Chocolate: A Mesoamerican Luxury

Many anthropologists consider the ancient Maya to be the first people to have made chocolate.  Their territory covered the countries that we know today as southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and part of El Salvador. The first evidence of chocolate in glyphs and on the remains in ancient vessels comes from the height of Mayan civilization (250-900 A.D) - where Maya’s are often depicted collecting cacao for chocolate.

Archaeologists aren’t sure exactly how the Maya first learned the tasty secret of cacao—a tree that grew in the tropical rainforests of their homeland.  But one thing is for sure: chocolate was a treasured Maya treat. Many Maya artifacts are painted with scenes of people pouring and enjoying chocolate.

The Maya of this period probably processed cacao much like we do today.

After gathering the cacao pods, people would have to ferment and dry the seeds found inside. Then, they would roast these seeds in a griddle held over a fire. Next, the shells would have to be removed and the seeds ground into a paste by crushing them with a small stone against a large stone surface, called a metate. 

Maya didn’t eat their chocolate; they drank it.  First, they ground cacao seeds into a chocolate paste that they mixed with water, chile peppers, cornmeal, and other ingredients.  Then, they poured this bitter concoction back and forth from cup to pot until it developed a thick foam on top. (Sugar wasn't available in Mesoamerica, so any sweetener probably came from a bit of honey or flower nectar.) 

Chocolate found favor with rich and poor alike. Among the ancient Maya from the Classic Period, everyone—no matter their status—could occasionally enjoy a chocolate drink. 

Fortunately, for us historians, the wealthy drank their chocolate from elaborate vessels decorated by specially trained artists, and it is from these vessels that’s we see kings, or even gods and animals, drinking chocolate.  Chocolate played a special part in royal and religious events, and Maya couples even drank chocolate as part of their betrothal and marriage ceremonies.

Chocolate Facts