When we think of chocolate, we think of Snickers, M&M’s, Twix, and maybe even Godiva. We taste the sugar and satisfy our cravings, and make cake frosting out of it– delicious. But what we tend to forget is that chocolate is one, a plant, and two, very bitter. Chocolate, as we know it, grows on a tree (it a fruit); if you were to walk past it, you would have no idea what it is. Cacao grows in a football-like cocoon, and inside are numerous white fleshy packets that contain nibs, which will eventually be turned in to chocolate once processed. During the period of the Aztec Empire, the cacao nibs were made into a paste, boiled, and made into cacao water which a garnished with aguamiel, vanilla, and chilies. Come the Spanish Inquisition, this cacao drink was introduced to the conquistadors who were on the prowl for treasures of the New World: “Cortés, ever a vigilant warrior, found cacao fascinating for another reason: in a letter to King Charles V of Spain, he described it as “the divine drink, which builds up resistance and fights fatigue. A cup of this precious drink permits man to walk for a whole day without food” (Arellano 25).
Gustavo Arellano illuminates Cortés’ “discovery” of the cacao plant as a moment of spiritual transcendence and disbelief. For the mere fact that Cortés was obliged to write to the King, it serves a precursor to the appropriation and ownership of the plants found in the New World. If any reasonable person in Spain was to hear of the benefit of treasures such as cacao, they would demand that it be made possible for it to become available at their fingertips. And the ownership of the cacao is what will lead to its “miraculous” appearance in Spanish colonies around the world. The imposition of cacao in places other than Mexico will lead to new leaders in cacao production. Unfortunately, Mexico’s pedestal as the source of all cacao has been forgotten by the world, but that does not mean that their history with the plant has been compromised. Today, the drink Cortés had mentioned to the King still exists, and it is called Champurrado– a chocolate drink made with cinnamon, nutmeg, and masa harina. While the world has ultimately taken advantage of the plant; by adding tons of sugar and other unhealthy additives, Mexico has continued to uphold the traditions of the Aztec people.
Citation:
Arellano, Gustavo. Taco Usa: How Mexican Food Conquered America. New York: Scribner, 2012. Print. 25
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Great research and details here. Arellano does a good job giving an over of the history of chocolate, but there lots of books about it, and that history is amazing. It also relates to colonialism, of course. Similar to vanilla in a way as well.
Chocolate is still an important part of Mexican food, as you can see in a dish like mole for example. But also states like Oaxaca are famous for their delicious chocolate, prepared much in the same way as before the Spanish arrived, that is, if you have it with water. Milk was something the Spanish brought later.
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