Scientists have discovered that chocolate was invented at least 3,100 years ago in Central America and not as the sweet treat people now crave, but as a celebratory beer-like beverage and status symbol – derived from the fermented, roasted, and ground beans of the Theobroma cacao fruit.
The history of chocolate begins in Mesoamerica. It was the Maya Indians, an ancient people whose descendants still live in Central America, who first discovered the delights of cocoa as long ago as 600 AD. The Mayan people lived on the Yucatan Peninsula, a tropical area in what is now Southern Mexico, where wild cocoa trees grew. The first chocolate beverage is believed to have been created by the Maya around 2,000 years ago, and a cocoa beverage was an essential part of Aztec culture by 1400 AD.
The Aztecs believed that cacao seeds were the gift of Quetzalcoatl, the God of wisdom, and the seeds had so much value they were used as a form of currency. Originally prepared only as a drink, chocolate was served as a bitter, frothy liquid, mixed with spices, wine or corn puree. It was believed to have aphrodisiac powers and to give the drinker strength.
The beverage became popular in Europe after being introduced from Mexico in the New World and has undergone multiple changes since then. After its arrival to Europe in the sixteenth century, sugar was added to it and it became popular throughout society, first among the ruling classes and then among the common people. In the 20th century, chocolate was considered a staple, essential in the rations of United States soldiers at war.
The word "chocolate" comes from the Classical Nahuatl word chocolatl, and entered the English language from Spanish.