Chocolate Day History: Valentine’s Day is not the only Western event that is strongly associated with chocolate.
Chocolate abounds in the seasonal aisles of stores and supermarkets, and food corporations invest enormous sums of money in advertising to entice people to celebrate with copious amounts of chocolate consumption. It is connected to celebration and pleasure. However, the ancient societies of North America are where the relationship between chocolate, romance, and sex first emerged—not Europe.
The Aztecs and the Mayas, two of the greatest indigenous civilizations in Mesoamerica, considered chocolate to be a sacred ceremonial delicacy. Typically, chocolate was utilized on important events like engagements, marriages, and religious festivals by royalty and the wealthy.
The ancient Mesoamericans enjoyed chocolate as a frothy beverage that they combined with honey, corn, or other aromatic plants like vanilla. Women made chocolate by pouring the liquid from one vessel to another to achieve the highly desired frothy texture. The cocoa plant and its seeds were associated with femininity and, in certain cases, with the sexual organs of women in traditional cultures.
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Spanish colonists and conquistadors quickly adopted the practice of consuming chocolate. Many men married native women or took them as concubines since so few European women visited the Americas during the early stages of the conquest. The Spaniards were then exposed to these women’s culinary traditions.
Even while early chroniclers were aware of the unique ceremonial applications of chocolate, Spanish memoirs written soon after the conquest did not document all of them. For instance, Spanish foot soldier Bernal Daz del Castillo popularized the myth that Emperor Moctezuma used chocolate as an aphrodisiac.
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The history of the connection between Valentine’s Day week and Chocolate Day is told in many different ways. The most well-known story centers on well-known chocolatier and philanthropist Richard Cadbury. In the 1840s, Valentine’s Day started to gain international recognition. Chocolates and flowers were soon traded as gifts on this special occasion.
During the colonial era, chocolate started to take on new meanings and even magical characteristics. Though not successful, the Catholic Church attempted to destroy the indigenous beliefs of the area. There are many accounts in the Central American archives of Inquisition authorities about indigenous or mestizo women who were charged with controlling males through the use of magical chocolate drinks.
All types of women and men went to these so-called “witches” or healers and asked them to make chocolate beverages to draw in love, end marriages, or enhance sex. The American people were too devoted to chocolate for the Church to succeed in outlawing it. Rather, religious orders started to embrace the drink and eliminate or downplay any associations with sexuality.
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The Spaniards introduced chocolate to Europe as a distinctive gift. In continental Europe, cocoa beverages gained popularity in the mansions and private clubs frequented by the wealthy. Initially, Europeans made a great deal of effort to prepare the beverage in the same way that the native people did, attempting to replicate the taste and the atmosphere as closely as they could.
Chocolate became a mainstream product as a result of trade routes opening up and technological advancements. Chocolate was changed from a drink to a confection. Sugar was used to sweeten it rather than pricey honey and spices. Producers started marketing chocolate as a reasonably priced present to go with romantic notes on Valentine’s Day. Even better, a well-known English chocolate firm advised customers to “say it with chocolate” rather than sending love letters.
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Chocolate still has a seductive appeal nowadays. Modern scientists have discovered its various qualities, including chemical components that improve our mood and essential amino acids. These days, chocolatiers are experimenting with a wider range of flavors, even returning to the fiery, foamy drinks of Mesoamerica. People can now challenge their taste receptors and enjoy chocolate to a greater extent by making it with greater care and reducing its sweetness.
Indeed, chocolate tastes better when shared with others.
