Chocolate is enjoyed around the world today, but its story begins much closer to home than many people realize. Chocolate in Mexico has a history that stretches back thousands of years, rooted in the ancient civilizations that cultivated cacao, developed unique ways to prepare it, and gave chocolate a cultural importance that continues today.
Mexico has played a remarkable role in the history of chocolate in Mexico, from ancient cacao drinks to modern chocolate-making.
What is Chocolate?
The word chocolate in Mexico comes from the Aztec word xocolatl.
Chocolate (xocolatl) is a mixture of the paste and butter of the cacao (cocoa) seed with spices and water. The chocolate drink has a strong, thick flavor and stimulating effects.
The Ancient Origins of Chocolate in Mexico
The origin of chocolate in Mexico begins with the cacao tree, the tropical tree that produces the cacao beans used to make chocolate.
The Olmec civilization, which flourished along the Gulf Coast of Mexico, is widely associated with some of the earliest evidence of cacao use.
At an Olmec archaeological site, traces found inside ancient vessels indicate that the preparation of chocolate by pre-Olmec peoples was as early as 1750 BC. The Olmecs were most likely the first humans to drink chocolate. The Olmecs extracted the cacao seeds, fermented and roasted them, then made a paste to make the thick chocolate drink.
Later, chocolate was present in the Mayan culture. In an early Classic-period (460–480 AD) Maya tomb, vessels with the Maya cacao glyph on them with chocolate drink residue, indicates preparation of the chocolate drink by the Maya. The Mayan peoples used cacao seeds make a frothy, bitter drink.
Cacao acquired a great value in Mesoamerica, as indigenous peoples migrated. Chocolate was a symbol of wealth. As a drink it was reserved only for warriors and high society figures. Only nobles, warriors and high society figures could drink chocolate. In some cases, it was a beverage intended for celebrations or rites.
Since chocolate was considered a symbol of wealth, the cup (jicara) used to drink was adorned with a small spoon of gold, silver, or precious wood.
For the Zapotec and Mixtec peoples of the Oaxaca Valley it was reserved for royalty and ceremonial feasts. In the 11th century, in Monte Alban, its use was recorded in an ancient pre-Columbian document, the Codex Nuttal, where the marriage celebration of the Mixtec ruler Iya Nacuaa Teyusi Ñaña (called by historians as 8 deer) took place.
In the Aztec culture, in the 15th century, chocolate was associated with Quetzalcoatl. The chocolate the Aztecs drank was not hot and was seasoned it with a variety of additives. For the Aztecs, xocoatl was made with cacao beans, chili pepper, vanilla, honey, and allspice. It was bitter and spicy.
In general, in Pre-Hispanic Mexico, cacao was also mixed with sapote seeds and corn and shaped into small chocolate balls. These were then mixed with hot water. Chocolate was also prepared with honey, flowers, achiote, acuyo (holy grass) and pinole.
The Aztecs offered axolotl as a gift to the Spaniards. The chocolate drink was quickly adopted and reached Europe. Later, it was modified, and the chocolate bar was introduced in the 1800’s.
Chocolate Production in Mexico
In the production of chocolate, Mexico ranks thirteenth, with over 26 thousand tons per year.
The chocolate industry in Mexico is worth 51 million pesos (mdp) a year and generates over 55 thousand direct jobs.
Chocolate and Mexican Cuisine
Furthermore, chocolate has a fascinating role in Mexican cooking because it is not limited to desserts.
Perhaps the most famous example in Mexican cuisine is mole, a complex sauce for Mexican dishes. It can contain cacao or chocolate along with other ingredients.
Chocolate contributes depth and complexity to mole rather than simply making the dish sweet. This demonstrates an important characteristic of Mexican cuisine: ingredients are often combined in unexpected ways to create layers of flavor.
Mexican chocolate can also appear in beverages, breads, desserts, sauces, and festive foods.
Why Chocolate in Mexico Is Important to the World
Globally, the chocolate industry would look very different without the contributions of Mesoamerican cultures.
Mexico helped establish many of the earliest traditions surrounding cacao. Mesoamerican communities developed ways to cultivate and prepare the cacao bean, incorporated it into beverages and ceremonies, and demonstrated its versatility as a food ingredient.
Today, chocolate is a global industry, but its historical roots remain firmly connected to Mesoamerica.
That is why chocolate in Mexico can truly be described as a gift to the world.
So, the next time you eat chocolate, remember that its journey began thousands of years ago in the cacao-growing regions of Mesoamerica.
Chocolate in Mexico is more than a treat—it is a living tradition and a remarkable gift from Mexico to the world.
Chocolate Routes in Mexico
Below are chocolate routes you can follow in the Mexican states of Tabasco, Chiapas, and Oaxaca.
Chocolate Route in Tabasco
Experience the process of making chocolate in the state of Tabasco. Below are beautiful haciendas where chocolate production takes place:
- Hacienda Jesús María: the hacienda has a chocolate factory where you can experience the chocolate process. It has lodging and rooms and is decorated in the old cacao hacienda style. You can also enjoy the chocolate products of its Cacep Chocolates brand.
- Hacienda Cholula: this hacienda consists of a more ecological style. It carries out research on flora and fauna and tries to raise consciousness about the preservation of cultural heritage. You can experience the process of converting cacao to chocolate in its chocolate factory. You can also enjoy its chocolate products of its El Chontal brand.
- Hacienda La Luz: this is a museum and historic site. This was one of the first haciendas that industrialized cocoa to manufacture chocolate from the famous region of La Chontalpa. The Cocoa and Chocolate Museum is a site where you can see the process of making chocolate, from harvesting to paste, then packaged in molds. Chocolate is prepared in an artisanal manner.
Chocolate Routes in Chiapas
According to experts, the best chocolates in the world are produced in the region of Soconusco, Chiapas!
Below are some sites where chocolate is produced in Chiapas:
- Finca El Paraíso makes a dark chocolate bar, with name Demetria, with 71% cocoa. It was awarded a silver medal in 2017, by The Academy of Chocolate Awards (United Kingdom).
- San José is the first chocolate factory in Chiapas.
- Parque del Chocolate de Tuxtla Chico.
Chocolate Routes in Oaxaca
In Oaxaca, there are several places to savor Mexican traditional chocolate, including Juchitán and Monte Albán, Oaxaca. In the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, bu’pu is served, a traditional drink made from cacao. Bu’pu means “foam” in the Zapotec language of this region.
Other communities in Oaxaca, such as San Mateo del Mar, Teotitlán del Valle, and Santa María Atzompa, also have a series of chocolate drinks made with cacao, such as “Chone” and “Chilate“.
Author: AllMexico.store
A video describing a Mayan vessel: A Royal Maya Chocolate Vase with Underworld Gods – YouTube
References
Agri-Food and Fisheries Information Service (SIAP)
Soconusco (México, Chiapas), el lugar de nacimiento del chocolate – amazed
https://www.jornada.com.mx/2021/12/18/delcampo/articulos/chocolate-Mexico.html
Stuart, David. “The Río Azul Cacao Pot: Epigraphic Observations on the Function of a Maya Ceramic Vessel.” Antiquity, vol. 62, no. 234, 1988, pp. 153–157., doi:10.1017/S0003598X00073634.
La Ruta del Chocolate en Tabasco, ¡toda una experiencia! (elsouvenir.com)
Chiapas chocolate 2021 | Turismo Social
La Ruta del Cacao – TuriMexico
Chocolate has over 600 flavor compounds.
