425. The History Of Chocolate

‘For if a person fatigued with long and hard labour, or with a violent agitation of the mind, takes a good dish of chocolate, he shall perceive almost instantly that his faintness shall cease, and his strength shall be recovered’ The Cacao tree was first domesticated by the Olmecs in Mesoamerica, possibly as early as 1500 BC, and was then first encountered by Europeans in the 16th century, when it is said that the Aztec Emperor Montezuma welcomed Hernan Cortes into his dominion with a mysterious dark drink. Indeed, Chocolate was originally consumed as a drink, and was a cornerstone of Aztec life, whether used as currency or as part of religious rituals. Brought back by the conquistadors to Europe, Chocolate slowly spread through the continent, particularly among the ruling classes, up unti