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A Taste of History

By Jeremy Caplan

Inside a glass case in New York City's Museum of Natural History rests a small piece of chocolate so old that no one would dream of eating it. More than 1,500 years ago, Mayan people in what is today Honduras made that chocolate into a spicy, foamy drink. They buried a cup of the drink with a king as a sign of respect.

In 1998, archaeologists discovered the brown sludge and realized it was ancient chocolate! Last week, the oldest known chocolate was on display with an exhibit celebrating the history of one of the world's favorite treats. The exhibit is traveling to museums in nine states. "Chocolate is a gift from Latin America to the rest of the world," says Charles Spencer, the director of Mexican and Central American anthropology at the museum. The Mayans found that the bitter seeds of cacao (kuh-cow) trees, or cocoa trees, could be made into hot cocoa. They used it in religious and royal ceremonies.

In the 1400s, the Aztecs, who ruled much of Mexico and Central America, used cocoa seeds as money. Back then, money really did grow on trees! It wasn't until after the Spanish arrived in the New World in the 1500s that Europeans first tasted chocolate.

Cocoa beans are grown mostly in West Africa and South America. Once dried, the beans are shipped to chocolate makers in the United States and Europe. Some of the world's most popular chocolate is made in Belgium, France and Switzerland. Although chocolate is often made with unhealthful fat and sugar, some chocolate may have health benefits. A recent study showed that dark chocolate may actually help lower blood pressure. Isn't that sweet? --By Jeremy Caplan

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