Whether we prefer it milk, white, dark or as a coating of other fruity or nutty confections, chocolate is perhaps one of the most adored and venerated sweets to have graced the lips of mankind since the discovery of the cocoa bean by the Olmec Indians in 1500 BC. The cocoa bean was so special that the Mayans would only allow the civilizations elite to drink its unsweetened brew of ground beans. Once the Mayans migrated to South America, the Aztecs adopted it by the 14th century and began to grow their own crops of cocoa bean and then became the first to tax it.  

It was not until the 1500’s that Europe got its hands on the cocoa bean, experimentingwith it and creating something new, creating the more solid version of it that we know today. Not until the French got a hold of it did anyone think to add milk in order to smooth out its texture. Originally, chocolate was free of dairy, and served mostly as a beverage.

While around the year 1570 it became popular as an aphrodisiac, chocolate also has medicinal properties because it contains theobromine which has an effect on the body which is similar to caffeine, stimulating the heart, muscles and kidneys. If you have a cold, it can help relieve symptoms by opening bronchial passages. If feeling lethargic, it can give you a boost, and if you have a burn, rub some cacao on it to speed up the healing process.

Chocolate has evolved, and we largely think of it as a candy today, rather than as something with healthful benefits, but it is interesting to note how varied the use of chocolate truly is, from beverage, to mere flavoring, to candy, to sauces for things like chicken, chocolate has been part of he culinary and holistic healing landscape for centuries. From one chocolate lover to the rest of the world, here is hoping it stays that way.