Medicinal and Ritual Uses of Chocolate in Mesoamerica
In Mesoamerica, the Mayans and Aztecs used chocolate for medicinal purposes and for their ceremonies. Although it may not be a crop native to the region, they thought it was discovered by the gods, who gave it to men. The Mayans held an annual festival with rituals in honor of the cocoa god Ek Chuah. Currently, there are various archaeological samples of these ceremonies.