Theearliestrecordstellusthebeansweregroundandmixedwithcornmealandchilipepperstocreate a drink - not a relaxingcupofhotcocoa, but a bitter, invigoratingconcoctionfrothingwithfoam.
Andifyouthoughtwemake a bigdealaboutchocolatetoday, theMesoamericanshadusbeat.
Theybelievedthatcacaowas a heavenlyfoodgiftedtohumansby a featheredserpentGod, knowntotheMayaasKukulkanandtotheAztecsasQuetzalcoatl.
Aztecsusedcacaobeansascurrencyanddrankchocolateatroyalfeasts, gaveittosoldiersas a rewardforsuccessinbattle, anduseditinrituals.
Whenthecolonistsreturnedwithshipmentsofthestrangenewbean, missionaries' salaciousaccountsofnativecustomsgaveit a reputationasanaphrodisiac.
Atfirst, itsbittertastemadeitsuitableas a medicineforailments, likeupsetstomachs, butsweeteningitwithhoney, sugar, orvanillaquicklymadechocolate a populardelicacyintheSpanishcourt.
VanHouten's inventioncouldseparatethecocoa's naturalfat, orcocoabutter. Thisleft a powderthatcouldbemixedinto a drinkablesolutionorrecombinedwiththecocoabuttertocreatethesolidchocolateweknowtoday.
Notlongafter, a SwisschocolatiernamedDanielPeteraddedpowderedmilktothemix, thusinventingmilkchocolate.
Bythe 20thcentury, chocolatewasnolongeraneliteluxurybuthadbecome a treatforthepublic.