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 The Lure and Lore of Chocolate
Chocolate, Gods, and Government
Over the centuries, rank and religion have often been closely associated in many cultures. The role of chocolate is a reflection of this relationship—it has taken the form of both a sacred emblem and a secular status symbol in many different cultures.
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 Classic Maya (250-900 C.E. [A.D.])
In their sacred life, the Maya paid homage to their gods by burning cacao seeds as an offering. Sometimes blood, considered the most sacred offering, was dripped over cacao pods and placed on altars. Chocolate drinks played an important part in betrothal and marriage ceremonies, too.
The Maya also honored Ek Chuah (ek CHU ah), a special god of cacao growers and merchants, with cacao seeds as offerings.
In their secular life, Maya of all ranks had some access to cacao, but members of the aristocracy drank their chocolate in style. Specially trained artists made lavishly decorated vessels just for the nobility to use for drinking chocolate
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 Aztec (1250-1521 )
In their sacred life, the Aztecs occasionally mixed achiote (ah chee OH tay), a red powder made from the seed of the annatto tree, in their chocolate drinks. Some scholars believe this practice may have had a symbolic connection to rituals of human sacrifice.
The Aztecs also believed that cacao seeds came from the white-bearded god, Quetzalcoatl (ket sal koh AH tul), who brought cacao to Earth from paradise.
In their secular life, the Aztecs restricted the drinking of chocolate to the elite classes of society, such as rulers, soldiers, and honored merchants. Cacao seeds were so valuable that the Aztecs actually used them as a form of money—and conquered peoples even paid their tribute with these seeds!
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Europeans (1600-1800 )
In their sacred life, Europeans during the 17th through the 19th centuries intertwined chocolate in Christian traditions. In part, this is because the Catholic Church declared (after much debate) that drinking chocolate during Lent didn’t break the fast—because it was a liquid, not a solid food.
In their secular life, Europeans who drank chocolate were usually from the ruling or noble classes. In fact, in France, cacao was a state monopoly, available only to the aristocracy. For many years, only members of the most privileged classes of society could afford this expensive import.
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 Today
In our sacred life, most of us know chocolate as a favorite celebratory sweet often eaten near holidays like Hanukkah, Christmas, and Easter.
But in Mexico during Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead), families build altars in their homes to welcome the souls of departed loved ones. Food, flowers, and a dish of cacao seeds, mole (moh-LAY), or hot chocolate are left on the altar as offerings to the visiting spirits.
In our secular life, we tend to view chocolate as a luxury—not necessarily because of its price, but because of its cost in calories and its decadent flavor.
Mass production has made chocolate available to a much wider market. However, in countries where cacao is grown, the value of cacao as an export crop outweighs the sensory delights of eating it.
And not everyone is in love with chocolate. Most Asian cultures have never really developed a taste for the sweet. In fact, the Chinese eat only one bar of chocolate for every 1,000 consumed by the British.
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Continue to The Romance of Chocolate
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Cacao seeds were like cash. In fact, dishonest Aztec merchants are believed to have made counterfeits! |
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It’s said that in the 18th century, chocolate was the preferred drink of Cardinals—they even served chocolate while electing a new Pope. In fact, chocolate was rumored to have disguised a poison that killed Pope Clement XIV in 1774.
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In Japan, American soldiers introduced chocolate to the country during World War II. Its popularity is now beginning to rise, and the Japanese consume about 3.75 pounds of chocolate per person a year. |
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