‘Hot’ Chocolate

More than just a Drink!

“I have this theory that chocolate slows down the ageing process… It may not be true, but do I dare take the chance?” — anonymous.

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I’ve titled this post as ‘hot’ chocolate because of the wonderful history this beautiful food has, going from a bitter, chilli hot, drink to the sweet hot drinks and delicacies we have today. And you have to agree; chocolate is hot!!!

Cacao, pronounced Kah Kow, was discovered around 2,000 years ago in the tropical rain forests of the Americas. It is most famous in the Maya and Aztec cultures. They used it as both a form of currency and as a drink, which was for the holy, the royal and the honoured.

Hot chocolate, like today, began its life as a bitter drink. The pods from the tree contain seeds, and it’s these seeds which are processed into chocolate. Those first drinks were bitter, just as pure chocolate is, and made by fermenting and roasting after which the seeds were ground to a paste. It became a frothy, spicy drink after being mixed with water, chili peppers, cornmeal and other ingredients.

Chocolate came to Europe with the Spanish conquistadors and, unfortunately, because the Spanish couldn’t get enough of it, the production of large quantities was done with slave labour.