History records the very first use of chocolate occurred over two thousand six hundred years ago in ancient Maya.
It is believed that the residue of chocolate that was discovered in a Mayan pot demonstrates that chocolate was being drunk by this ancient race, the first ever such record of the consumption of chocolate.
In Aztec society chocolate was associated with the fertility goddess, Xochiquetzal and throughout the New World people consumed chocolate in a blended drink known as xocatl a spicy yet bitter concoction flavoured with seasonings such as vanilla and chilli peppers. Xocatl was thought to help combat tiredness, the world’s first energy drink!
This belief was probably derived from the Theobromine found in the cacao pod which acts as a mild stimulant which is often confused with the effects of caffeine. Considered as a luxury item throughout Mesoamerica cocoa beans were once used as a form of currency !
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