“[Green cacao] makes one drunk, takes effect on one, makes one dizzy, confuses one, makes one sick, deranges one. When an ordinary amount is drunk, it gladdens one, refreshes one, consoles one, invigorates one. Thus it is said: ‘I take cacao. I wet my lips. I refresh myself. ” (Sahagún 1590)
A precious bean
From the time of its discovery arounds 1500 B.C., Theobroma cacao has served many functions, used primarily as a source of food (Coe & Coe 34). Grown in pods attached to the trunk of a rather peculiar looking tree, the Olmecs recognized that there was more than met the eye to this peculiar plant. As they cracked open the pod to reveal a sweet, gelatinous pulp, they took more notice of the seeds within the milky substance, and began to process those seeds to create the very first iteration of cacao, or “kakawa” (Coe & Coe 35). As empires rose and fell, the subsequent civilizations of Mesoamericans and North of South America also coveted cacao for its properties. Consumed primarily in the form of a frothed drink, it was a prized possession and available only to the elite—for it was godly potion that would grant energy and power, and was used in many rituals to appease their deities (Coe & Coe 34).
Benefits of cacao
One of the most known active ingredients in cacao is theobromine. This alkaloid is from the same family as cafeïne, but works differently. Theobromine gives you energy, increases your heart rate and dilates your blood vessels at the same time, increasing circulation.
Cacao is a fruit produced by the Theobroma cacao plant. This tree, which grows primarily in South America and Central America and Africa produces pods that contain cacao beans. Those beans, which are sometimes called cacao seeds, undergo processing to become chocolate.
Cacao is rich in antioxidants, as well as critical minerals like magnesium and iron.
