by Helen Hedrick, Board Member/Level One Teacher

By now, we have all been warned of the unhealthiness of multi-tasking, right? However, recently, on a Sunday afternoon walk in the Highlands, I found myself triple-tasking: walking, snapping pictures as always, and listening to a podcast I really like (How to Spanish Podcast ).  Episode 370 is entitled “Hablemos del Chocolate” (“Let’s talk about Chocolate).* It piqued my interest as it might yours. 

The history of chocolate started with the Olmecas of southern Mexico in the 1500s BC. According to Hayes Lavis, cultural arts curator for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, ancient Olmec pots and vessels from around that time were discovered with traces of theobromine, the stimulant compound found in chocolate and tea.

Apparently, later the Olmecs passed their cacao knowledge on to the Maya, who not only consumed chocolate but revered it. Mayan written history mentions chocolate drinks used in celebrations and to finalize important transactions. The Mayas began mixing cacao with honey, chile, and other ingredients. Chile chocolate is now used in several mole recipes. Here’s a recipe —if you want to spend a day in your kitchen making mole!

Next time you are traveling around Mexico, try these beverages. Or ask someone you meet from one of these areas about their experience with traditional drinks.  

  • “Tajate” from Oaxaca. It’s made from toasted corn, fermented cacao beans, toasted mamey pits, and cacao flowers. It has a slightly bitter, not overly sweet taste, with a distinctive, frothy layer on top. It’s traditionally served cold in a hollowed-out gourd called a jícara.  
  • “Posol” from the state of Tabasco (from the Nahuatl word, Pozōlli). Posol is the name of both fermented corn dough and the cocoa drink made from it, which has its origins in Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica.
  • “Tescalate” from the Chiapas area. Made from toasted corn and cacao, often flavored with spices like cinnamon and vanilla, and said to provide energy and essential vitamins.

As I finished my Sunday walk, the podcast wrapped up with this interesting tidbit. Scientists believe there is a specific gene (TAS2R38) which predisposes people to prefer (or not) bitter foods like dark chocolate. Maybe that’s why you like dark chocolate (85% cacao) and your friend likes white chocolate (85% sugar)! 

*Information for this blog comes from this podcast and this website about the history of chocolate.

Posted in English Learning