Cozumel – Part 7 – The Mayan Cacao Company

Chocolate, or more explicitly, the cacao beans that make the chocolate, was sacred to the Ancient Mayans and Aztecs. Cacao is the name for the earlier stage, where the beans have not yet been roasted, while cocoa is the name used once the fermenting begins. Cacao beans, like coffee beans, are roasted to perfection before they are consumed.

Early evidence for chocolate consumption is found among the Maya, dating back to 600 BC. They used it for many things, and it was not just a sweet treat to enjoy. Chocolate was used in official ceremonies and religious rituals, at feasts, weddings, and festivals, as funerary offerings and for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. Cacao beans were considered a symbol of wealth and status. The Mayans and Aztecs believed that chocolate was a gift from the gods.

Cocoa had a vital place in Mayan mythology. The Mayan creation story tells us that humans were created from a mixture of the divine blood or the gods, and cocoa pods. Cocoa was part of the birth of humanity, but the cacao tree, which grows in shaded areas, was also associated with death. From the ancient Mayans and Aztecs who considered it the food of the gods to its modern-day consumption, chocolate has been imbued with spiritual meaning, symbolizing everything from sacredness and transformation to love and luxury. Cacao beans were so valuable to the Mayans that they used them as a form of currency and traded chocolate, or cacao beans, for other goods, such as woven cloth and maize grain. They also buried cacao pots with people, possibly as part of funeral ceremonies. Cacao was also used as a medicine and in cosmetics by extracting oil from the seeds to flavor food and made ointments to treat skin conditions, burns, and other ailments.

Maya religion states that cacao was originally given to the people by the god Hunahpú, and thus of sacred value, only second to maize (corn). Later records show Ek Chuah, the god of chocolate – and it also appears that the goddess of fertile land and successful harvests was named Ixcacao in its honor.

The Mayans called the drink chocolhaa (bitter water) and Aztecs called it Xocolatl. From those words eventually evolved the word “chocolate.” The Mayans were the first to drink chocolate on a large scale. They made the drink from ground cacao beans, water, and chilies, and called it xocolatl, which means “bitter water”. 

The Mayan Cacao Company is a place to discover the origins of chocolate in the same land of its creators: The Mayas. It is not a museum, but is an interactive place in which you become in an explorer of the history of the most popular food in the world. The Mayan Cacao Company was yet another discovery from our trip to the Museo de Isla de Cozumel, and another post diving activity. We learned about so much of the Mayan culture from our visit to the Museo. We are so glad we went to the Museo de Isla de Cozumel, which led us to other fun and interesting Mayan discoveries as well.

Once again, Larry and I had a private tour with just the two of us. I could easily get spoiled to these private tours. 🙂

Eduardo was our guide extraordinaire. Here he is (at the end of the tour) offering Mayan chocolate as it has been prepared for centuries. He was so knowledgeable and truly loves what he does. He is also very proud of his Mayan ancestry.

We started the tour with an introduction to an actual cacao plant, still in it’s early stages of growth and delvelopment.

Then we went into a little Mayan hut for the first presentation and brief overview of the history and significance of Mayan Cacao. Here is a list of the value of the beans as currency, along with the goddess of cacao, Ixkawkaw (pronounced “ess-ka-kow”). She is the Mayan fertility goddess of chocolate.

After leaving the cacao hut, we were welcomed with some fresh mole sauce and tortillas, made by Maria. It was so good too.

The next stop was into a typical Mayan hut. A lot of people in Cozumel still live in very similar conditions, though more in houses than huts. Eduardo said he had never slept in an actual bed until he went off to college. He had slept in hammocks all his life, and there are many Mayans today who still do.

Honoring the dead loved ones is a sacred tradition of the Mayans, Aztecs and all people of Mexican heritage. Offerings are still a part of most of the homes. Some large like this, but most are smaller offerings.

The final part of our presentation was a demonstration by Eduardo on how the Mayan chocolate was made.

We had a private tour, with Eduardo, but there was a large tour from one of the cruise ships that came in for the chocolate presentation too. After they all left, I also tried my hand at making some Mayan chocolate.

You could even enjoy a chocolate margarita after leaving the presentation if you wanted, but Larry and I just decided to take a swing or two on the swings.

And of course, we couldn’t leave without going through the gift store. We tried all kinds of the Mayan chocolates too. They are completely different, and more bittersweet, which I love, than most of the chocolates we are familiar with. Larry is more of a milk chocolate fan.

I love all the decorative tiles found all over the place too.

Going to The Mayan Cacao Company was yet another fun, informative and interesting find. I would recommend going here to anyone who is a chocolate lover. You will learn so much about chocolate and the traditional Mayan way to make and use chocolate. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. I hear dark chocolate is healthy for you, so eat some chocolate too. ‘Til next time.