Did you know that the history of cocoa and chocolate goes back almost 4,000 years? Or that cocoa played an important role as a currency in the Mayan and Aztec cultures? Cocoa and chocolate are not merely the sensual foodstuffs that make people happy; they have a rich history. Cocoa and chocolate were first consumed for medicinal purposes. It was only later that they became popular as foodstuffs due to their seductive taste. There are few foodstuffs which have such a rich and intriguing history as cocoa and chocolate. Just like coffee, we inherited the cocoa bean from the mysterious pre-Columbian cultures in Latin America. When Cortés first imported cocoa to Europe, and when he learned how to make a chocolate drink with it, it caused quite a stir: divine to some; heretical to others. Even today, cocoa and chocolate still exude an aura of mystery, luxury and pleasure.
