Food of the Gods
Part 1: The origins and cultural significance of chocolate
Out of all my vices, the one I truly don’t intend on quitting is chocolate. I think I’ve eaten chocolate every day for the last 10 years — not the checkout aisle kind that gives children diabetes; my favorite varieties fall in the 70% and up category. Arguably too bitter for some, for me, it is the best afternoon treat. A couple of pieces of dark chocolate can get me through hours of writing and lift my mood on the dreariest of days. I love the silky and velvety feel of cocoa butter melting in my mouth, the complex earthy, acidic, or fruity notes that come through in different varieties, and how perfectly it pairs with coffee, green tea, or a glass of red wine.
Like most addictions, the appeal of chocolate has a chemical basis. The active compound that gives chocolate its reputation for being a mood enhancer, stimulant, and even aphrodisiac is theobromine. This molecule shares a remarkable structural similarity with caffeine, but unlike caffeine, theobromine “high” has a more gentle, mild, and slow onset. It does not fry your adrenal glands; instead, it actually relaxes the blood vessels and lowers blood pressure. Add to that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of cocoa flavonoids that improve heart and brain health, protect the skin from UV damage, and help slow down aging – and I really don’t see a reason to give up this pet addiction.
The Union of Body and Spirit
But chocolate is not just a superfood. It has immense cultural significance for indigenous South American cultures. The cacao fruit tree is native to the Andean highlands that span Colombia, Ecuador, and Peruvian Amazon. Its domestication began 7500 years ago in the northern region of modern-day Peru, from where it spread to Central America. Originally, it was consumed in liquid form. In the Amazonian region, the pulp of the cacao fruit was fermented to make an alcoholic drink. When cacao spread to Mesoamerica, it was served as an unsweetened beverage prepared from roasted beans mixed with spices and corn puree.
The plant’s scientific name, Theobroma cacao, literally means “food of the goods”, from the ancient Greek “theo” (god) and “broma” (food). However, “cacao” or “ka ka wa” is the original name given to the divine treat. A ceremonial vessel found near a Mayan tomb in Río Azul featured this three-word inscription, which means “man, woman, and spirit”. For Mayans, cacao ceremonies represented the union the male and female principles. The preparation of cacao uses a whisk called molinillo to introduce air into the cacao paste. Thus, the molinillo represents the masculine energy, while the cacao vessel represents the feminine, which together create new life through the alchemical transformation of the elements.
Cacao became a fundamental aspect of Mayan and Aztec societies which incorporated the sacred drink into religious ceremonies and daily life. The plant was thought to be a gift from god Quetzalcoatl. The fruit of the cosmic tree which connected the realm of the living with the underworld, cacao was part of the burial gifts intended to feed the deceased on their journey to the other side. It was also used in marriage ceremonies, during ball games to invigorate the players, and later as currency for trading and tax collection throughout the Aztec empire.
A Guilty Pleasure
When chocolate (derived from the Náhuatl word “xocolatl” which translates to “bitter drink”) made its way to Europe via the Spanish conquistadors, it took on an entirely different form. In the western world, cacao was mixed with sweeteners and processed with alkali to reduce its bitter taste. The original spices and corn were dropped from the recipe and cacao became the star ingredient in desserts served at royal courts. Later, the invention of the mechanical mill and the conching machine helped democratize chocolate and create the smooth texture and moldable shape of chocolate bars that we know today.
As chocolate became more popular, cacao cultivation spread to Asia and Africa where it contributed (and still does today) to exploitation and slave labor. Cultivating and harvesting cacao is a largely manual process. Cacao trees typically take two years before they start producing fruit, and the fruits mature over four to six months. After the fruit is harvested, it is opened manually to remove the seeds, which are fermented for several days, then dried, roasted, and processed. The global market for chocolate is over $115 billion, yet farmers in West African countries like Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, where 80% of the world's cocoa comes from, earn less than a dollar a day.
But here in Colombia, growing cacao actually presents an important economic opportunity. Colombia produces the most premium chocolate, known as “cacao fino de aroma” or “fine flavor”. Only about 12% of the world’s cacao supply is considered fine. It is typically produced from the Criollo or Trinitario tree varieties, whereas ordinary beans come from Forastero trees. The fruit are carefully grown and selected to excel in nuances of flavor, adding exquisite and rare touches of sweet fruit, floral, herbal, wood, caramel, and coffee notes. Needless to say, fine chocolate is worth more than the bulk kind, and it is grown almost exclusively in Colombia, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, and Peru.
Colombian entrepreneurs have recognized the potential for positive social impact through cacao cultivation. For example, the brand Chuculat buys cacao from farmers at 30% over the wholesale price, which they use to make exclusive single-origin products. The average size of a Colombian cacao farm is less than 10 acres. Many areas where cacao is produced (the states of Santander, Huila, Antioquia, Arauca, Tolima, and Cordoba) have seen the worst of the country’s internal conflict associated with the cocaine trade. This alternative source of income provides immense opportunities for local people.
But despite the fact that Colombia produces a large percentage of the world’s finest chocolate, the delicacy remains largely inaccessible to the majority of its people. At 16,000 to 21,000 pesos ($4–5) per bar, fine chocolate is pricy even to me (and I am earning close to ten times the average salary of a working-class Colombian resident). Cacao is an ancestral food, a deep part of the culture that connects Colombia with its roots. It is really a shame that most people in the country cannot afford to enjoy it.
So, is there a solution that can make chocolate production more equitable, while also making this heavenly treat affordable for everyone? The world of biotechnology thinks there is. In my follow-up post next week, I will be exploring the potential of synthetic biotechnology to transform the chocolate industry and the positive impact on the environment and social climate it promises to have. Stay tuned!
