Indulge Your Senses: Top 12 Enticing Fun Facts About Hot Chocolate You Never Knew!

1. Cacao Beans: The OG Tinder Currency

Before swiping right on Tinder, ancient folks like the Mayans and Aztecs swiped left on their cacao beans to buy a night of passion: Back in the day, cacao beans were used as a surprisingly versatile currency where one could buy anything from a turkey for 20 beans, a night with a prostitute for 10 beans, or even a slave for a crisp 100 beans. Carrying around a pocket full of cacao beans was akin to having a wallet full of cash, and this bean-filled monetary system persisted in parts of Latin America until the 19th century.
Source => legacychocolates.com

2. Chocolate Bars: The Ancient Cocoa High

Before Willy Wonka went brewing magical cocoa concoctions, ancient civilizations got high on a steamy beverage made by grating chocolate bars – yes, the whole glorious thing: Hot chocolate, unlike its cocoa counterpart, boasts a rich indulgence made from ground chocolate that contains cocoa butter, all thanks to the genius discovery of cocoa powder by father-son chemists in the early 1800s. So when you're sipping down that mug, adorned with whipped cream or marshmallows, remember the health benefits lurking underneath - antioxidants that fight cancer and enhance arterial health and memory. Cheers to a sinfully healthy cup of bliss!
Source => nationaldaycalendar.com

Did you know chocolate milk was once considered medicine? Discover the amusing origins of this delicious drink concocted by an Irish botanist! 🍫🥛😄

=> Fun Facts about Chocolate-Milk

3. Spicy, Bitter Water: Hot Chocolate's Origin

Before Marie Antoinette ever said, "Let them eat cake," the Aztecs were whispering "bring on the spicy, bitter water!": Hot chocolate dates back over two thousand years, originating as a cacao bean-based beverage mixed with spices and chili peppers, served hot or cold. Europeans later sweetened the deal in the 17th century by adding sugar and milk, creating the creamy, delightful hot chocolate that warms our hearts – and taste buds – today.
Source => meltingmug.blogspot.com

4. Hot Chocolate: From Medicine to Treat

Imagine popping down to the cacao shop in ancient Central America to snag yourself some hot chocolate… well, don't forget your beans! For you'd be shelling out literal beans to buy it, since cacao beans were used as currency back then: The Olmec people were the OG choco dealers 3,500 years ago, using ground cacao beans for medicine and special shindigs. It wasn't until Spanish chefs explored sugar'n'cinnamon options that hot chocolate went viral in Europe. Eventually, a Dutch chemist revolutionized the cocoa game by breaking up with cocoa butter in 1828 for a smoother sip. Now, cozy up with your orangey-marshmallowy hot chocolate, and toast to its rich history!
Source => fairfaxcounty.gov

5. Louis XV: The Royal Hot Chocolate Barista

Who needs a barista when you have royalty whipping up cocoa concoctions: Louis XV was such an ardent fan of hot chocolate that he'd whip up his own aphrodisiac-infused recipes within the confines of his private quarters; evenhis mistresses couldn't resist the allure. During the 19th century, France’s love affair with chocolate only intensified, especially with the rise of famed factories like Menier, and embraced Louis XV's recipe which combined equal parts of chocolate and water, and an egg yolk for every four cups – a mixture best when prepared a day ahead.
Source => en.chateauversailles.fr

6. Xocolatl: The Choco-Salsa of Yore

Before Swiss Miss and cuddling up by the fire, our "cuppa xoco" was more like a choco-salsa: The Mayans and Aztecs sipped on a spicy, bitter cocoa concoction named Xocolatl, which was infused with cinnamon, vanilla, and a significant lack of sugar.
Source => veggiedesserts.com

7. Orange Mugs: Hot Chocolate's BFF

Stop your world and add some zest to your hot chocolate: Researchers from the Polytechnic University of Valencia and the University of Oxford found that hot chocolate served in orange or cream colored cups tasted better than the same drink in white or red ones, with the color of the cup having little influence on the sweetness and aroma of the cocoa concoction. Who knew our mugs could turn us into flavor-chasers?
Source => eurekalert.org

8. Chocolate Taxes: Paying with Cocoa Beans

Feeling the pinch? In ancient Mesoamerica, you could've just paid with chocolate! That's right, they had their own Charlie and the Chocolate Taxes: cacao beans were a valued currency used to pay taxes, make purchases, and even settle debts. A 1545 Nahuatl document reveals that one large tomato was worth a single cacao bean – now that's a saucy exchange rate!
Source => chocolateclass.wordpress.com

9. Indulgent Mayans and Aztecs: Hot Chocolate Pioneers

Before the Kardashians there were the Mayans and Aztecs, the true pioneers of indulgence: As far as 2500 BCE, those hip civilizations enjoyed a bitter precursor to our beloved hot chocolate, made from ground cocoa beans and spices, which later acquired a sweet twist with the addition of milk and sugar when Europeans joined the cocoa party.
Source => masterclass.com

10. Spicy British Hot Cocoa: The OG PSL

Before the era of Swiss Miss and mini marshmallows, Brits were sipping on a spicy hot cocoa that would put your pumpkin spice latte to shame: Back in the 18th century, British hot chocolate boasted a rich, creamy taste derived from the infusion of exotic spices like long pepper, cardamom, and cinnamon, and it was prepared by either boiling bits of chocolate cake in water or scraping chocolate and pouring boiling water over it, sans whisking for frothiness.
Source => georgianera.wordpress.com

11. Xocolatl: A Drink Fit for Warriors and Aristocrats

In a spicy twist that would make a chili pepper blush, ancient elite warriors and aristocrats guzzled a sumptuous beverage to add some sweet heat to their lives: Xocolatl was the original hot chocolate, rich and slightly bitter, concocted by the Mayans and Aztecs using cocoa beans, chili, cinnamon, and vanilla, often served cold and energizing warriors for battle while delighting the taste buds of nobility.
Source => veggiedesserts.com

12. Europeans: Turning Hot Chocolate from Spicy to Sweet

Before Willy Wonka ever dreamed of chocolate rivers and candy bars, the Europeans were getting steamy with a spicy cocoa concoction: hot chocolate was enjoyed as early as the 16th century with a Spanish recipe from 1644 that included black pepper and anise, evolving into the creamy, sweet beverage we know today during the 18th and 19th centuries with the addition of milk and sugar.
Source => janeaustensworld.com