Healthy Chocolate— the Dawn of a Divine Healing Cacao Elixir
Today, chocolate is known around the world as a confectionary treat that symbolizes love and romance. But chocolate was not always known as a sweet morsel. In fact, chocolate can be traced back to ancient Mesoamerica during a time when the food took on more of a bitter flavor and was also known as a symbol of power and wealth. Over the years, people began to discover the all-natural healing properties of chocolate, making the healthy extract from cacao beans more than just a decadent luxury. Chocolate was also used as a form of currency, becoming a very important part of everyday life. It slowly made its way to Europe where the Industrial Revolution transformed the future of chocolate, creating the exquisite tasting treat we know it as today.
- Food of the Gods
- An Ancient Gold Standard
- The All-Natural, Healing Nectar
- The Sacred Brew of Spanish Royalty
- Lavish European Confection
- From Industrial Revolution to Chocolate Revolution
- Back to the Basics
Food of the Gods
The history of healthy, raw chocolate began more than 3,500 years ago in ancient Mesoamerica with the Mayans and their predecessors, the Olmec Indians. These ancient civilizations harvested beans from the cacao tree, the plant from which chocolate is derived. Cacao-based foods were an integral part of not only their diets, but also their everyday lives. According to archeological evidence, people grew cacao trees in community greenhouses called cenotes, where they harvested, fermented, roasted, and grinded them into a paste. Cenotes also held religious and ceremonial significance. Rituals and other festivals were held there to celebrate the Mayan gods Ek Chuah, Chac, and Hobnil. During these celebrations, locals would offer cacao pods to them out of reverence. Cacao is actually a Mayan term that means "food of the gods."
Cacao was also a symbol of status for the ancient Mayans. Priests, kings, and other royalty favored a spicy, frothy drink brewed from cacao and mixed with chili peppers, water, cornmeal, and other spices. The bittersweet, yet prestigious concoction was served in decorated drinking vessels at marriage ceremonies and other religious and royal events. Evidence of this practice has been found by archaeologists in ancient paintings and symbols called glyphs. These glyphs give insight into the important role chocolate played in ancient Mayan life.
An Ancient Gold Standard
Cacao beans were a significant part of Mayan culture. So important, in fact, that wealthy Mayan merchants traveled to the land of the Aztecs to introduce them to the crop. The dry climate of the Aztec empire was not suitable for cacao cultivation, so the only way the Aztecs could acquire cacao was through trade or the spoils of war. The Aztecs had never seen or tasted such a wonderfully healthy treat. So enamored by cacao were they that the Aztecs prized the bean and it became an early form of currency. Soon, cacao beans were worth a fortune — even more than gold and silver. Ten cacao beans could buy a rabbit and 100 beans could buy a turkey or a slave. Aztec emperors even demanded cacao beans as tribute and payment for taxes. Â
The Aztecs also used cacao beans to make a luxurious chocolate drink enjoyed by the prestigious. Made in a similar fashion as the Mayan drink, the delightsome brew was called Xocolatl, which means "bitter water" and is where the English term "chocolate" would eventually come from. However, unlike in Mayan civilization where anyone could partake in the bitter beverage, only Aztec rulers, soldiers, priests, wealthy merchants, and other members of nobility could drink Xocolatl.
The All-Natural, Healing Nectar
The Aztecs are said to be the first to realize the mysterious healing powers of chocolate. The healthy, nourishing chocolate elixir made from cacao beans not only refreshed people and provided energy and stamina, but also acted as an aphrodisiac for those who drank it.
It is believed that Emperor Montezuma drank the healthy chocolate brew made from cacao 50 times a day before entering his harem. In addition to invigorating those who drank it, the healthy chocolate was also known to improve overall health as well as treat infections, stomach ailments, fevers, coughs, faintness, and a host of other illnesses.
The Sacred Brew of Spanish Royalty
The destiny of chocolate changed dramatically in 1521 when Don Hernán Cortés and the Spanish conquistadors traveled to the New World in search of treasure. It was not until Cortés and his soldiers conquered Montezuma and the Aztecs in battle that he learned of the delicious flavor of chocolate. When Cortés demanded the Aztecs bring him all their treasure, they gave him 50 jugs of the healthy chocolate drink and taught him how to make the foamy beverage.
