Chocolates, Drugs Of The Past
July 19, 2012
Do not let the "drug" word fool you because there is actually more to that than meets the eye. In our current society, we often use drug to refer to illegal chemicals that will cause you a lot of jail time. However, the kind of drug we are about to discuss entails not only benefits to the body but also sweetness to the taste buds from then until now.
Dating back to the days when Mayans, Aztecs, and Early Europeans roamed the earth, chocolates were already within their midst. As opposed to the many variety of chocolates we have nowadays, the most popular for these earlier civilizations was chocolate in the form of a drink.
For the Aztecs, the cacao beans were brewed and drank in the belief that it was an elixir of life. It strengthened their warriors, cured the sick and awakened those who were weak and asleep.
As unbelievable as it may sound, chocolate was celebrated more because of its medicinal effects than its delicious taste. Although chocolates were mostly served for the high and wealthy people, it was also given to the soldiers, for it was like a magical drink that increased stamina and got rid of fatigue.
When cacao beans were brought to Europe, people were amazed. An intake of the chocolaty drink could restore damages in the body like digestion problems and even anemia. It was written in black and white on a manuscripts from the 16th to 20th centuries that chocolate has over 100 medicinal uses.
England's Dr. Hughes specifically stated that chocolate is helpful for pregnant women. In the 1800’s, it was named as the most excellent drink that can be a substitute for all other foodstuff. It can be drunk by people of all ages and from all walks of life.
As for the Americans, chocolate also won over their hearts. The third president of the country, Thomas Jefferson, once said that "The superiority of chocolate, both for health and nourishment, will soon give it the preference over tea and coffee in America which it has in Spain."
Unfortunately, as time passed by, more and more ingredients were added to the already awesome chocolate which made is less of a medicine.
Chocolate played a big role in building human history, bringing all of us to where we are now. So next time you grab some chocolate consider that you're participating in that flow of history. With such pressure, it had better be some good chocolate!
- Whipped Cream Chocolate Frosting Recipe - December 3, 2014
- Chocolate Hazelnut Cake Recipe - November 26, 2014
- Broiled Banana Chocolate Pudding Recipe - November 19, 2014