Hey coffee lovers, have you ever wondered when the magical cocoa bean was first discovered? As a home barista and chocolate enthusiast, I’ve always been fascinated by the rich history behind my favorite drinks. I mean, who doesn’t love a good cup of hot chocolate or mocha latte, right? So let’s take a journey back in time to explore the fascinating origins of cocoa and how it became such an important part of American culture.
Where Do Cocoa Beans Come From?
It turns out that cocoa trees have been growing in the Americas for many centuries, and only later did the culture of cocoa consumption reach Europe, and after traveling around the world, it returned to the American continent.
In our article When Were Coffee Beans Discovered?, we talked about the history of the discovery of coffee beans. Unlike coffee, which is native to Ethiopia, located on the African continent, cocoa beans first germinated in the Americas, in particular in what is now Guatemala and Mexico. I think we have already piqued your interest in the origin of cocoa beans. So, let’s move on to find out some interesting answers to other questions related to this topic.
FAQs about the origin of cocoa beans
When did the cocoa bean first appear in Europe?
Until the 16th century, the cocoa tree was completely unknown to Europeans, until 15 August 1502, when Christopher Columbus, on his fourth voyage to America, captured a large native canoe containing cocoa beans as a trade item. Cocoa beans are said to have become known as cacao beans.
Where do cocoa beans come from?
Cacao was first cultivated by ancient cultures in South America, including the Aztecs and Mayans. Scientists have found evidence that foods made from cacao go back thousands of years.
Who made chocolate first?
The history of chocolate and chocolate made from cacao trees goes back to the ancient Mayans, and even further back to the ancient Olmec people of southern Mexico.
When did the Mayans discover the cacao bean?
It is believed that the Mayans of South America first discovered cacao around 900 AD. They discovered that the beans inside the cacao bean could be harvested and turned into a liquid, which became the Mayans’ favourite snack.
What is the birthplace of chocolate?
Archaeologists have discovered the earliest traces of cacao in pottery used by the ancient pre-Olmec civilization called Mayo-Chinchipe culture 5,300 years ago in the upper Amazon region of Ecuador.
Are there any written references to Mayan chocolate?
Written sources on the history of cocoa include glyphic texts on ceramics deciphered in 1980. These texts showed that chocolate played a central role in the court life of the Classic Maya and was closely linked to their political economy, as well as to religious and social events. In addition, there are a large number of images of cacao and related ceremonies.
Was chocolate originally something to drink or eat?
For most of its history, chocolate was drunk rather than eaten. The most common way of consuming chocolate, the chocolate bar, was only invented in the late 19th century, while drinking chocolate has been around for around 4000 years.
What was chocolate originally called?
The word “chocolate” comes from the Aztec word “xocoatl”, which meant a bitter drink made from the cocoa bean. The Latin name of the cacao tree, theobroma cacao, means “food of the gods”.
How did the Maya consume chocolate?
The Maya consumed chocolate by following a multi-step process, which included harvesting cacao beans, fermenting, drying and roasting them, removing the shells, and grinding them into a paste (this process of making chocolate remains largely unchanged even today). To create a frothy head, they would pour the paste into water and mix it with cornmeal, chili peppers, and other spices. This mixture was poured back and forth between two containers. The resulting bitter and spicy beverage was highly popular. The Maya considered it sacred and called it “Ka’kau.” Cacao was used in special celebrations such as those for funeral rituals, war, or harvests.
What did cocoa mean to the Aztec culture?
The Aztecs took their passion for chocolate to a new level. They believed that cocoa was a gift from the gods. Like the Mayans, they enjoyed hot or cold spiced chocolate drinks containing caffeine in fancy containers, but they also used cacao beans as currency to buy food and other items. In Aztec culture, cocoa beans were considered more valuable than gold.
What were some popular additives to chocolate among the Aztecs?
Some of the most popular additives to chocolate among the Aztecs were spices such as chenopodium, coriander, and sage, as well as vanilla orchid pods and sweeteners like honey. These historic Mesoamerican chocolate recipes influenced the colonial European chocolate consumption that we are familiar with today.
Which is older chocolate or vanilla?
Chocolate is much older than vanilla. The history of chocolate dates back to the ancient Mesoamerican civilizations of Central America and Mexico, while vanilla was first cultivated by the Totonaki Indians of Mexico around the 15th century, several centuries after the use of cocoa was introduced.
Video: Aztec Chocolate – Blood & Spice