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Food of the Gods

In: English and Literature

Submitted By swamy6
Words 2270
Pages 10
Food of the Gods

Have you ever wished that money grew on trees? It does! The cacao (cocoa) bean was one of the first forms of currency dating all the way back to the Mayan civilization, possibly even as early as the Olmec civilization. The cacao tree has been proven very useful over the years, more than just by providing us with decadent chocolate. ”The cocoa bean happens to be the thing from which chocolate is made” (Willy Wonka, 2005). Newfound evidence suggests chocolate promotes blood flow which reduces blood pressure. Taking a look into the chocolate world to see where chocolate truly comes from, what it is made of, what possible health benefits it offers can help decide whether to allow what was once thought of as the “forbidden food” moderately back into our diet. So, jump on the boat and take a Wonka style ride down the chocolate river to see what we can discover. Grab yourself a chocolate morsel for the ride and go ahead indulge, chocolate is good for your health.

Chocolate leads a sticky path all the way back to the Classic Period Mayans (250-900 C.E. [A.D.]) and Aztecs according to the hieroglyphics and artifacts found by various archaeologists. Chocolate was relied on for many different reasons and was considered a symbol of wealth and power. Even the Oompa Loompas knew the value of cocoa beans; “The food they longed for the most was the cocoa bean. The Oompa Loompa was lucky if they found three or four cocoa beans a year. Oh, how they craved it. All they’d ever think about was cocoa beans” (Willy Wonka, 2005). Most importantly, chocolate was considered an offering to the “Gods” because it was a gift from them. It was also used as currency to pay taxes and as medication. The Mayans believed chocolate helped them ease childbirth pains and get rid of migraine headaches along with other ailments. They used it to make what we call hot chocolate

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