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Why did the Aztec ask for so many cocoa beans?

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Asked by Thomas's Prep School (Clapham). Chosen and ... Cacao beans were especially handy when making purchases in the many marketplaces. You wouldn't ... We don't know when cacao beans began to be used as money in ancient Mexico, but we do know they were widely used as money in Aztec times. read more

Cocoa was mainly used as a beverage, as the pulp around the bean was used for wine, and the actual bean was used for chocolate drinks. This page may be out of date. Save your draft before refreshing this page. read more

In 1545 (24 years after the Spanish conquest), market prices in Tlaxcalla were set in cacao beans: for instance, you could buy a ripe avocado or chopped firewood for 1 cacao bean, a turkey egg for 3 cacao beans (although a chicken egg only cost 2), or a rooster for 20 cacao beans. read more

Vanilla and/or chilli were also used as an ingredient in the drinks. Cocoa beans were also used as a currency and as a tribute (tax) from peoples ruled by Aztecs. The oily layer floating in the chocolate drink (cocoa butter) was used to protect the skin against the sun. For the Aztecs cocoa had a religious significance. Cocoa was believed to be of divine origin: the cocoa tree was a bridge between earth and heaven. read more

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