed that cocoa was given to them by God Quetzalcoatl, who stole the cacao tree from paradise. Maya and Aztecs believed that it was an elixir of health. They drink it cold and bitter. Sugar was unknown to Aztecs, but they added various flavors like hot peppers and even flour! The Aztecs believed that wisdom and strength come from eating this fruit. Their Emperor Montezuma was loved cocoa drink so each day he drank 50 cups.
Hernando de Oviedo Valdez a member of the Pedrarias Avila’s expedition reported that he bought slaves for 100 cocoa beans, prostitutes and for 4 cocoa beans he got the rabbit, which they ate for dinner. Around the same time, and adopted the name of the drink chocolatl words Maja xocoatl (chocolate) and Asteke word for water or hot beverage.
Hernando Cortez, who conquered the part of Mexico in 1519, tasted the cocoa, but he was not particularly enthusiastic about it. He was more interested in the value of cocoa as means of payment. He immediately declared the cocoa plantations under Spanish jurisdiction, and began “growing” money.Cortez presented cocoa beans to Spanish court. He also had the equipment for making chocolate.
Cortez mixed the bitter drink with sugar and soon it became very popular among Spaniards. They also added different flavors such as cinnamon, vanilla etc. Spanish guarded the secret of chocolate, about 100 years from the rest of the world! But there was no secret that enjoying in the chocolate worked as an aphrodisiac.
