Chocolate: Maya, Toltec, And Aztec Culture

Chocolate was first used more than 3,000 years ago by the Maya, Toltec, and Aztec. They used cocoa beans as currency, and also created a beverage out of it- usually used for special occasions -religious ceremonies and marriage celebrations. (Ancient Mayans believed cocoa beans were a food from the gods, and that it was very sacred. Cocoa was so important that images of cocoa pods were painted on the walls of stone temples, and there have been Mayan artifacts found that show the gods and kings with chocolate. The demand for the cocoa bean and the beverage that it produced brought about a huge network of trade routes throughout the region. When the Aztecs conquered the Mayans, they paid them with cocoa beans- which was good, since the Aztecs themselves could not grow cocoa.

After that, you harvest the beans. Cocoa pods are ripe when they turn a bright yellow/orange. The pods are typically harvested twice per year, though it can be more. Then, the pods are opened, and the beans/seeds are removed. Each seed is about the size of an olive. After the seeds are removed, they are fermented, which means that they are cleaned, and left to develop flavor in the light. Next, they are covered with banana leaves for around 2-9 days. They begin to look and taste like what we know of as chocolate. Now, the beans are ready for drying and shipping. During drying and shipping, they first are carefully dried. They are placed on wooden boards or bamboo mats for 7-14 days under the hot sun, and are turned over for consistent drying. They are then checked for quality and packed into sacks. After that, the beans are cleaned and then roasted at low temperatures to develop flavor. The nibs are separated and then grounded finely into cocoa mass, which is then put under high pressure, giving us cocoa powder and cocoa butter. The next step is producing the chocolate. You first mix, grind, and knead the various raw ingredients into a paste. The ingredients used are