The Guardian of Chocolate?
November 10, 2011
If you already have gone through the previous blog posts, you may have learned that chocolate can trace its origins back to the Aztecs. They have associated cacao trees with the god of agriculture, Quetzalcoatl. Legend has it that Quetzalcoatl was held responsible for bringing cacao to earth. His actions were frowned upon so he got kicked out of the heavens for giving it to humans. As he escaped, he swore to return one day as a “fair-skinned bearded man” to save the earth.
The earliest Aztecs highly thought of the cacao plant. They considered it as a source of strength and wealth and Quetzalcoatl was said to be its guardian which explains why cacao beans were used as their form of currency.
The Aztecs were among the first ones to work with cacao beans. However, they initially didn’t use this for any culinary purpose whatsoever. They only developed interest in its edibility after observing certain animals, particularly monkeys. This is why only the pulp of the cacao tree was used at first, only after a while did they start utilizing the beans.
According to myths, since Quetzalcoatl left the Aztec empire, people have been waiting for his comeback. While at it, they gave offerings of cocoa beans and chocolate drink. Because of their high hopes, when they saw a ship heading towards their shores, they immediately thought it was Quetzalcoatl. The Europeans took this vulnerability as a chance to easily invade their lands, and were successful at it.
Chocolate’s history is indeed covered in legends and myths, not to mention depressing stories. It's just amusing that chocolate is treasured so much that it has a guardian. Even I myself guard my box of chocolates with my life. Haha!
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