Cortés also realized the important healing properties of the natural beverage. He is quoted as saying that the divine drink not only fights fatigue and builds resistance, but it also permits man to walk without food for an entire day.
Shortly after, chocolate made its way to Spain. Once there, a new recipe was created that incorporated vanilla, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and other spices to offset the drink's bitter taste and make it more palatable for Europeans. Thus, hot chocolate was born, and the Spanish could not get enough of it. The demand for chocolate became so high that the Spanish used slaves to harvest and process cacao.
Chocolate was especially adored by Prince Philip and the Spanish royal court. Because the Spanish colonized most of the Americas where cacao grew rampant, they had a monopoly on it for many years. Only royalty, nobility, and religious clergy could afford to consume such an expensive import.
Lavish European Confection
Because cacao beans were expensive and in short supply, the Spanish kept chocolate a secret from the rest of Europe for nearly a century. In fact, when English and Dutch sailors looted Spanish treasure ships, they had no idea how important cacao beans were and ended up throwing them overboard or burning them.
It was not until 1605 that the Spanish monopoly on chocolate ended. During a visit to the New World, an Italian explorer named Francesco Carletti observed how Indians made chocolate. He brought the recipe back to Italy where it became famous almost immediately. Later, German travelers who were visiting Italy brought the well-known treat to their own country.
France was the next to learn about the luxurious drink. When Queen Anne of Austria, daughter of Philip III of Spain, married French King Louis XVIII, she divulged their secret chocolate recipe to the French court. Shortly after, the French gained their own supply of cacao beans when they conquered Haiti and Cuba.
Holland was the next to join the chocolate revolution. Dutch explorers captured Curacao, where cacao beans were plentiful. Recognizing the healthy properties of the beans, the Dutch brought cacao back to their country to cure a variety of ailments.
From Industrial Revolution to Chocolate Revolution
Chocolate finally reached England in the 1650s when King Charles II fell in love with the treat. Up to this time, chocolate was only available to the aristocracy of Europe. But the dawn of the industrial revolution made it possible for chocolate to be mass-produced. Soon chocolate houses opened across England where the general public could meet and talk about political and social affairs over a cup of cocoa. The English were the first to mix milk in their chocolate, for a lighter, velvety-smooth flavor.
The Dutch became the first to create a solid version of chocolate for eating with the invention of the van Houten cocoa press. This cocoa press extracted cocoa butter from cacao beans, the main ingredient in hard chocolate.Â
Later, a Swiss chocolatier combined chocolate with powered or condensed milk to create the first smooth milk chocolate bar. Milk chocolate and other forms of chocolate (such as cakes, sorbets, and other goodies) soon dominated the European market, then the Americas, and later the world, to become the sinful indulgence we know it as today.
Back to the Basics
Emerging research has switched the focus of chocolate from a decadent sweet back to the healthy food it was once known as. The true extent of benefits that pure cacao provides, especially when it comes to antioxidants, are now being discovered by scientists and other researchers across the globe. In a time when more and more people are becoming increasingly conscious about their health, many chocolate manufacturers have redirected their business goals to provide a "new" kind of chocolate that offers all-natural ingredients and amazing health benefits on the side. Xoçai™ is the only chocolate brand on the market today to print their antioxidants/ORAC value on the label so consumers can clearly see the benefits of their great-tasting and health-promoting chocolate.
Eat Your Way to a Healthier Life with Amazingly Healthy Xoçai™ Chocolate!
Click here to become a distributor or to order a sample of healthy and delicious Xoçai™ dark chocolate, made from cacao beans and Açaà berries. Xoçai™ chocolate is "the ultimate antioxidant treat!" You can take advantage of the Xoçai™ compensation program as well as our marketing plan and other tools.
If you have an exciting story to share about how Xoçai™ chocolate has positively changed your life, please add it to Dr. Newman's blog.
To become a distributor for Xoçai™ healthy chocolate, made from pure cacao beans and Açaà berries. Find out more information about the Xoçai™ compensation program and check out our marketing plan and other tools to help you start your own successful business.