Though the indigenous people of Venezuela likely traded cocoa with small communities in present-day Mexico, chocolate origins for this region are officially credited to the ancient Olmec civilization back to about 1500 B.C. The Olmec lived along the Gulf of Mexico in what is now Tabasco and Veracruz. They are believed to have begun growing cacao trees of their own. After the Olmec’s decline in the 4th century A.D., the cacao tree reached the Mayan civilization, established around southern Mexico in the Yucatan peninsula.
It was the Maya who took cocoa bean and chocolate usage to greater heights. They developed sophisticated planting techniques for their cacao trees; they grew trees in deep natural wells called cenotes, and created irrigation canals in shady groves. This way, the cacao trees always had ground water circulating through them as a source of moisture. The cacao orchards were also far apart, so the trees were not bothered by pests or diseases and were easily accessible to pollinating insects. The Mayan people believed that these trees were from the gods, and that the cocoa seeds were a gift from the gods to mankind. Ancient Mayan hieroglyphic texts indicate that chocolate made from the cocoa seeds was revered as “the food of the gods,” and was meant for use in rituals and religious ceremonies. The Mayans built stone palaces, temples, and carvings bearing references to chocolate. The nobility or very wealthy prepared chocolate drinks or porridges flavored with spices like chili. Until their civilization mysteriously died out around 900 A.D., the Mayans developed a trade network extending through Central and South America for transporting cocoa seeds. Trade is how cocoa usage came to be in the next great ancient civilization, the Aztecs of central Mexico. Interestingly enough,the modern word “chocolate” is derived from the Aztecan language Nahautl.
The Aztecs flourished during the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. Their premier cacao-producing region was Soconusco in Chiapas, which is currently a Mexican state near Guatemala’s border. As with the Maya, chocolate was used in Aztec religious events and for the elite class. Aztecan chocolate drinks were also seasoned with spices. The Aztecs were particularly noteworthy for using cocoa seeds as currency. They required their citizens and conquered peoples to pay their tributes, or taxes, with cocoa seeds.
The Europeans had their first encounters with chocolate here, in what is modern-day Mexico. Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés and his sailors arrived in Tenochtitlán in 1519, home of the Aztecan ruler Montezuma II. Legend has it that the visit was predicted years beforehand, forecasting the Aztec empire’s fall with the visit of a “white-faced man.” Sure enough, the Spanish conquered the Aztecs in 1521, and the territory became known as New Spain. The Spanish took the Aztecan secrets of cocoa seed and chocolate production back to Europe, triggering the spread of chocolate there.
The region gained independence from Spain and formed the First Mexican Empire in 1821, creating the first official Mexican nation. Along with Venezuela and other countries in the colonized world, Mexico continued supplying cocoa seeds to Spain and other European countries until early in the 20th century.
Within the last century, Mexico has survived several turbulent stages. It has experienced revolutions and civil wars, major political and economic instability, and issues in dealing with the United States to the north. However, Mexican culture and tradition preserve chocolate’s potent presence, emphasizing the people’s ongoing shared love for its delight. Champurrado is a well-known chocolate drink that honors the Mayan and Aztec tradition for chocolate drinks. At the Mexican Day of the Dead celebration, or El Dia de los Muertos, mole is a special Spanish-influenced chocolate dish that is served. In Oaxaca, it is also common for family and friends to exchange homemade chocolate during this celebration,
like chocolate-crafted skulls. Chocolate’s enthralling power here is still very much alive and well.