Abstract
Theobroma cacao, the cocoa tree, was first cultivated in Central America by the Mayas of Yucatan and the Aztecs of Mexico. The Aztecs believed the tree to be of divine origin, a belief reflected in the appellation Theobroma — ‘Food of the Gods’ — given to the genus by Linnaeus. A preparation, chocolatl, made by mixing roasted ground cocoa nibs with water, maize and spice, was consumed as a luxury in the court of the Aztec emperor Montezuma and was widely thought to have aphrodisiac properties.
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References
Minifie, B.W. 1989. Chocolate, Cocoa and Confectionery, Science and Technology ,2nd edn. AVI, Westport, CT.
Wood, G.A.R. and Lass, R.A. 1985. Cocoa, 4th edn. Longman, London.
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© 1994 Alan H. Varnam and Jane P. Sutherland
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Varnam, A.H., Sutherland, J.P. (1994). Cocoa, Drinking Chocolate and Related Beverages. In: Beverages. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2508-0_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2508-0_6
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-0-412-45720-3
Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-2508-0
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