Maya and Aztec Influence
Some background about Mayan civilization and chocolate
• The Maya Indians first discovered the delights of cocoa as long ago as 600 AD.
• Maya lived in the Yucatan Peninsula, a tropical area in what is now Southern Mexico.
• Maya harvested cocoa beans from the rain forest trees, then cleared areas of lowland forest to grow their own cocoa trees in the first known cocoa plantations.
• Cocoa beans were given as gifts at ceremonies.
• Ek Chuah, the Mayan merchant god, was closely linked with cocoa and cocoa fruits were used at festivals in honour of this god.
• Merchants often traded cocoa beans for other commodities, cloth, jade and ceremonial feathers.
The Aztec empire and chocolate
The Aztec Emperor |
• The Aztecs founded Tenochtitlan, a great city in the Valley of Mexico in 1325.
• This rich prosperous city and its culture were destroyed by the Spanish in 1521, to be later rebuilt by the Spanish conquerors and renamed Mexico City.
• The Aztecs consumed large quantities of 'chocolatl' as a luxury drink. The Aztec version was described as 'finely ground, soft, foamy, reddish, bitter with chilli water, aromatic flowers, vanilla and wild bee honey.'
• Aztecs were unable to grow cocoa trees themselves so they obtained supplies of cocoa beans from 'tribute' or trade. 'Tribute' was a form of taxation paid by provinces conquered by the Aztecs in wars.
• One Aztecs god, Quetzalcoatl, creator god and provider of agriculture, was particularly associated with cocoa beans. Great temples were built to honour him in Tenochtitlan; Moctezuma, Emperor of Mexico and ruler of the Aztecs in the early 16th century particularly revered him.
• When Don Hernan Cortes, the Spanish conquistador, arrived in 1517 with his fleet of galleons, the Aztecs thought that he was Quetzalcoatl returning. However they were soon to realize that he was a cruel conqueror.
|
