Written by: Soham Parmar
Edited by: Mannat Malhan
Designed by: Rashiqa Ali
Where Did Hot Chocolate Come From?
Hot chocolate may seem like a modern comfort drink, but its roots date back over a thousand years. The earliest version wasn’t sweet, milky, or topped with marshmallows or candy canes, but rather bitter, had a frothy mixture, and was used in ceremonies by one of the oldest civilizations in Mesoamerica. Ancient groups like the Olmecs, Maya, and Aztecs didn’t treat chocolate as a casual treat. To them, cacao had spiritual, cultural, and even economic power.
How The Maya and Aztecs Drank Chocolate
For the Maya, chocolate was part of daily life but also appeared in religious ceremonies, weddings, and other important celebrations. It was the Maya who developed one of the earliest versions of drinking chocolate. Their beverage, sometimes referred to as xocolātl, meaning “bitter water,” was made by roasting and grinding cacao beans, mixing them with water, then adding chillies, cornmeal, and aromatic spices. The mixture was poured back and forth between vessels to create a thick layer of foam, which was believed to be the most prized part of the drink.
In the Aztec empire, drinking chocolate was more restricted and usually reserved for nobles, warriors, and rulers. The Aztecs believed that hot chocolate, derived from cacao, was a divine gift from the gods and was to be used in religious rituals. It played an essential role in social, cultural, and economic life. Cacao beans were so valuable that they were used as currency. People could pay taxes or trade goods with them! Aztec chocolate was typically bitter, spicy, and served cold. Emperor Moctezuma II was said to consume large amounts of cacao each day, under the impression that it gave him strength and energy.
Chocolate’s Arrival in Europe
Chocolate came into Europe in the mid-1500s on the ships of conquistadors and friars. The first record of chocolate in Europe is its arrival in Spain in 1544, when some Mayans came over to Spain with Catholic missionaries, and gave chocolate to Prince Philip as a gift. When it hit London in the 17th Century, chocolate houses became trendy, even though chocolate was very expensive. The drink’s exotic origins and high cost made it feel luxurious, and its popularity continued to grow.
Hot chocolate Today
Until the 19th Century, hot chocolate was used as a medicine for stomach and liver diseases, as well as a special drink. Today, people consider it a seasonal beverage to savour. In North America, hot chocolate is somewhat thin and often made by combining hot water with packets of powder, even though we can find more authentic and gourmet varieties in restaurants and cafes. Around the world, hot chocolate takes on many forms: Spain created its famously thick chocolate a la taza, while Latin America continued traditions with spiced chocolate para mesa, and Italy introduced cioccolata calda, a luxuriously dense version. Despite the multiplicity of forms, the core idea has stayed the same for more than a millennium; hot chocolate is meant to be warm, comforting, and bring people together.
Bibliography
Works Cited
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Laiskonis, M. (2017, December 6). The History of Hot Chocolate | Institute of Culinary Education. Www.ice.edu. https://www.ice.edu/blog/history-hot-chocolate
Shennawy, L. E., Dec. 18, R. D. C., & 2023. (2023, December 18). A Cup of Comfort: All About Hot Chocolate. Reader’s Digest Canada. https://www.readersdigest.ca/food/cooking-tips/hot-chocolate-origins/
Who Invented Hot Chocolate? (2025). Whitaker’s Chocolates UK. https://www.whitakerschocolates.com/blogs/blog/who-invented-hot-chocolate?srsltid=AfmBOopD8nZ-dhNYfg08MYkdQyEcyAr4gzFltQCyVzc7GWknFWvKIHx8