ABSTRACT
Cacao trees (Theobroma cacao) originated in the Americas and have been cultivated for at least an estimated 4,000 years where they thrive under conditions of semishade, warmth, and high humidity. Chocolate was important in Mayan and Aztec mythology and used as currency. A crude, unsweetened foamy beverage called chocolatl was served only to the noble ruling class. Early Spanish explorers found this bitter liquid could be improved with the addition of sugar, and it soon became the rage of Spanish nobility. It then spread to Italy, Holland, France, and England.
