When was chocolate used as money?

When was chocolate used as money?

The ancient Mayans used cacao beans—the principal ingredient in chocolate—as a currency, according to a study published in the journal Economic Anthropology. The research suggests that during the Classic Maya period (250-900 CE) cacao was exchanged for goods and services.

Who used chocolate as currency for some time?

With time, Aztecs started dominating Mesoamerica and they had a craving for chocolate and unfortunately, they could not grow in their area. Therefore, they started the trend of using cocoa seeds as a currency.

Did Aztecs use chocolate as money?

Cacao Beans as Currency The Aztecs took chocolate admiration to another level. They believed cacao was given to them by their gods. Like the Mayans, they enjoyed the caffeinated kick of hot or cold, spiced chocolate beverages in ornate containers, but they also used cacao beans as currency to buy food and other goods.

When did the chocolate trade start?

Spaniards Introduce Chocolate to Europe’s Elite Chocolate arrived in Europe during the 1500s, likely brought by both Spanish friars and conquistadors who had traveled to the Americas.

How was chocolate used as currency?

The history of chocolate began in Mesoamerica. Fermented beverages made from chocolate date back to 450 BC. The Mexica believed that cacao seeds were the gift of Quetzalcoatl, the god of wisdom, and the seeds once had so much value that they were used as a form of currency.

How did the Mayans use chocolate as a currency?

At some point, Mayan kings started receiving cacao and woven cloth as tax, showing that both had become a form of currency. “They are collecting way more cacao than the palace actually consumes,” she says, adding that the surplus was probably used to pay palace workers or to buy things at the marketplace.

When was chocolate introduced to England?

Chocolate was introduced to England around 1600, first and foremost as a drink, and remained popular in that form for over 200 years. The 18th century was hot chocolate’s heyday.

How did Europeans react to chocolate?

Spanish friars spread the gospel of Theobroma cacao throughout Europe as they traveled from monastery to monastery. Hot chocolate became a hit with French royalty after cocoa enthusiast Marie Therese married Louis XIV in 1660. At the Palace of Versailles, courtiers regarded the drink as an aphrodisiac.

Which country introduced chocolate first?

Chocolate’s 4,000-year history began in ancient Mesoamerica, present day Mexico. It’s here that the first cacao plants were found. The Olmec, one of the earliest civilizations in Latin America, were the first to turn the cacao plant into chocolate.

What did Aztec people use as currency?

This copper tajadero (Spanish for chopping knife) was a form of money used in central Mexico and parts of Central America. Also known as Aztec hoe or axe money, this standardized, unstamped currency had a fixed worth of 8,000 cacao seeds – the other common unit of exchange in Mesoamerica.

What food did ancient civilizations use for currency?

While cacao beans were consumable commodities, the ways ancient peoples used them exhibited the attributes of the use of currency. The civilizations at the time, such as the Mayans and Aztecs, valued cacao as money.

Why was chocolate used as currency in ancient times?

Chocolate was once used as currency Ancient Mesoamerican civilizations used to give the cacao tree an important place in society. The Mayans and the Aztecs used to use cocoa beans as currency. Crushed cocoa beans were used to make a bitter liquid called xocoatl.

When was chocolate first used in the world?

Chocolate, namely cocoa beans have been used for thousands of years. As early as 250 A.D., ancient civilizations of Mexico and South America used the cocoa bean. It was used as currency.

What was cocoa used for in ancient times?

Crushed cocoa beans were used to make a bitter liquid called xocoatl. Only royalty and the best military warriors could gain access to the drink. Chocolate, namely cocoa beans have been used for thousands of years. As early as 250 A.D., ancient civilizations of Mexico and South America used the cocoa bean.

What did the Mayans use cacao for money?

The research suggests that during the Classic Maya period (250-900 CE) cacao was exchanged for goods and services. The Mayans never used coins but are thought to have bartered items such as tobacco, maize and clothing.