Ever experienced a melting moment of bliss when indulging in your favourite chocolate, with secret appreciation for whoever first created it?
Well, you owe it to the Aztecs. A Mexican empire that thrived in the 14th century, the Aztecs are usually credited with the discovery of chocolate. Interestingly, throughout its long history, chocolate was mostly used in the form of a drink.
The word 'chocolate' has Spanish origins and comes from the Nahuatl (Aztec) word 'xocolatl', meaning 'bitter water'.
Considered as a luxury, only the Aztec royalty enjoyed the cold, bitter beverage, made from ground cocoa seeds and containing a variety of spices. The Aztecs believed it to provide vitality, energy and longevity.
Just as interesting is the fact that the cocoa tree, in Latin, is called Theobroma cacao and translates to "divine food".
Another Mesoamerican civilisation, the Mayans, used cocoa beans as a form of currency. A rabbit was worth 10 cocoa beans, while a mule cost five times more.
The Spanish conquest of the Aztecs in the 1500s made it possible to import chocolate to Europe, where it quickly became a court favourite. Within a century the love of chocolate spread to the whole of Europe and across the world.
