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Cultural Values of Cocoa
Ancient Culture
The culture of cocoa dates back to the Early Formative period (2000-1000 BC) in the ancient souther regions of Mesoamerica. The Olmec culture is recognize for being the first to domesticate and create the process of transforming cocoa into chocolate. Other cultures such as the Aztecs and the Mayans used cocoa as currency since it hold a strong cultural value to them. Cocoa was also used in rituals by creating a drink call "chocolatl", a traitional Mayan drink. In fact, this drink is said to be stimulating and relaxing at the same time.
Modern Culture
Throughout time, the process of making chocolate has changed, shaping the culture of chocolate. This new changed has brought numerous chocolate brands around the world such as Hershey's, Ferrero Rocher, or Nestle that distribute some of the most famous chocolate products. As a result, this has had a great economic impact globally, benefiting countries such as Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana which are the top producers of the crop.
Another modern aspect of cocoa culture is chocolate sculptures, which has become a form of art in the food industry. One of the most recognize chocolate sculpture competitions is World Chocolate Masters that is hosted every 3 years to recognize some of the most talented artisans around the world. This has benefited the chocolate industry as well by bringing a new audience to the market for more economic expansion of the crop.
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