Chocolate was one of the most important beverages of the Mexica, and it was reserved for the elite and for religious occasions. The Mexica prepared chocolate from cacao beans, which were roasted, ground, and mixed with water, chili, and various spices. The mixture was then poured back and forth between two vessels to create a foam on the top, which was considered to be the best part of the drink. The Mexica believed that chocolate was a divine food, and they associated it with Quetzalcoatl, who was believed to have given the cacao plant to humanity.
The Origins of Chocolate
The history of chocolate in Mesoamerica is long and complex. The cacao tree was native to the tropical lowlands of Mesoamerica, and it was cultivated by the Olmecs, the Mayas, and the peoples of the Gulf Coast. The Mayas are particularly famous for their use of chocolate, and they prepared a wide range of chocolate-based beverages and foods. The Mexica inherited the tradition of chocolate from the older cultures, and they developed their own distinctive preparations.
The Mexica associated chocolate with Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent, and they believed that Quetzalcoatl had given the cacao plant to humanity. The Mexica also associated chocolate with wisdom and with the blood of the gods, and they used chocolate in a wide range of religious rituals. The Mexica believed that chocolate was a divine food, and they considered it to be a symbol of the Mexica’s connection to the gods.
The Preparation of Chocolate
The Mexica prepared chocolate in a complex and time-consuming process. The cacao beans were first roasted in a clay pan, and then they were ground into a paste on a stone metate. The paste was mixed with water, chili, and various spices, including vanilla, achiote, and allspice. The mixture was then poured back and forth between two vessels to create a foam on the top, which was considered to be the best part of the drink.
The Mexica did not add sugar to their chocolate, and the resulting drink was bitter and spicy, quite different from the sweetened chocolate of the modern era. The chocolate was typically served in a special vessel, and it was drunk at important occasions, including the religious ceremonies, the royal banquets, and the diplomatic receptions. The chocolate was also used as a form of medicine, and the Mexica believed that it had a wide range of therapeutic properties.
Cacao as Money
The cacao beans were also used as a form of money in the Mexica economy, and they were a symbol of wealth and status. The cacao beans were imported from the Gulf Coast, and they were widely accepted in the Tlatelolco market. A turkey, for example, might fetch 100 cacao beans in the market, and a rabbit around 30. Cacao’s role as currency meant that small transactions could be settled easily, and it shaped everyday economy of the Mexica.
The cacao beans were a particularly useful form of money because they were durable, portable, and divisible. The cacao beans could be stored for long periods of time without spoiling, and they could be transported easily. The cacao beans were also divisible, and they could be used for both small and large transactions. The use of cacao as money was a sophisticated system, and it shaped the Mexica economic system.
The Survival of Chocolate
Chocolate has become one of the most widely used foods in the world, and it is now consumed in a wide range of forms, from the sweetened chocolate bars of the modern era to the traditional preparations of the Mesoamerican cultures. The chocolate tradition has survived in Mexico and other Latin American countries, and it is part of the cultural heritage of the region.
The cacao industry is now a major global industry, and the production of chocolate is a significant part of the economy of many countries. The survival of the cacao tradition is evidence of the lasting influence of the Mexica food tradition, and it is a reminder of the cultural inheritance of the Mexica.
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