Chocolate Was a Core Part of Mayan Society
Cacao trees were everywhere, from the rain forests to Mayan gardens. The Mayans used chocolate for practically everything. In Mayan baptism, cacao beans were mixed with flower petals and water to anoint the heads of children. A chocolate drink was shared between the couple in a wedding ceremony. There was a Mayan god for cacao, and chocolate was often used as a stand-in for blood in religious ceremonies.
It was a drink enjoyed by commoner and noble alike, and Mayan art is covered in depictions of the drinking, preparing and harvesting of the cacao. Mayan elites could afford to enjoy a chocolate drink at the end of every meal, and the powder was added to every kind of food. The standard chocolate beverage was actually quite nutritious, because it was mixed with spices, cornmeal, water, and chili worthy of the label “Drink of the Gods”.
