Did you know we have the Mayans to thank for giving us one of our favorite guilty pleasures? Chocolate, or Xocolatl, as the Mayans called it, was cultivated as early as 900 AD in Mesoamerica and they made a beverage from the beans of the cocoa pods. The Mayans believed that chocolate was a gift to humans from the gods and, therefore, should be shared with all of the people so anyone could partake of the beverage, regardless of their social standing. The Mayans consumed xocolatl on a daily basis, much like how we drink our morning coffee. If you’d like to make your own Mesoamerican style chocolate elixir then take a look at this recipe:
