History of chocolate

The story of chocolate goes way back. In fact, there are few foodstuffs with such a rich and intriguing ‘pedigree’ as cocoa and chocolate. A history lesson in a nutshell…

Mayans, Toltecs and Aztecs
4000 years ago the inhabitants of a small village in the Ulúa valley in Honduras were already using drinking cups and plates exclusively for the consumption of Xocoatl, the original chocolate drink.

Between 250 and 900 AD, cocoa became a major part of the Mayan culture and religion and also played an essential role as currency. “Cacau” originally meant “carrying over from those who walk, work or cultivate,” which should be interpreted as exchanging or paying.

After the Mayans, the Toltecs and later the Aztecs established their communities in Mexico, around 1300. The Aztecs adopted many of the Toltec cultural and religious practices, such as worshipping the feathered god of cocoa Quetzalcoatl. According to the legends, Quetzalcoatl received cocoa as a gift from the gods.

Cocoa conquistadores Columbus discovered the New World on his fourth journey, he landed on the island of Guanaya, close to Honduras, and was offered cocoa by the locals.

Hernando Cortés first sets foot ashore in Mexico. He sets up the first cocoa plantations and discovers a red, bitter and spicy drink prepared with cocoa: Xocoatl.
The Aztecs prepared and consumed chocolate mainly when they worshipped their gods or during tribal ceremonies. The colonialists were soon convinced of the great nutritional value and the medicinal powers of cocoa, cocoa butter and the chocolate drink.

The ACTICOA age
It is now proven that cocoa contains more than 600 different compounds of which more than 200 have a potential health benefit. The best-researched compounds with health benefits at this moment are the cocoa flavanols.

Barry Callebaut has succeeded in creating a special process, called ACTICOA, that combines the divine taste of cocoa and chocolate with its health-promoting properties. Time to discover the unique benefits of ACTICOA chocolate.