Duke of Chocolate’s take on History of Chocolate from back in the day. I mean pre-Spanish, during Aztec times in the Yucatan Peninsula, which a popular vacation spot these days. I always find history with a special point of view extremely fascinating. Without further adieu. I present you the history of chocolate with a Yucatan Peninsula twist.

The cocoa bean was known by the Toltec’s of Mesoamerica from around the year 325. When the Aztecs conquered the Toltec’s in 1325, the beans began to be called by the ancient Aztec name of ‘cacahuatl’. The Spaniards found baskets of the bean being used by the Mayan princes both as coins and as food. No one really knows how these indigenous peoples prepared the beans, if they were chewed or if they were cooked in water as a drink, but the pre-Columbian civilizations cultivated the trees in a small plantations to pay the taxes due the ruling Aztecs.

At some point in time, possibly the Toltec’s discovered the bean took on a completely different taste if allowed to ferment on the ground and wasn’t eaten directly from the seed pod off the tree. They began removing the seed pods from the stalk and burying them in the moist ground. Two days after removing the pods from the ground, the beans are washed to remove the pulp. Then the cocoa beans were allowed to dry in the open sun. Next the ancients danced on the beans so that the last traces of pulp and hulls were removed. Finally, the beans were toasted to prevent mold.

Below is a recipe for chocolate drink from back in the day.

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After the cacao beans were toasted, they were pealed and smashed in a mortar with a pedestal until a small ball formed. These balls were stored until needed. A small piece would be beaten into cold water to make a soothing drink. Sometimes honey or a small chili was added.

tags: chocolate, toltec, aztec, ancient chocolate drink, mayan, yucatan peninsula, cacahuatl

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