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Central American Cacao

Cacao

Agricultural region

Cacao is Mesoamerican in its cultural elaboration and its beans were CURRENCY across the region before contact — a documented monetary use with recorded exchange rates. It was drunk, not eaten, frothed with water, chile and achiote rather than sweetened with sugar and milk, which is a European later development. The Maya and the Pipil grew it; the Q’eqchi’ and the Bribri still hold it ceremonially; Belizean Toledo, Costa Rican Talamanca, Guatemalan Alta Verapaz, Honduran Wampusirpi and Panamanian Bocas del Toro grow it now, much of it fine-flavour and increasingly made into chocolate locally rather than exported as beans. ⚠ THE UPPER AMAZON HOLDS THE EARLIEST EVIDENCE OF USE; Mesoamerica holds the earliest evidence of the drink as a cultural institution. Both are recorded.

Atlas — where and when

Where in the world

Communities and languages

  • Maya community documented
  • Bribri community documented

Languages: Q'eqchi', Bribri, Spanish

What is recorded

  • Cacao beans functioned as currency in Mesoamerica before European contact, with recorded exchange rates. Cacao was consumed as a beverage prepared with water, chile and achiote rather than sweetened with sugar and milk, which is a later European development. The earliest evidence of cacao use is recorded in the upper Amazon; the earliest evidence of the cacao beverage as a cultural institution is Mesoamerican. Both are recorded without subordinating either. documented
  • Cacao use documented in Mesoamerica by the Preclassic period, with residue evidence on vessels; beans in use as currency with recorded exchange rates by the Postclassic. documented

Related foodways

This foodway relates to

  • related to Ecuadorian Cacao and Chocolate documented

    ⚠ The upper Amazon holds the earliest evidence of cacao USE; Mesoamerica holds the earliest evidence of the cacao DRINK as an institution. Both are recorded and neither is subordinated.

Recorded as relating to this foodway

Recipes

No recipes are filed under this cuisine yet.