41-45
For the ancient people of Central America, money grew on trees—cacao trees, that is, the source
of chocolate. Inside the football-shaped pods that sprout from cacao trunks and branches lie rows of
seeds. Those seeds, often called beans, were among the most coveted products that the Central
Americans traded in their own region and beyond. The seeds also served as currency throughout the
realm.
Native to the tropics of the Americas, cacao trees thrive in rain forests beneath the shading canopy
of taller plants. Nobody knows who first cultivated cacao. The word itself trances back to the ancient
word kakaw. By about 1100 B.C. the early people there were making a cacao brew. In time, they
produced the first chocolate: a thick, bitter beverage used especially for rites of passage—birth,
marriage, induction into the priesthood, even entry into the afterlife. The traditional recipe began with
drying, roasting, and grinding fermented cacao seeds. Then they mixed the resulting powder with
water and flavorings that included cinnamon, chilies, and vanilla. They poured the concoction back
and forth between pots, creating a cap of foam that was considered the most delicious part.
Many vessels created for storing and serving spiced chocolate show scenes of kings and nobles
drinking it, as well as the gods. Commoners may also have imbibed during feast days. Some vessels
were personalized with glyphs that read, “This is my chocolate pot.”
【題組】44. Which part of the beverage did the ancient Central Americans probably regard as the best part of
it?
(A) The liquid itself.
(B) The temperature it was served in.
(C) The spices that went with it.
(D) The foam on the top.
(E) The occasions they were consumed.