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The Legend of Chocolate – The name of this delicious delicacy comes from the Aztec word “xocalatl”, meaning a drink that the Indians prepared from cocoa powder and water (the last component of the word – “latl” is translated as “water”).
The Maya, who have been eating chocolate for 1500 years, added red chili peppers to it.
The Aztec recipe was more complicated: they used 4 varieties of cocoa powder to make hot chocolate, and besides pepper, they also put honey.
Both considered chocolate to be the food of the gods and used it in sacred rituals and as money.
So, for 4 cocoa beans you could buy a pumpkin, for 10 – a rabbit, and for 100 – a slave.
If we were talking about large sums, then the Maya paid no longer with individual grains, but with pods, each of which pulled about half a kilo.
The Aztecs had an original legend about the origin of the chocolate drink.
Once, she says, there lived in the world a talented gardener named Quetzatcoatl.
He had a wonderful orchard, in which, among others, grew one inconspicuous tree with bitter fruits, similar in appearance to cucumbers.
Quetzatcoatl did not know what to do with them and one day he came up with the idea of making powder from beans and boiling it in water.
It turned out to be a drink that amuses the soul and gives strength, which the inventor called “chocolatl”.
Soon the news of him reached the tribesmen of Quetzatcoatl, who fell in love with the properties of the drink. As a result, “chocolatl” began to be valued above gold.
Chocolate acquired the sweet taste familiar to us only with the arrival of the Spaniards in America, who began to add sugar to the drink.
As well as vanilla and cinnamon – spices, which are also associated with interesting myths.
Adapted from астролошка звезда
