Cacao, [ pronounced kuh–kah-oh ] has been cultivated and consumed for thousands of years. A gift from South and Central America, it originates in the Amazon basin growing as fruit pods from the Theobroma tree. Cacao has played a central role in the history, economies, cultures, and stories of Meso-America. The name "Theobroma", meaning “Food of the Gods” in Latin, reflects cacao’s deep spiritual and cultural significance - far beyond the chocolate we know today.
Before hot chocolate was invented, cacao was traditionally consumed in its purest form. After fermenting the cacao beans, within the cacao pod, and fermenting and roasting them, the beans were mixed with water and poured from vessel to vessel at height to create a bitter, frothy drink.
Cacao was a cornerstone of many Mesoamerican civilisations, dating back to the Mayo-Chinchipe people around 5,500 years ago. Their territory stretched across present-day Peru and Ecuador in the Amazonian Andes. Over time, cacao wove itself into the cultures and economies of the Olmec, Mayan, Toltec, Aztec, and Incan civilisations.
The Maya Civilisation ( 2000 BCE - 1519 CE)
The history of cacao is most commonly associated with the Mayans. Living in present-day Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala, the Maya placed cacao at the centre of their worldview. In their creation myth, they believed humans were partly made of cacao, along with earth, corn, and the divine blood of the Gods. Cacao symbolised wealth and was used as currency. The Mayan feathered serpent god, Kukulkan, was said to have gifted both corn and cacao to humankind.
In Mayan tradition, there is even a goddess devoted to cacao who they called Ixcacao. She represents fertility, agriculture, and abundance. As a nurturing mother figure, she offered cacao during sacrificial rites and introduced agriculture and fertile land to the people. In the Maya creation story, the Popol Vuh, she plays a role in the birth of the Sacred Twins, Hunapuh and Xbalanque. Their journey through the underworld - being burned, turned to ash, and reborn - mirrors the process of making cacao itself: fermentation (burial), roasting (fire), grinding, and finally mixing with water to create the sacred drink.
The Aztec Civilisation ( 1300 – 1521 CE)
The Aztec civilisation also honoured cacao in their myths and daily life. In Aztec codices/manuscripts, cacao is depicted as a World Tree and as currency. Codices like the Badianus Manuscript and Florentine Codex record cacao's medicinal uses, which included: treating fevers, fatigue, digestive issues, and even calming the nervous system. Spiritually, cacao was used in rituals as a bridge between humans and the divine. According to legend, Quetzalcoatl, another feathered serpent god, stole cacao from the gods and gave it to humankind, and thus cacao became a bridge between the divine realm and the human world.
Peru and The Inca Civilisation (1200 - 1533 CE)
In Peru, cacao is often known as Mama Cacao, and was revered long before the Inca civilisation. And yet, it is within the history of the Incas that we see abundant evidence of cacao’s importance: vessels, ceramics, and statues all depict it.
Peru is home to one of the greatest biodiversity of cacao species, including the Chuncho, variety often called the “Mother of Cacao”, which grew high up in the Andes. The Inca used cacao both medicinally and spiritually: to treat iron deficiencies and fatigue, stimulate the nervous system, and as heart medicine during ceremonies that supported emotional well-being and guidance from the spirit of "Ixcacao." Cacao was integral to practices within the community, drunk and offered during sacrificial rites, celebrations, and religious ceremonies as a symbol of fertility and connection to the gods. Adding various spices, fruits and essences to the cacao was also very common.
Across Mesoamerica, cacao was more than food - it was sacred. Even after the Spanish conquest of the 1500s, which devastated many of these civilisations, cacao carried forward the stories, wisdom, and traditions of its guardians.
Today, ceremonial cacao is made from heirloom beans, fermented, sun-dried, and hand-ground. With every sip, we hold in our hands the wisdom passed down from the farmers, cultivators, and keepers of cacao’s essence for generations. To drink cacao is to honour its lineage, its myths and its rich history and culture, and we can do so by sitting and sipping with presence, intention and celebration.
~ written by Alex Ophelia Blyth